Music & Traditions

Hey everyone! So, I don't really come from a family with big music "traditions," BUT— there are definitely some songs that I have had apart of my journey that have impacted me majorly. Some of these songs played during fun times with friends, others at holiday gatherings, and some that I'm excited to hopefully incorporate into my future life events! 

Even though I don't really have super formal traditions with music, there has always been a sense of meaning embedded in certain moments. For this specific blog, I want to share three songs that have kind of just stuck with me over the years and explain why they are so important to me. Each song has its own special story or "tradition" in my life, and I can't wait to share them! 

My first song is a song that always brings back so many memories for me, it is Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. You can laugh a little (I know it's cheesy to some people).

So, this song has always been a big part of my life, and mainly in the fun moments with my friends and at school events. At my high school, we had something called cotillion, this was basically a dance where a bunch of girls from my school that were in cotillion asked people to go, and the money that was made from the tickets was donated to charities in our community. This was basically like a fun social event, but to raise money and spend time + dance with friends! So back to the song, every single time we went to cotillion, we would play Party in the USA. It always made everyone's energy go up, and everyone knew all the words which made it super fun. The funny thing is, that it mainly became a tradition for me because it was played at both of my proms I attended. It's just kind of unique and cool that at every big event in school we played this, so it kind of just stuck. My boyfriend and I even have our prom photos where this song was playing, so that helped to tie the song to a personal memory for me. 

But, besides the events from school, this song also has other relevance in my life. Every single time...and I mean every...single...time...I get in the car and I have aux, it never fails that I play this song. It always instantly brings up the mood, and it makes me feel like I'm just so energetic, and brings back all the fun memories I have had with it. For me, Party in the USA, will always hold a special place in my heart and I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing it—in fact, I'm listening to it as I type this! 

Another "song" that really holds a special place in my life is Silent Night, (it is technically a hymn), which is written by Joseph Mohr, and was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber. I have always heard this hymn during one of the busiest times in the year—Christmas. At my church's Christmas Eve service, this hymn is a BIG part of the evening. Everyone gathers together in the dimly lit sanctuary, and we are all holding candles as we sing this hymn together. 

This hymn itself is very simple but holds an extremely powerful message. Every time I hear this it is at our midnight service, but even though I'm tired it still brings me back to a quiet place and a sense of calm and hope. It helps to remind me of the the true reason for the season of the holidays, and it also helps to remind me of having joy and prosperity. 

One thing that I like most about this tradition, is that it's the same thing every year but yet it is still so refreshing and feels like home. The lyrics are always the same, the meaning is always the same, and yet every year I feel like I deeply understand more. Here is a beautiful performance of Silent Night, that is similar to my church's service—I tried to upload a video of my church's service but unfortunately it would not work :(

The last song I want to share is Die With a Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. This song has become an especially big tradition for me—me and my boyfriend always play this song and love to sing it together. This is a song that I would love to incorporate into my future wedding someday, mainly because it is such a big deal to me. 

For us, this song is way more than just music, it's a constant reminder to live life with pure happiness and joy, no matter what. The lyrics is quite literally talking about embracing a smile in both the good and bad moments of life. This really speaks to us, because this is how we approach life and our relationship. 

Listening to Die With a Smile together has become one of those little traditions that feels so comforting and never gets old. This song not only brings us closer but also helps to us to cherish our bond, even when things get tough. Just imagining this as a part of my future wedding just feels perfect and truly a full circle moment. 

Although I never realized it, music has been a major and powerful part through many important moments in my life. Whether it was from dances and high energy of Party in the USA, the peaceful and comforting hymns from Silent Night, or the personal significance of Die With a Smile. Each song holds a special place in my heart and my story, and I'm excited to keep building on these traditions and create new memories with music.