I take my victories as they come. Little ones are just fine. In an earlier post, I mentioned the soundtrack to my radiation treatments was extremely limited (i.e; the same song day after day). You were so kind to offer suggestions like wearing my own headphones and listening to my own playlist. The problem is I just can’t get the image of headphones melted into my ears out of my head. Still, I’m happy to say since that blog post my radiation team has expanded my listening choices. They didn’t say it was for my benefit—but I detect progress.
Soundtracks are an important part of my family’s life. We are all musical. And I don’t mean that all of us are musically talented. Hannah and I ended up in the shallow end of the rhythm gene pool. We can’t carry a tune or play a note. But we appreciate music just the same.
Recently, Hannah and Susie have been creating playlists for their early morning workout group. They’re amazing. You can check them out on Spotify. Last night was our 26th wedding anniversary and I asked to Susie to make us a bedtime playlist. As I drifted off to sleep listening to it I realized just how important music has been in my therapy. Whether it’s Native American flute, Joe Strummer or The White Buffalo—I’m enjoying the soundtrack to this time in my life.
If you like good music, try this playlist one evening: http://open.spotify.com/user/1215968115/playlist/7IjbFobRHFt3w8BV99aq1N
And on the subject of music, it’s a busy weekend for my son Graham’s band Nancarrow. They’ll be performing live at The Saddle Bar in Solana Beach, Ca. tonight 4/5/13 around 9pm and at The Griffin tomorrow night 4/6/13 in San Diego.
Hope to see you there with your cowboy boots on!
Loren
The Nancarrow Project 
Music will heal you brudda! I recently sat in an ER with a painful injury — a 10 out of 10 on the pain scale — and were it not for music I might have lost it. At the point where I was about to begin to break things my loving wife inserted my earbuds and turned on my iPhone. Within moments I was … better, calmer, back in the room. I see we share similar tastes in tunes. May I make a recommendation? Find “Facing Forward” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. This man has the voice of an angel and this beautiful Hawaiian music will plop you right into bliss and grace. Carpe Denim Loren …. seize the jeans!
My son had radiation to his whole brain and spine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2003. They offered a variety of music and he chose the soundtrack from Lilo and Stitch, it has a great selection of Elvis songs in addition to some others. One of the songs is Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride by Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu and Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus. Love that song but I will never hear it again without it reminding me of the whole radiation experience, the planning, the mask, the smell, and the permanent loss of his beautiful thick curly locks. But he’s here, a miracle I will never cease to be thankful for. St. Jude will allow us to bring in our own CD or ipod playlist to hook up to their sound system during radiation or MRI’s. They actually have a setup now where he can watch videos during the MRI, with prism glasses and a video screen at the head end of the tube.
A friend of mine from many moons ago, Carty Fox had a band when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in his early 30’s. He made music inspired from the sound of the MRI and put out an album called AMAREI. I don’t know where to get it any more. I made a video of one of my son’s MRI’s with one of Carty’s songs from AMAREI as background music:
God bless you as you go through this.
Well, I have cowgirl boots but it’s a long ride from Spokane for a San Diego expatriate, even if I had a horse. Hope it’s a successful evening! Judith
Thanks for sharing Nancarrow family. Good choices!
Loren, thanks again for such an inspiring blog posting. Somewhere I read that music “heals the savage beast.” Playlists in this household have always been special and signal the transmission of emotions that are otherwise hard to communicate. Peace!
Sent from my iPhone
oops…somebody sat on that guy’s hat. heckfire!
The forum is a brgteihr place thanks to your posts. Thanks!
See you tonight. I will be the RED head with curly hair with my hubby John..
Loren: You have got the best wife. She must be the coolest person! I love the Lullabyes for Adults playlist, especially because it begins with reggae. Susie, I think you qualify as an honorary Jamerican. I grew up in Jamaica and was listening to local island music before anything else (it wasn’t called reggae at that time). Thank you for sharing this with us. Affectionately, Bobbie
Like most of the tracks on the list. . . .I have been using Spotify for a long time and converting friends and family to doing the same. Keep smiling and listening. Hugs, Dawn
LOVE that you mentioned Joe Strummer; I knew I liked you for a good reason. See you tonight.