One of my family duties is as musical director for car trips that take us at least one CD from our home. It's one of my favorite jobs.
I get to pick the music that everyone in the car will hear over the course of our journey. I'm sure when any of our children accompany us, they might disagree with my choices but, hey, it's my car. They can pick the music when they drive their cars.
Actually, I'm a bit more diplomatic than that and actually enjoy much of their music but it's an entertaining side trip down memory lane when I get to listen to the music I love. Although it's a bit of a cliche, it truly is the soundtrack of my life.
Certain songs are irrevocably linked to certain memories from my past. This is especially true of my high school years. "He's a Rebel" by the Crystals never fails to bring forth memories of sock hops after football games. Whenever I hear "Surf City," I remember hours I sat in the sun mopping my hair with lemon juice while trying to create that surfer dude look.
Just about every song from that era evokes some sort of memory. That's true for other years, too. It's probably the same for you.
As you document your life story, don't forget to incorporate the music. It's a great memory trigger. When I started work on a book about the Philadelphia history of American Bandstand a few years ago, I collected as much Philadelphia music from that era as I could find and played it whenever I needed a little inspiration.
Try it. It might give your own personal history project a jump start. Here's a good place to start.
Larry Lehmer is a personal historian who helps people preserve their family stories. Visit his web site or contact him by e-mail.
Flickr photo courtesy of The Carrie Project.
