500 Albums in 600 Square Feet

Any night that we don't have plans, which varies dramatically from week to week, Michael and I end up having a deliciously prepared meal (by him, of course) and wasting away the evening listening to one of 500 albums that he has collected over the last two and a half years since we've been together. As you can imagine, music is a pretty big deal in this tiny flat. We don't have space for much in a 600 square foot shoebox, but somehow all of those records make their way from a squeezed-on-the-shelf space to the turntable, daily.

As someone who started playing piano at six, and has been singing since before I can remember, music has always been in my blood. There is a cabaret singer on my mother's side, an opera singer on my father's, as well as numerous relatives with the gift of playing instruments and carrying a tune. Apparently that is not normal standard issue like I assumed it was. In my family that trait happens to be.

Thankfully, I married a man who equally, if not more, has this passion for music. Michael knows a lot about the subject. It's actually kind of ridiculous. He plays electric guitar, writes, creates the most perfect mix tapes (okay, mix playlists), DJs, studies it historically and theoretically and, as corny as it sounds, breaths it. He challenges me to reach deeper and understand what those lyrical poets are trying to say. There are many, many benefits to being married to this man, this is just another.

Music is an artform that crosses cultures, religions and generations. It reminds we crazy humans of the past and gives us hope for the future (and makes us shake our booties!). This stuff, like, connects people. Pretty amazing. It baffles me when someone says that they don't have an interest in it. It's even more baffling when someone says they love music but will not explore outside of one genre or singer. Come on, guys. There is myriad available. Might feel overwhelming but so worth discovering over a lifetime.

This is all I wanted to say. Just a little note about what's happening in our little place tonight, and many nights, when our social calendar releases us to relax. A few more albums have crossed the turntable since I started writing this. A few more are sure to do the same before my head hits the pillow tonight.