All I wanna do is uke.

I got a ukulele for my birthday, and I kid you not, all I want to do is uke it up. I stay up so late looking up chords and learning new stuff, it reminds me of my junior and senior year. Ahhhh. I have MISSED it terribly.

Music is insane. It's so weird how it works and I love it. I crave it. I know it is a direct avenue into your inner workings.

Words from the [not so] wise: 

* If you are musical, stay musical. Keep your musical talent in tip-top shape and really strip yourself down to that raw, real experience. You know what I'm talking about. Really open up your heart and become vulnerable. 
* If you don't consider yourself musical, get over it. Everyone has a musical talent. Whether you can memorize lyrics fast, never forget lyrics, recognize any song on the radio, love musicals, can keep time, have a sick beat in your head all the time, whistling, humming, the list goes on. EVERYONE can love and benefit from music. 
-- Experiment with all types of music; classical (I suggest Rachmaninoff), Rap/hiphop (I suggest Eminem, Where is the Love-Black Eyed Peas, Runaway Love- Ludacris), laid-back stuff (Jack Johnson, Missy Higgins, Norah Jones, The Piano Guys), Rock/upbeat (Can't go wrong with Maroon 5 or Red Hot Chili Peppers) or a little country (Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Josh Turner). 

I seriously credit the person I am to 3 specific things:

1. the gospel of Jesus Christ
2. my incredible parents
3. music

I am so serious. I am who I am because of the impact music has had on my life. I gained confidence, which led me to find out who I was and TRUST who I was. TRUST that I could do hard things. TRUST that I can learn to love people. TRUST that I could change and be the best I could be. I have had endless opportunities to serve because of music and will forever be grateful for those experiences.

But I think the greatest thing music has done for me is give me a testimony. A testimony of the love of Jesus Christ. Call me crazy, but music speaks truth. Good music speaks truth. 

This post is so dang random, I kind of don't even want to post it. But I'm going to anyway.

Kira (my BFF) stayed with me over the weekend and we made time to just jam together. We packed us some snacks, headed to Liberty Park with blankets and water bottles and sat on the island and just jammed. She taught me new licks and we sat, sang, and played. It was warm and life was good. So good. People stopped and talked to us and sat on the bench near us to listen. It was awesome. Thanks for inspiring me to play the uke, Kira.

mid-jam. taken by one of our passerby's

But if I die tomorrow, I want all of you to know that I know music is raw and real and good. Let yourself be receptive to good music and use it to bring others to find themselves and become the best they can be. That is seriously why I love music. I love bringing people closer to Christ through my music and I hope I do that until the day I die. 

The best kind of music is the selfless kind. 

Some fave (maybe cheesy, I don't care) quotes:

I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music.
Billy Joel 

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
Bob Marley 

My favorite:

Music can change the world because it can change people.
Bono 

Peace & Love,
-abs