Let's Talk about Music!

In October 1995 I started working as a teaching assistant at the University of Montenegro's English Department. The subjects I was teaching at the time included conversation classes that I shared with an even younger colleague, Charlotte from England, who was still an undergraduate student of South Slavic languages in London. It was a fun but also an incredibly busy period with the new job and the exams in the postgraduate studies that I had enrolled in. 

I carefully prepared my classes and I loved my job, but one day was particularly busy for me to sit down and make a detailed plan for a conversation lesson, so I decided ad hoc just to talk about music. There is so much to be said about it, myriad of songs have soaked my life and been a soundtrack to innumerable moments, both life-changing and immensely trivial, and I supposed that people 3-4 years younger than I wouldn't be able to hold their horses and would chatter about music on and on. So, why would I need a plan?   

When the class started, and I announced that we would simply be talking about music, instead of the expected outburst I came across indifferent stares. That was not a good onset, so I started asking questions: 'How much does music mean to you?' One or two hands raised, mono-syllabic answers. 'A lot.' 'Not much.' I started sweating uncomfortably. 'Ok, so what kind of music do you like?' No raised hands. 'Which musicians do you like?' No raised hands. 'Oh, c'mon, you must like some performers. Speak up! Let me hear some names!' Silence, then one hand raised. 'Tupac Shakur' 'Ok, thanks, what kind of music does he do?' 'Any other names?' And so on in a similar vein for ten barren minutes, after which all the conversation topics vanished into thin air, and, still not believing what had happened, I told the students they were free to go home, and I told myself that never ever again would I go to class as unprepared. 

Twenty five years later I am as impressed and affected by music as ever. My friends who are either near my age of around fifty or somewhat younger hardly show any interest in music, so I am mostly alone in my appreciation of the latest charts and the fortunate discoveries of hitherto unknown musicians from the past. This is why I am starting this blog, because I would like to talk about music generally and about different songs that paved my way to who I am today. Completely untalented for singing or playing any instrument, music still speaks to me at a profound level, and different songs either recreate past moments and atmospheres, touch some vulnerable places deep down, or simply energize me and bring brightness to my heart.