I recently posted a question to facebook, "In one sentence, be creative and tell me why you love music so much."  
I was moved by the flood of people that felt compelled to respond.  The comments were all great and confirmed that I'm not alone with my love for this form of art.

The responses all shared a common theme:
"Music moves me" -KWJ, "It can be soothing to the soul" -JJC, "Transports me to a different state of mind" -DF, "It's my bridge to creativity" -YK, "Music for me is a time machine.  If I want to go back in time to a different place, era, or setting I just change what I am listening to." -MG, "Music makes me come alive." -LV.  

Whether I'm going out for dinner with friends, working hard at the office, cleaning my house, shopping or, of course, driving in the car...music seems to add to the ambiance and alters my mood at any given time.  Music changes the soul, it motivates, it spurs creativity, it's conducive to happiness.

I love reading through the list of things to do in Rockford only to find that so many of our local sites and attractions support our local musicians and performers.  They understand the importance of going above and beyond to create a special experience. 

When you combine dining at Abreo with friends, then add in the Vince Chiarelli Band playing in the background, you can't help but feel chill and relaxed.  Or hanging in Kryptonite's loft while listening to a story-tellers type of performance by Rockford native, Clark Kelly, it just spurs something inside of you that makes you want to dance and sing along.  How romantic is dinner at Franchesco's when Harlan Jefferson performs his Jazz so smoothly?  I can't list enough examples here, but one of the most unique live shows I've been to in recent, was sitting in Veteran's Memorial Hall, built in the early 1900's, listening to Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts make their magic on stage.  There was so much rich Rockford culture and history around me and as I reflected on that, the songs playing just put me in a different moment for a few minutes.  I wasn't thinking about any of the stresses of the day or what responsibilities I had to meet, no, I turned off to any cares and realized how fortunate I was to be sitting in such a venue gathered with many individuals full of stories and experiences.  And that is why music means so much to me, it breeds collaboration, it fosters creativity, it feeds the soul, it brings people together for a common good, it opens the mind.  What in the world could be better?   

Music Feeds The Soul

For a list of the many live shows happening all around the Rockford region this weekend and beyond, visit gorockford.com.

Please hashtag #gorockford and #localmusic to any photos you take of live music happening in the area.