Dear Friends:

The last few days have seen me dragging through some medical procedures I've had to endure (and thank the gods I have the luxury of enduring them) as well as trying to shake off the general malaise of cold weather hibernation. The best tonic I've found is in my music collection.

Take the time --- tonight, tomorrow, this weekend --- to reacquaint yourself with your music collection, however large or small. Go to your music and run your fingers over the spines of the covers. Pluck one randomly and quiet the rest of the house. Or, better yet, put on the headphones. And dive back in.

Let the music wash over you. Let it fill your body and fling you into the flowing water. Let it inspire you, soothe you, heal you, cradle you, freak you out and turn you on.

Your homework tonight, should you choose to accept it, is to dig through your old music, and find something you love --- and then love it. And let it love you. And for extra credit, go out this weekend and buy something new. In a genre you're not sure about. If you normally like rap, go country. If you normally like country, go reggae. And y'know, don't forget electronica, bossa nova and Polynesian hip-hop. There are whole worlds to explore.

Love,
Sophie

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sophie (at) freakinasheville.com