Last week, my friend Rubaina shared with me the reddit story of a girl who spent all of her life trying to find a tune that her Dad loved. The joy in that girlโs words as she described this experience, was powerful enough to send redditors flooding the Youtube comments of that track. See for yourself!
This story made me think of how I keep running into good music from time to time but miss saving or liking it for future reference. A recent example of a forgotten tune that I stumbled upon after many years of research was Joe Satrianiโs โAlways With Me, Always With Youโ. This is an amazing piece of music sure to stir some rich emotions in your soul.
And thus, inspired by all this brain food, I wrote todayโs poem. A poem about the magic of rediscovering a forgotten tune.
And whatโs more, Iโm super excited that Kevin from โOn Repeatโ has taken over todayโs โSome Fun Stuffโ section on Hello Universe!
Look at that tagline!
โOn Repeat is the place for remembering your favorite songs and discovering new ones.โ
Could there be a better fit for todayโs subject! I am super excited to have Kevin sharing this newsletter with me today, and I urge all you music lovers to subscribe to his newsletter โOn Repeatโ for some banginโ recommendations!
Alright, with all that said, the poem starts in 3โฆ 2โฆ 1!
What is it? A memory? Sudden but temporary! ๐ค Slow and faint it captures me. It makes me think. Enraptures me. ๐ Soft and slow, it plays away and comes to my mind, every day! ๐ง I try to hum it. Sing it. Strum it. On some wood I try to drum it. ๐ผ People tell me, "Just research!" But I don't know what should I search? ๐ And then one day I strangely stumble into it, and my heart rumbles! ๐ Joy engulfs me. Twists me. Turns me. Passionately soothes me. Burns me. ๐ฅ This journey of a thousand miles. Has ended with a toothy smile. ๐ And on this lovely afternoon. I've found back my forgotten tune. ๐บ
Thatโs it! Thanks for reading Hello Universe this week.
Keep reading below to see Kevinโs recommendations on โSome Fun Stuffโ!
Some fun stuff:
by Kevin Alexander from โOn Repeatโ.
Playlists are my love language.
Remember that kid that was always making mixtapes? That was me. Later, I was the one burning CDs for everyone. Today, I help people build better playlists.
How do I do that? Music straight to your inbox 3 times a week.
Maybe itโs an old favorite. Maybe itโs a new discovery. Either way, itโll be something I know will brighten your day.
Give On Repeat two weeks, and Iโll give you a new favorite song.
Read โForbidden Beatโ by S.W. Lauden: As a teenager, I played drums in a band. That didn't last too long- a lack of talent and a horrible case of stage fright will do that- but my love for the instrument stayed.ย Laudenโs latest book tells the story of drumming in punk music from those who were there. Hiding behind their kit, at the back of the stage, drummers rarely get the credit they're due. Forbidden Beat works to change that. Disclosure: I have previously edited some of Laudenโs work on Medium.
Listen to My Writing Soundtrack: I was recently honored to have one of my playlists featured on Substack. I originally built this playlist as a soundtrack to one of the platformโs weekly โwriting hourโ sessions. My quote for the article was โIf youโre like me, a flow state is like the tides with energy coming in waves; this playlist reflects that.โย Thatโs always been the case when Iโm in front of a screen typing away. Maybe itโs true for you as well? Give this โwriting soundtrackโ a shot, and let me know!
Watch this trailer of the Vinyl Nation Documentary: Born out of a desperate attempt to save/promote independent record stores, today โVinyl Nationโ has since taken on a life of its own. Told through the eyes of music fans, Vinyl Nation is a fantastic documentary that weaves the Record Store Dayโs origin story with the resurgence of the vinyl itself as a medium. Watch this trailer and discover a fascinating journey fueled by passion.
Thatโs it from my end. I hope to see you all soon, โOn Repeatโ. ๐
Punit here again! Iโm so happy that Kevin agreed to share his amazing musical perspective on Hello Universe today. I would love it if you also shared some fun stuff that you love to read/ listen to/ watch across the internet, down in the comments.
See you next week!
I always have tunes in my head. And when I saw this issue popping up in my mailbox, it put another song in my head. "The radio's playing some forgotten song". From Radar Love, a song by the Golden Earring, a band from my home town in The Netherlands. So yes, this poem struck a note with me. Great writing, as always, Punit. And nice to have have Kevin as a guest. Good discovery for me. I subscribed... Oh, Radar Love can be found here: https://youtu.be/aRlSHG5hRY4
Nice collaboration idea!