Memories and Music: Josh Groban
The pre-game show for the Superbowl was on, but no one paid much attention. I sat alone on the couch, while the rest of the family talked and munched in the kitchen and the dining room. On the television, a young man with curly brown hair took the stage.
"Oh dear. He's probably going to be annoying like the last performer," I thought. His relaxed stance drew me in, though. I leaned forward as he took his first breath. Halfway through the first verse I was shushing the rest of the family, "Hey, this guy's good. Listen!"
"Who is this?"
"I don't know. Josh somebody or other."
I stayed silent for the rest of the performance, captivated by this Josh guy's voice and the song, You Raise Me Up.
Shortly after that, we bought Josh's CD Closer. It was my sister's first year of college at a school only two hours from where lived, and on trips to visit her we always listened to Josh, at least once if not twice. I always sang my lungs out when You Raise Me Up came on, and I soon learned how to play it on the piano
This was the beginning of my one sided relationship with Josh. I wanted very badly to be a professional accompanist at the time, and Josh was a performer I always imagined accompanying. I cursed the day when I discovered he could actually play the piano, because it meant that he wouldn't need me.
He was the soundtrack to so much of my teenage years. I listened to him when I was sad, when I was happy, when it was raining, when it was sunny. Many of my romantic expectations came out of Josh's songs. I wanted to be the girl in So She Dances, have someone sing My Confession to let me know they loved me, and, of course, play When You Say You Love Me at my wedding. He was a part of our everyday chores as well. If Grace and I were doing dishes or sweeping the house, we often said, "I'm really in the mood for some Josh right now." Having the sound of "Mi Mancherai" or "Per Te" on in the background makes rinsing plates off feel epic.
My junior in high school, I decided not to do sports because I wanted to focus more on music. The windows of the chapel where I practiced were made of screen (this room also doubled as our movie theater/school assembly room/church/ and the 1st and 2nd grade classroom) and the girls practicing volleyball heard what I played. I often played their favorite songs to let them know I was there in the background even if I wasn't hitting volleyballs in the wet sand alongside them. One afternoon during a long scrimmage, I broke into You Raise Me Up to let them know I was there cheering them on. Roz's reaction was instantaneous. She flashed me a smile and mouthed the words while Grace looked back towards me, grinning. As the rest of the girls began reacting Mr. Kern's stern voice echoed across the sand, "Okay, now, girls, let's stop listening to Rachel," but I could see him smiling too.
That same year, I downloaded You Are Loved onto my MP-3. There were many nights when, even after a long day of school, practice, and studying, I could not sleep (something that has stuck with me in college). Even with all my talents and all my gifts that everyone assured me I had, I still struggled with insecurity. I used to listen to this song late at night, reminding myself that I was loved, by God, by my family, and by my friends.
Years have passed and I'm not as infatuated as I once was. Josh is still one of my favorites, though, because his voice takes me back home and reminds me of why I love music: it can make dull moments exciting, cheer up friends, and, more importantly, let someone know they are loved.
Thanks Josh!
"Oh dear. He's probably going to be annoying like the last performer," I thought. His relaxed stance drew me in, though. I leaned forward as he took his first breath. Halfway through the first verse I was shushing the rest of the family, "Hey, this guy's good. Listen!"
"Who is this?"
"I don't know. Josh somebody or other."
I stayed silent for the rest of the performance, captivated by this Josh guy's voice and the song, You Raise Me Up.
Shortly after that, we bought Josh's CD Closer. It was my sister's first year of college at a school only two hours from where lived, and on trips to visit her we always listened to Josh, at least once if not twice. I always sang my lungs out when You Raise Me Up came on, and I soon learned how to play it on the piano
This was the beginning of my one sided relationship with Josh. I wanted very badly to be a professional accompanist at the time, and Josh was a performer I always imagined accompanying. I cursed the day when I discovered he could actually play the piano, because it meant that he wouldn't need me.
He was the soundtrack to so much of my teenage years. I listened to him when I was sad, when I was happy, when it was raining, when it was sunny. Many of my romantic expectations came out of Josh's songs. I wanted to be the girl in So She Dances, have someone sing My Confession to let me know they loved me, and, of course, play When You Say You Love Me at my wedding. He was a part of our everyday chores as well. If Grace and I were doing dishes or sweeping the house, we often said, "I'm really in the mood for some Josh right now." Having the sound of "Mi Mancherai" or "Per Te" on in the background makes rinsing plates off feel epic.
My junior in high school, I decided not to do sports because I wanted to focus more on music. The windows of the chapel where I practiced were made of screen (this room also doubled as our movie theater/school assembly room/church/ and the 1st and 2nd grade classroom) and the girls practicing volleyball heard what I played. I often played their favorite songs to let them know I was there in the background even if I wasn't hitting volleyballs in the wet sand alongside them. One afternoon during a long scrimmage, I broke into You Raise Me Up to let them know I was there cheering them on. Roz's reaction was instantaneous. She flashed me a smile and mouthed the words while Grace looked back towards me, grinning. As the rest of the girls began reacting Mr. Kern's stern voice echoed across the sand, "Okay, now, girls, let's stop listening to Rachel," but I could see him smiling too.
That same year, I downloaded You Are Loved onto my MP-3. There were many nights when, even after a long day of school, practice, and studying, I could not sleep (something that has stuck with me in college). Even with all my talents and all my gifts that everyone assured me I had, I still struggled with insecurity. I used to listen to this song late at night, reminding myself that I was loved, by God, by my family, and by my friends.
Years have passed and I'm not as infatuated as I once was. Josh is still one of my favorites, though, because his voice takes me back home and reminds me of why I love music: it can make dull moments exciting, cheer up friends, and, more importantly, let someone know they are loved.
Thanks Josh!
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