Decision time

So I've decided that i will try to do three blog posts a week for a whole year. My inconsistency has frustrated me, and i need some accountability. Maybe this will help.

so here is an entry for now.

I like to listen to folk music. It’s pretty soft music, usually. But it’s not country, which I can’t stand the sound of. All that twangy nasally lyrical masturbation. Ugh. I don’t like country, even though it is a cousin (some would say a brother) to my beloved folk. I like folk music because of its natural sounds, plethora of instruments, creative harmonies, simple melodies, nostalgic lyrics, soulful vocals, spacious experimentation, spiritual honesty, prophetic imagination, historical impact, bearded musicians, redemptive concerts, and the calm that it creates deep within me every time I listen. I like folk because it tells the honest story of America, a story of trial and error, success and regret, hardship and comfort, Black and White, Red and Yellow. Folk leaves no one out. It addresses the rich and the poor. Folk music doesn’t take itself too seriously. The harmonica humming out beautiful interludes provides the landscape for the transcendent sound of folk music. I like to take myself too seriously when I write stuff like this. I like that folk music vocals range from falsetto to gritty.
You see, I took StrengthsQuest once, and my results told me a lot about why I like folk music. One of my strengths is history, which means that I look to the past to explain the present, and perhaps predict the future. I like to hear peoples’ stories. I like to learn about the history of different countries, peoples, and places. I see a lot of tragedy in the past. And a lot of joy too. There are a lot of folk ballads. Ballads usually tell the story of someone from the past to say something about the present. That’s why I like folk music.
I listen to Sufjan Stevens because he creatively intertwines local history with dialogue with God. Illinoise, Michigan, and Seven Swans are my favorite of his. Seven Swans is Stevens’ musing about different stories from the Bible. Michigan is a tribute to his home state, and to all its folk-tales and modern problems. Illinoise narrates the great land of Abraham Lincoln. It tells of a serial killer, Superman, a childhood memory, love lost, the great city of Chicago, a college road-trip, and the Exodus. His banjo, piano, and other splay of instruments create a distinct and unique sound.
I like Fleet Foxes because their songs probably don’t mean anything.
I like Paper Bird because the sing about Jesus and Arizona, and the best way to make beer.
I like Bon Iver because he articulates our sorrow and redemption.