So Long Sweet Summer

We're back next week

Happy Friday from the Music Swap!

I (Kody) know the fall doesn’t technically begin until September 23, but I can see Summer’s End around the bend (Prine, baby) and it has me emotional like Chris Carrabba singing:

So long sweet summer
I stumbled upon you and gratefully basked in your rays
So long sweet summer
I fell into you now you're gracefully falling away

But I’m excited for the fall because that means the Music Swap is back! You heard that right. We’ll kick off our weekly newsletter format next Friday - just in time for Week 1 of College Football. Before we get there, we have some fun news to share and I have a quick reflection on music and our memory of time and space.

Two New Writers

We’re thrilled to announce that we’re adding two writers to the Swap. Join me in welcoming Adam Tait and Mat Alexander to the team. What does this mean? It means we’ll still continue our tradition of recommending three songs each week, but Adam and Mat will rotate with Ben and Jonathan every other week to swap a song for you. I’ll be around every week! Having Adam and Mat on the team will allow us to expand the collective musical taste of the Swap and provide the support we need to make this newsletter happen weekly. They’ll also help us secure Bonus Track writers - let us know if you’d like to write for us!!! Here are two past Music Swap newsletters featuring Adam and Mat:

• Adam: Eclectic Corner: A Reflection on Goose’s Invitation to Jam with the Dead(heads)

• Mat: Musical Comfort Food

Music and the Cementing of Time and Space

We’ve likely discussed this before, but isn’t it amazing how music can take us back so vividly to a time and place? When my dad passed away five years ago, a friend told me to be careful what I listened to during that season of grief. He had suffered loss a few years before and remembered how the songs he listened to became forever associated with his loss. I kind of welcomed that invitation and pressed into the Josh Ritter album I was listneing to at the time. Now, every time I hear Monster Ballads I’m taken back to a lonely dark night on an Oklahoma road passing by the funeral home where we held my dad’s viewing service. Music, man…

I’ve tried to practice curating songs as I experience seasons and special events in my life. I’d encourage you to do the same. Take some songs with you on the road of life. Here are two recent examples:

1. Israel

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Israel and visit various biblical sites. One stop I’ll never forget is Bethesda in Jerusalem at the site where Jesus healed a man who couldn’t walk. My mind instantly thought of Ruston Kelly’s song “Jerico” which begins with “You can walk, walk to Bethesda, there’s no house on mercy street.” I’m not sure of the meaning behind Ruston’s song, but the most meaningful thing about it for me is that it reminds me of the Pool of Bethesda. Here’s a playlist of songs that came to mind during my trip to the Holy Land.

2. Twenty Year Highschool Reunion

My wife’s 20th highschool reunion was last weekend. I grew up in the same town as my wife and my best friends attended her high school, so it was sort of a reunion for me as well. On the drive from KC to OKC, we currated a quick playlist of some of the emo and scream-o songs from 20 years ago. These songs now serve to both remind me of the glory days and a great weekend with old friends. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a window into the soundtrack of my youth.

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Music is just the best. What are some songs that take you back to a particular time and place?

We’re so excited to connect with you next week in our regular format to swap songs. Here’s to a great fall and sweater weather mixes.

-TheMusicSwap