Rhythm is Gonna Get You

Music enters my body through my feet. And I am not talking about the toe tapping response to rhythm, or even the vibration of sound reverberating through the floor, but something more subtle than both.

Like energy.

Energy produced by musicians and laid down on tracks; strummed out on guitars; pounded out from pianos; belted out through voice boxes. Energy which starts at the tips of my toes and penetrates every cell of my skin as it traverses the gravity defying path upward, through my very veins and breaks into a pounding heart at the center of my chest. At the moment pulsation of arteries and energy of music combine there is an explosion of sorts and that music bursts outward in extreme electric shocks.

Vibrating through my trunk, down my arms, out my fingertips, and POW out the crown of my head.

That's when the dancing starts. It can't be helped, it is an ingrained, automated response, as natural to me as blinking or breathing.

Music, good music, does that. Music which is full of passion and meaning and passion and flair and passion. Music flies into my soul right through my feet.

Saturday, Don and I traveled to the neighboring city of Rotterdam to attend Night 2 of The North Sea Jazz Festival. A three-day affair hosted at the large Ahoy. convention center in the city, it was an incredible celebration of music. The place is ginormous (I can use this word because I just learned it has been admitted into the dictionary) and boasts several stages--count 'em, 15--for performers. There is action in every corner and down every corridor. In spite of the large crowds, which is never my favorite thing, it was an absolute thrill to be there.

My toes tingled.

We began our concert tour Saturday with a 14-year old jazz singer named Kim Hoorweg. Working our way through stages and rooms we caught the tail end of the show by Steely Dan (yes, Steely Dan!), and introduced our ears to several new-to-us artists throughout the night--Joe Bonamassa, Curtis Steigers, New Generation Big Band. For the midnight show we parked ourselves in the crowd aching to hear from Jason Mraz at one of the outdoor stages. Though he has fame and reputation in the US, he is not, as yet, well known in The Netherlands.The crowd was large, but not crushing and we staked a place quite close to the stage so we could enjoy his performance.

(It would have been THE PERFECT place were it not for one REALLY OBNOXIOUS American tourist who continually insisted upon explaining lyrics to her Dutch boyfriend and without tolerance or understanding for the culture she was visiting made herself look a fool over and over again. I will save that rant perhaps, but just suffice to say I was deeply annoyed by my fellow countrywoman.)

Jason Mraz is a completely engaging performer with unbelievable talent dripping out his fingertips and through his vocal chords. I was mesmerized and completely taken in.

Before I share a little clip of my *new* boyfriend, I just want to mention that this extravagant music festival happens every year, and I am just wondering, which of you I can count on for company at next year's venue?

I promise, your toes will tingle.