Music That Influenced My Life in 2010

People have said that “Music is the language of the soul.” You never know where or when it’s going to hit, but I am confident that there comes a time for every person, yourself included, reader, whether you’re at a concert, or listening to the radio while driving in the car, or jamming out to some internet radio at work, that some particular, specific, mixture of note patterns and lyrical magic will stop you dead in your tracks for reasons completely unique to you and your life experience.

Whether this happens due to a memory that’s triggered by the dissonances or harmonies woven by the notes and chords, or emotions that are stirred or passions that are reignited through the thoughtful, delicately formulated lyrics of a ballad, there is something completely uncanny about the effect that music can have on the soul.

Speaking for myself, I have this kind of experience all the time. Whether it’s a song, like Ben Folds “Bruised,” that wraps you in it’s simple, warm piano-guitar conversation but commiserates with you when you’re feeling down, or a song like “Fly like a G6” which makes you feel like you have enough swag to drop 3+ goals in your game that night(see how this all ties in…), a range of music, both personal and popular, can help complete you and help you understand yourself, your friends, your enemies, and your whole world better.

This list below represents music that has affected me as person throughout all walks of life this year in 2010. 

When I have some alone time to reflect my thoughts, I turn off the lights, turn on Bon Iver’s “Bloodbank”, and my memories of the people and places become an illuminated graphic novel for my scrupulous review. When I’m feeling abstract, I roll out “Cosmic Love” by Florence & the Machine or “Sleepyhead” by Passion Pit.

When I’m able to match the way I’m feeling or what I’m missing with a song, it’s one of the most amazing feelings in the world. It’s like you’re in love with the universe. Now you may think I’m completely nuts and that that statement is abstract, but I know that some of you music lovers out there will know what I mean exactly.

Anyway, if you’re interested, have a listen to some of these—they’re great pieces of art. I've tried to categorize them as best as I could, but I couldn't tell you what the categories were, if I tried! Thanks to all who have helped me on my journey to finding these great songs-- especially Sean!

"Skinny Love"- Bon Iver
"Blindsided"- Bon Iver
"Woods"- Bon Iver
"Bloodbank"- Bon Iver
"Bruised"-Ben Folds

"A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left"- Andrew Bird
"Harold T. WIlkens"-Fanfarlo

"Love dog"- TV on the Radio
"I can talk"- Two Door Cinema

"Falling in love at a coffee shop"-Landong Pigg
"First Day of My Life"- Bright Eyes

"Bushwick Blues"- Delta SPirit
"Little Lion Man"- Mumford & Sons
"My Lost Soprano"-Modern Skirts

"Bloodbuzz Ohio"-The National
"Junebug"- Robert Francis

"Hannah"-Freelance Whales
"Animal"- Miike Snow

"Cameras"- Matt & Kim
"Lions"- Features
"Dying is fine"- Ra Ra Riot
"Challengers"- The New Pornographers
"Silvia"- Miike Snow

"Cosmic Love"-Florence & the Machine
"XXO- MIA
"Fixed"- Stars
"Sleepyhead"- Passion Pit
"Ambling Alp"- Yeasayer
"11th Dimension"- Julian Casablancas

"Fly like a G6"- Far East Movement
"Bass down low"- Dev

23 "Adult Truths" (nothing to do with hockey...)

I got this from my friend Vanita today-- it made me smile, so I figured I'd let you guys in on it:

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear
your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you
realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was
younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty
sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

9. Bad decisions make good stories.

10. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at
work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive
for the rest of the day.

11. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I
don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

12. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks
me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I
swear I did not make any changes to.

13. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not
to answer when they call.

14. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

15. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

16. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and
hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod
and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a damn word they
said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up
to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers
and sisters!

20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get
dirty, and you can wear them forever.

21. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still
not know what time it is.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car
keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the
Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet
away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874
and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100
years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

Livin' the Dream

After a full-force odd man rush, Bob smothers a cross-crease pass and the opposing players pull-up and glide with their remaining, unused speed back out to center ice. This is the custom. The defenseman in white gently picks up the puck and toys with it for a moment on the jagged, third period-like ice, before he makes the obvious pass to Hooch, standing on the right-side boards. I swing around the back of the net in his direction and he hits me with a gentle break out pass, since the pressure is tired and hasn’t made an effort to pick it off. I make sure that the puck is safely on my blade-- much of the time, lately, this has not been the case. I begin a rush through the neutral zone. My choppy steps bring me up to speed and the gears start to turn. We wind it up.

