I live in a rural county in downstate Illinois. So far, we’ve only had one reported case of COVID-19, and zero in our village of 300 souls. The virus has affected my job and my social situation in that I am isolating at home with my mother.
For most people, the hardship comes from not being able to be around other people.
For people on the spectrum (certainly for me), it is not ever being able to be completely alone! How to decompress?
I’ve started walking a couple times a day, not long, just 15-20 minutes which is about all it takes to traverse the thoroughfares of this bustling metropolis. While walking, my Spotify will be set to play some of my favorite songs.
The playlist is comprised chiefly of CCM material covering the last 50 years! There is one secular (non-Christian) song on my list; that’s because it’s my ALL-TIME FAVORITE and has been so for over 40 years. This song was one I listened to this morning.
Another song from this morning created the germ of this post. It is a song released in 1997 by Christian rock band Petra. Petra’s lead singer, John Schlitt, is joined in a vocal trio delight by 2 other men who were lead singers in their respective rock bands (Foreigner and Kansas) in the 70s and 80s. John Schlitt was, of course, lead singer for 70s rock band Head East.
These guys all have amazing voices. There are several songs by John Elefante (Kansas) on my playlist – that guy can wail! Lou Gramm (Foreigner) has not released any CCM music to my knowledge, and my understanding is that his vocal abilities have suffered due to some health issues. John Schlitt came to a celebration at my church several years ago, and I was blessed to get to talk with him at some length. I was so glad to hear that Lou had given his heart to Jesus!
My favorite thing to do when listening to this song is try to pick out which lines are sung by which guy.
Lou’s lines are pretty easy because his voice is “smokier” for lack of a better word than the other two. It is more difficult to differentiate between John and John.
And I wonder, why is that I would rather listen to a guy sing than a girl? Is it because I’m a girl? All you other females out there, do you find this to be true? Or is it an Aspie-girl thing?
There are a couple female artists on my playlist. Natalie Grant is my favorite, especially when she’s rocking it out like on “I Will Not Be Moved”.
But the majority are men. If you are reading this and are bored out of your mind, check out the music of the following (in addition to the men named above):
- David Phelps
- Michael English
- Keith Green
- Bart Millard (Mercy Me)
- Tauren Wells
- Bryan Duncan
- Quentin Brackenridge
These guys all have several things in common (aside from being guys). They all can carry a tune. They all (especially David Phelps) have astounding vocal ranges. They all can belt (the correct musical term for what I used to call “screaming in tune”).
I’ve attempted to attach the Petra song to this post. If you like it, why not check out some of these other gifted singers with their powerful messages?
I hope you enjoyed this post devoted to my favorite music. If you don’t like music, you are probably not reading it.
God bless you and keep you in the shadow of His Love.
JLM in Euroclydon 