We can all attest to the fact that our appreciation for different music genres has evolved over the years. If you're like me, you learned to walk on Phil Collins and Ace of Base and your first CD purchase was a Hansen album. After exposure to the Kanyes, Modest Mouse and Daft Punks of the world, is there any real consistency to the contemporary music lover's taste?
I remember one day in high school when I was pillaging my Dad's sweet collection of Michael Jackson and Ravi Shankar albums, among others, to add to my new iPod (yes, our parents grew up with great artists). Suddenly, I saw the dusty tapes of movies that produced, by far, some of the most epic hits of our generation: Disney films.
What an anchor for our upbringing as innocent children. Who could resist snapping to Baloo the Bear when he sang "Bear Necessities," from The Jungle Book? How inspiring was Pocahontas when she sang "Colors of the Wind?" What a test of manliness was it when Captain Li Shang in Mulan sang, "Be a man" to rally his men against the evil Huns? Things completely turned a corner after that song.
In theory, we hold these songs dear to our hearts not just because of the originality of the lyrics, but because we were able to see the carefree, loving, innocent individuals, much like ourselves, incorporate those kinds of lessons and values into action.
Take, for instance, the creativity of The Lion King soundtrack. Hits like "I just can't wait to be King," exposed us to the power of ambition, while others like, "Hakuna Matata" encourages a problem-free philosophy.
We even acquired skills about romance. "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid instructed men on the perfect time to make "the move." "A Whole New World," from Aladdin showed bolder men how to really bring their A-game with a Princess. And "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" That's just a downright sexy song to show true intimacy.
I'm pleased that my fellow comrades of Siegfried Hall frequently celebrate our Disney music gusto playing CD compilations in the shower radio. Singing, "The Circle of Life" in unison in the shower stalls is a great way to start off a morning. If time allows, you might catch us singing Beauty and the Beast's "Be our Guest" all the way down to Peter Pan's "Yo-ho, Yo-ho a Pirate's Life for Me!"
Truthfully, appreciation for such a genre of music is wholesome. Instead of venting frustrations for neglecting my homework to write this column, I am going to "Whistle while I work," for the next few hours just like the Dwarves from Snow White. Just because it's that uplifting.