Weasel streaks up the left side of the ice, open on his off-hand for a pass at any time, but he’s blocked positionally by the right defense. I dodge a half-hearted poke check from Doug, the blue phantom, at the red-line, and make for the right boards in an effort to draw out Swiffen, the right D. I put my shoulder down and fake a push to the outside. Swiffen bites.

Out of the corner of my eye at 7:00 I see a pair of Calgary socks and a stick blade that never fail to be in perfect position. These belong to Hooch, Hooch who has those magic hands—the kind that I wish I had.

With Swiffen safely out of my skating lane, and Weasel’s defenseman making a break for Hooch in the high slot—I fly to the far post as Hooch passes to an open Weasel, who quickly escorts the puck behind the net and out of danger. I weave a few strides backwards to an open slot as Hooch draws the defenseman with him to the right side of the net.

Swiffen is catching up to me. The backcheckers are closing in. Under the radar, with a cool authority and an air of magic, Weasel sneaks a pass onto my stick without the goalie noticing. There’s an open net, a puck on my stick. A goal is born.

I play this scene over and over again in soft tones with a little bit of an artistic blur on the lense in my brain before I go to sleep at night. (Yes, I know I have a problem). Thursdays and Sundays I play with the boys. There’s something about the mix of a good pace, perfect positioning, great people, and a competitive atmosphere that invigorates and fascinates me. I am infatuated with it—and I think that my teammates there think I’m kinda different because of that (Yes, I know I am). It may be a weeknight, our ice slot may be at 10:00, and the rink may be in a different state—but damned if I won’t fight tooth and nail to get there and play. Positional hockey—*Sigh*-- it’s the best, Jerry.

I’ve been playing “court hockey” (read: street hockey) with the guys at lunch where I work. I have been struggling a lot with my pass receiving and shooting on the ice, and I am attributing it to the difficulty of alternating between a lightweight, liquid-filled mylec ball and a heavy puck. I’ve often heard that stickhandling with a ball makes you better, but not with a koho stick on a tennis court. It makes you worse. In other news, check out this picture below! I got hit with a shot in court hockey-- my buddy Eric called it my "third ankle" lol.

Good luck to UD in their scrimmage tonight against the Hatfield Angels. Good luck to ‘Cats red this weekend— you may or may not see me between the pipes for you guys! ;)

Put me in, coach! Oh wait... that's me.

In a study conducted by kidshealth.org, teens were asked to answer the question, "What makes a good coach?”

The teens interviewed for this study described a good coach as someone with the “’ability to tell you the straight truth or facts without making you feel bad.’” Good coaches include coaches who are “tough but fair,” who “teach life skills along with sports skills,” who “understand and motivate their players,” and who “make it a team effort.”

The kids identified a bad coach as someone who plays favorites, who “[yells] or puts players down,” and who “can’t teach or don’t give it their all.” Kelly, 13, said “you can’t be too nice or you get no respect.”

Ok—flash forward to now, the day after practice where I serve as an assistant coach for a youth team. I’d say I spend a solid three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and this day, Thursday, stressing about my “coaching style”. Well, you may be asking—Katie, what is your coaching style and why is it so stressful? The answer? I don’t have one!!

This is the second time in my life (read: in 3.5 years) I’ve ever been asked to coach a hockey team, and this is the second time I’ve had the thought process of, “Yes, I would absolutely love to! But wait… I’m still learning how to play…” Earlier in the year, I let down a wonderful group of individuals who were desperately in need of a head coach, and every time I think back on that day—I would like to flick my former self on the side of the head-- first, for re-nigging on my promise to coach them, and secondly, for agreeing to take a job in the first place that I had no business taking. They deserve better than what I, currently, have to offer (and I say that in all honesty and fairness.

I have no problem coaching volleyball—in fact I love it! But, and here’s the catch, I also know how to play volleyball! Hockey—is a work in progress. Maybe one day, I’ll achieve coaching greatness… but for now I think my time is best spent figuring out how to play this game. Every time I hit the ice (and folks, this is why I love it) brings something new for me to do, learn, master, and consider. I have “Hockey strategy book” on my Christmas list for this year.

For all of you hockey coaches out there that happen to read this, when and why did you start coaching hockey? What are your successes? What’s your style—are a you a player’s coach or stern, fearless leader? Do you focus mostly on strategy or skill development? Do you believe in the “dropping-little-johnny-off-in-a-pool-of-sharks-and-letting-him-fight-his-way-out” mentality or do you have game strategy and situational experience down to a science? 

I’ll keep plugging away at this for this season, but I just don’t know if I’m cut out for it…. yet. Any and all advice is always appreciated. I just want these girls to have all the opportunities that they deserve, and I’d like to help them reach their goals…

Anyway, hockey tonight, woohoo-- I'm going to try to recap tonight or tomorrow!!