Scrapbook of Sorts (The Musical Kind)

1. “Bach’s Lullaby” by Johannes Sebastian Bach

I chose this song because I was just born and therefore did not think about a lot of things being an infant. So I chose an instrumental song to describe my wordless (and probably thoughtless) year.

2. “Urban Angel” by Natalie Walker

This song resembles a sense of security that I had when I was two. I can hardly remember anything about being a two-year-old, so it can’t be necessarily bad, right?

3. “Hey, Let’s Go” by Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli)

This song is adorable. That’s all. It’s perfect for a three-year-old, no matter how violent or enraged she was or could get at the time. She could also be cute and lovable like a kitten.

4. “Puff the Magic Dragon” by Peter, Paul, and Mary, “Piano Man” by Billy Joel, or “Anastasia Theme”

Each song has it’s own importance, mainly being the fact that they were songs that I could recognize at the time and I liked (maybe even now). And for the record, I don’t care if “Puff the Magic Dragon” has a secret meaning that relates to smoking, it’s also a children story made into a song.

5. Magic School Bus by Johanna Cole

When I was five (and up), these stories were my favorite stories in the entire world. They inspired my learning ability, my love of science, and my love of adventure (or fantasy books).

6. “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by Five for Fighting and “Blue” by Eiffel 65

These two songs were to of my favorites at the time. Otherwise, they have no real significance, except that maybe “Blue” (and other Eiffel 65 songs) helped me to like techno.

7. “World” by Five for Fighting and The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott

The Secrets of Droon are another beloved book series that I read when I was a child. “World” is supposed to symbolize the fact that I wrote my first story when I was seven and it describes creating a world (I created a world out of words).

“I Will Follow You Into the Dark/Davy Jones”

8. “A Lack of Color” by Death Cab for Cutie

“A Lack of Color” is like “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” and “Blue” in that it only has to do with the fact that I liked it at the time (along with a lot of others).

9. “Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)” by Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli)

I picked this song because it’s care-free and lighthearted, like a child. The movie that I got it from is one of my favorite children’s movies.

**10. “Graduation (Friends Forever)” by Vitamin C and “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Ungar

This song represents my leaving GW and having to leave my temporary home (besides Elmira) for an unknown world beyond my comfort zone. I said goodbye to my friends and teachers who helped me through the years and went to the middle school.

It was probably the best year of my life.

“Ashokan Farewell” is there because it’s one of my favorite songs to play on the violin, and I learned how to play it when I was 10.

11. “Freedom Never Cries” by Five for Fighting, “Boston” by Augustana, and “Yesterday” by The Beatles

Ever since I had left George Washington, I felt like a piece of ice had lodged itself into my soul.

It’s still there.

The reason why this is the only year filled with depressing songs is that I’ve learned to live with the icicle, but this year was the hardest for me. (Long live GW!)

12. “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley, “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley, “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley

I chose these songs because this is around the time that I turned into the awesome, chilled-out kind of person that I am today.

13. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day

This song describes leaving the middle school and going into high school. I know, I’m very sentimental.

14. “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train, “A Beautiful Mess” by Jason Mraz, “Miserable At Best” by Mayday Parade “Pourquoi C’est Beau (Why Is It Beautiful)” by Christophe Mae, “The Game Has Changed” by Daft Punk, “City of the Damned” by Green Day, and “Famous Last Words” by My Chemical Romance

This whole plethora of songs describes the random stuff that I feel everyday. It really depends on my mood, but the fact that these songs are so very different just goes to show that everyday is different, everyday I have another song stuck in my head, and everyday it affects my mood, so that’s why they’re there.

Actually, that goes for every other day of my life (as long as I had the attention span to linger on them).

“100 Years” and “The Riddle” by Five for Fighting

These two songs would probably be with either 12 or 13, but it could also be with 14 and 11, just because of the significance of the two songs.

I have a specific age for “100 Years”: 15. Because that’s when I get into the song.