Obsession...

If there's one thing I love more than music, it's finding new music.  And thanks be to Jesus that technology has progressed to free "radio" stations that play a bunch of music that you may never hear otherwise.  If you listen to the typical radio stations, if it isn't an independent radio station, they play mostly the same popular music within that genre over and over.  It can get a little redundant and definitely kill a song you thought you were excited about.

So, per the usual, let me give you a little background on where I come from with music.  It's always defined me and been a huge part of my life.  I can relate, as I'm sure so many people do, certain songs to significant moments in my life.  Music is what I listen to throughout the day and it helps me to work, do chores, and focus on homework among other things.  And then there's moments, brought to you by music, that have been some of the most amazing experiences in my life.  A few of the greats?

Singing or playing in a dark church...

I think it is one of the most spiritual experiences to, for me,  play the piano or sing in a dark church.  One such time my friend and I were preparing to sing a duet while on a mission trip in Scotland and we were alone, in a mostly dark space with only a bit of light coming in from the windows, bare walls so lots of echo, and the harmonies just lifted and it was as close to heaven as one can get.  Amazing.

Another time I was singing with the Western Washington University Concert Choir.  I didn't know it until a year later as I compared experiences but we had one of the best collections of singers.  We were singing for a special function at Seattle First Presbyterian Church Eric Whitacre's song Cloudburst.  To hear those voices, singing this song, in this amazingly acoustic church was amazing...

Ah...

Now back to the present.  A look onto my Pandora radio page shows music for all different moods.  Thanks to a mom who worried about the smut being played on the radio when I was a kid, I have a vast knowledge of "oldies" music.  Thanks to my adolescent years being spent in the Tri-Cities, home of classic rock, I have a profound appreciation for bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.  And thanks to my grandmother for instilling in me a love for Paul Simon, classical music, and a wee band called the Irish Rovers who gave us this true gem...

And of course I picked up a love for everything else, especially R&B and jazz along the way.

So every once in a while, through listening to the radio at work, I find new fabulous music.  And apparently, the latest toe-tappers I've grown fond of are from the country genre.  So in honor of sharing the wealth of my love for music and in the spirit of discovery, here are a few of my new country favorites for your listening pleasure... enjoy!

Get ready mom, I think you're going to like these...

Light Me Up - Hunter Hayes

Cruise - Florida Georgia Line