Music - the cure for anything

No I'm not saying I cured cancer. Not yet anyway, but I assure you if I do it will be with beer and not music. As another note before I start to explain myself, I won't be updating regularly over the next few days. Internet over here is expensive and I'd rather save it for my day off and not my nights when I have 2 hours if that to spend online. I will be posting some early and some later, but there will be one a day, I promise.

Back to music. Something I didn't realize until earlier today was that I've been listening to a lot of music since I've been here. Work, at "home", out walking or doing just about anything. I think that it has really helped me adjust to everything. Music is like beer, a common denominator of people everywhere. We work and we rock out to music. Could there be a better job?

I don't only listen to the music that I like, I have been listening to a lot stuff at the brewery. Some of the brewers love Billy Talent, Sum 41 and 5 for Fighting among others, which is funny and I ask if they are trying to make me feel at home. Others listen to more mellow stuff like Bob Marley and others listen to rap/rock blends and remixes of songs I'd never think to put together. I like it all because it all has a place.

Out walking I've been listening to the playlist I made for my flight. I went through my 2205 (a few thanks to my friend Alex for the iTunes gift card before I left, and to Shane for the proclaimers CD. It is very fitting) and picked out the stuff I actually like (just over 500). I have a mix of just about everything. You might think that listening to Frightened Rabbit, Mumford and Sons and the Proclaimers would make me feel at home here since they are from the UK, but it makes me feel more at home. Many nights I stayed up with friends drinking, smoking cigars and chatting with these songs filling in as background noise.

On the other hand, there are lots of songs that are American or Canadian that make me feel more at home here. Guns & Roses, John Hiatt, Clapton and others like them actually make me feel more at home here. It really didn't make sense to me until I thought about it for a second or 2.

Clearly the songs from the UK make me feel at home here and the others remind me of home, it just depends on the song, the tone, the lyrics and the setting. Music is like beer in the fact that everything has a time and place where it brings through different aspects of a song of brew. Different times call for different measures. Music just makes me happy. It teaches you, it reminds you, it helps you forget and it just flat out rocks. If there is anything that can help you wherever you go it is music. And thanks to iPod's and every other apple product (because lets face it, the other products are shit) you take take pretty much every song with you everywhere you go. iPods are like having your best friend in you pocket (which is a bit odd and I'm laughing at myself right now) as well as infinite inspiration you can draw from and take with you.

The song that has made me feel most at home here? Nova Scotia by David Cavan Fraser. A little known acoustic rock artist from Ontario. Why this song? Look it up and read my blog, but I'll give you a hint: "I'll be fine by the sea shore, by the sea shore I'll be fine."