Music and Tradition

Tradition and music has rarely been a common factor in my life. No common pieces  for celebrations (well if you don't count "Happy Birthday"), never been to a wedding, or any other gathering. Now, Im not saying my family doesn't have many traditions, we just don't use music. So, the idea of music being a tradition was never introduced to me until I went into school. Whether that came to marching band, events during our senior year, or even some gigs I've picked up over the years. 

Gigs have always been a good way for me to expose myself to music and traction, especially within the church. For a couple years I was invited to play at New Harvest Church Of God for their Christmas and Easter services. As the years went on, I came to know which pieces were repeatedly played and were looked at as a tradition for the church. My favorite being "Mary did you know." Between how the chorus and the band blended, to how the music rumbled the stage, I feel in love with it. Even within the whole church, you could see the energy that this peace brought coming from the audience. This was a piece that I began looking forward to every single year.

Going back to family and tradition, there's only one I can really think of and that's for funerals. On my dad's side they have the tradition of playing "Amazing Grace." This song to us, allows us to have some sort of closure with the passing of a love one. Amazing Grace can resemble redemption, hope, and finding the peace in death. For my family, this our way of letting that person go knowing that they will by okay and that one day we will see them again. 

From high school one that dealt with music for many of us was our graduation. No, it isn't pomp and circumstance, but that will be an example for this blog. Every year my school allows for the senior class to vote on their tunnel song, which is played as we exit the gym after receiving our diploma. What makes this so special is as we're walking out our teachers make a tunnel to the door of which we exit. The is when we can give hugs, say our "thank you's", and for some us our final goodbyes to our favorite teachers. I know many school don't have the chance todo this, but it makes it feel like a surreal moment, you're walking through a tunnel of people that have seen you at weakest and lowest points. When it was our turn, we picked "I lived" by One Republic. Having a song other than pomp and circumstance to remember your graduation by meant a lot to us, because it can be hard making a connection to Pomp and Circumstance. Even though the songs changes within the years, the tradition of a walk out song will always be there. For the lyrics of the songs remind us of our time within the walls of Chesnee High School. 

And of course "Pomp and Circumstance"

This piece isn't a place holder, or something for us to listen to as graduates enter a space. Its played for formal and impressive events, which for some people graduation high school can be pretty impressive. 

Our school always had the tradition of the band and orchestra coming together to play it for graduation, which was the only time the two came together. For many who did play, by the time it was their turn to walk the stage, they probably already had this memorized with how many times we had to repeat it. I can't complain too much though, Chesnee is a whole lot smaller than many of the high schools around here. 

As time goes by I hope to be exposed to more of these traditions, maybe even taking some with me todo it with my own family one day! :)