As I stood up to leave the Lego Room after my interview with Red Frog Events, Nicole stopped me to ask one last question, “What calms you down?”
“Music,” I said. Just that one word. That was the first and only thing that came to my mind. And it’s true. Music has so much power over people’s emotions, feelings and thoughts. In the movies there are always dramatic or depressing scenes, like a killer walking slowly towards the running woman or a scene depicting the first kiss, that play the perfect melody in the background propelling our emotions further into the story line. Well, movies are onto something: soundtracks.
The beautiful thing about our day and age is that there are so many different inventions that allow us to create, listen, and share music. We can have a soundtrack for every moment of our lives. Whether you are listening to your iPod walking down the street, or streaming music at home, you can manipulate your emotions with music. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I have a favorite artist to listen to while walking the streets of Chicago on a sunny day, a handful for my train ride, an album for a breakup and one for each summer. They all stir up different memories and emotions; some even bring back certain smells or feelings in the air (The Decemberists’ album Crane Wife will forever remind me of Spring and the smell/feeling of rain on its way).
My new favorite treat (yes, I realize I am about 3-5 years behind in discovering this) is the ability to discover new artists online by listening to Pandora or 8tracks. I love the days when I have a mood that needs a sound I cannot seem to decide on, and then 8tracks, Pandora, Spotify, etc. come to my rescue. My current music obsession, interestingly enough, is brought to me by my work: the Firefly Music Festival 8tracks mix. I was always under the impression that in the professional world my soundtrack would not be tolerated, let alone encouraged. But here, I am a part of a company that not only allows people to listen to music, but also encourages us to be active participants in this magnificent age of sharing and promoting music. Recently, 8tracks featured the Firefly playlist on its homepage, which is a testament to the incredible artists that will be performing at the three-day festival. Firefly Music Festival will be creating memories and new soundtracks for music lovers July 20-22 this summer in Dover, Delaware, further proving Red Frog’s investment to music.
Red Frog understands the importance of music in our lives, and the incredible power it has for people as individuals and its ability to bring people together. Now if only it was socially acceptable for me to break out in dance while walking down the street, I’d be set!
-Katy Johnson
