I heard my first CD when I was 13, my sister who had popped back into my life loaned Doors and REM CD’s and I was hooked. Till then I had heard the odd radio song but never really anything other than the choir music I sang at school. There is only so much you can do with the choir then you fall asleep, hearing Rock quite literally rocked my world and my eyes were opened to a whole new world of wonder and mystery.

Since that age I was hooked, I discovered the Stones, Dylan, Zeppelin, Nirvana, Carole King, the list goes on. I suddenly found myself in heaven right here on earth. That was the start of a life filled with music, every waking moment I absorbed the riffs and the lyrics, it became who I was.

When I eventually got over to the UK it was again a new eye opener, live bands became my passion to the point that each and every weekend there was a gig. Some bands I followed more than others, I traveled the world just to see someone play, it was my life. I got to go to after parties with Muse, have drinks with the White Stripes, I was alive.

A world without music is something I do not know. Silence for me is refreshing and I enjoy it, pure silence or with the twitter of the birds brings about peace. During stressful times I find that music boosts me, energizes me, without it things start to drain and my soul craves.

When I handed over my laptop I lost all my music, all my mp3’s that I bought online, copies of my CD’s in the UK, every single thing. I also lost a lot of my images and photos because I just ran out of time to transfer all the new stuff to the back up. Sitting at the desk watching the clock, knowing that I was running out of time I found myself hover over the delete button. As I pressed down on that key a chunk of my heart broke off, it was as if a part of me was dying.

Madness?

Music and creativity are the two things that keep me sane in an insane world, they help my heart pump the blood through my veins and keep the straight jacket at bay. Sometimes losing the physical things can feel like losing an old friend, I keep the memories in my heart.

Craziness?

The one thing that no one has ever been able to take away from me is my imagination. As I sit here and type I can hear the Doors playing Light my Fire, my mind paints with oils and my nose can smell the turpentine that I use to loosen it up. I breathe and I feel, my world is colourful and bright no matter what happens, no matter who does what to me. My world is mine and no one can touch that, ever.

May the music never stop playing, for the moment it plays within the corners of my mind.

You know that it would be untrue,
You know that I would be a liar,
If I was to say to you,
Girl, we couldn’t get much higher.

Come on, baby, light my fire,
Come on, baby, light my fire.
Try to set the night on fire.

The time to hesitate is through,
No time to wallow in the mire,
Try now, we can only lose,
And our love become a funeral pyre.

Come on, baby, light my fire,
Come on, baby, light my fire.
Try to set the night on fire. Yeah!

The time to hesitate is through,
No time to wallow in the mire,
Try now we can only lose,
And our love become a funeral pyre.

Come on, baby, light my fire,
Come on, baby, light my fire.
Try to set the night on fire. Yeah!

You know that it would be untrue,
You know that I would be a liar,
If I was to say to you,
Girl, we couldn’t get much higher.

Come on, baby, light my fire,
Come on, baby, light my fire.
Try to set the night on fire,
Try to set the night on fire,
Try to set the night on fire,
Try to set the night on fire.