I gotta feeling...

...that tonight's going to be a good night. Putting aside my current obsession of Lady Gaga (sadly), I have been listening to the Black Eyed Peas' song "I Gotta Feeling." Why? Well, let's just say that this may be the song that defines Summer '09 (and a good one it has been so far.) The highlight of this summer is easily Orientation. I miss my O-buddies dearly and I cannot wait to see them next weekend at Kaitlyn's house. But this current obsession made me think, when was the last time I had a song that left such an impression on me? My favorite song of the winter/spring was Chiodos' "To Trixie and Reptile, Thanks for Everything" which does remind me quite a bit about Toronto. Then again, Toronto only lasted 4 days. Was it a life changing experience? Hardly so. A good experience, but not a life changing experience.

I feel I have to go all of the way back to the Summer '06, after we graduated, where Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" left an impression of Switzerland in my head. Yet, it became much more than Switzerland. It became all of high school too. If I had to create a soundtrack that defined high school, this would be it (in no particular order):

1) Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek (for reasons I just stated)
2) Motion City Soundtrack - My Favorite Accident (For my good good friends from home, you would know why this is true!)
3) Styx - Come Sail Away (I did not like Styx until it became our marching band show junior year. Junior year brings back a lot of strange but good memories.)
4) Maynard Ferguson - MacArthur Park (This is the song that got all of the jazz started for me...unfortunately, college killed jazz for me. I barely listen to it anymore.)
5) Snow Patrol - Run (A very special song for a special moment.)
6) Billy Joel - And So It Goes (Because this pretty much defined high school...first introduced my senior year in chamber choir.)
7) A Perfect Circle - The Noose
8) Yellowcard - Only One (7+8 got me through a really rough time sophomore year)
9) Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (This song brings me back many many memories.)
10)Phantom Planet - California (The song that started off an obsession with the O.C. as well as some of the best moments of my life.)
...There are more, but these are probably the top 10.

Speaking of the O.C., for some reason that show really struck a chord with me. While none of my friends could ever say they could relate to the drama associated with that show, I think I connected with the social networking created by the characters. The tension, the falling out, the makeups, so on and so forth, seemed all too realistic of the rocky road that was high school social life. It was the first TV show that left a profound impact on my life - not because of the actual show's material. It was somewhat of a mirror where I personally put on a filter so it could pertain to my life. Interestingly, from that point, I have changed my goals in life to higher, loftier goals. Maybe when that show came around, the timing was right. I needed a shakeup mentally. It gave me the shakeup that I needed. Thus, I faced the reality that I was graduating high school in 5 months, that my life was going to change drastically from that point on, and that some of my friends from high school I would never ever see again in my life. Scary shakeup.

There is now a TV show where, once again, I feel could be profoundly impacting. That show is Glee. Now, unfortunately only the pilot has been on TV and the series has yet to premiere. The show could end up a total flop...or it could become something special. While it is sickingly stereotypical of high school, the characters developed in the show have given me that strange feeling that something utterly profound will come out of this show (once again, not because of the content.) Whatever these machinations will be, who knows. I am excited for the premiere of the show and I seriously hope it does not disappoint.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, as many of you know, I am about to enter my senior year of college. Can I tell you how incredibly horrific this experience is? Constantly I have people tell me: "Devin, don't worry about it. Everything will be fine!" As easy as that sounds (as well as a highly probable scenario), I cannot fathom the outcome in one year. I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen to me. So all of the memories of senior year are rushing back into my head. How incredibly lost I was during those times! I know what to expect and at the same time, I do not expect it at all. Such is life.

In fact, I cannot help but notice the striking similarities between this moment 4 years ago. It was about this time I found out that Mr. Adams, my band director, was not going to return next fall. Something that almost singlehandedly put me into my second streak of depression in high school (or perhaps a relapse of the first.) Recently, I found out that Dr. Larrabee, my piano teacher (and the biggest factor of why I am at UConn today), will not be returning either (at least to teach all of the piano students.) While this change does not have the same impact mentally on me, it definitely threw my life a curveball. Luckily, Dr. Larrabee's role in my musical career was diminshed with the introduction of Dr. Fuchs in my life; but, easily without Dr. Fuchs, I may be in the same spot I was 4 years ago. If anyone had such a big change just as the "I have no idea what is next" syndrome is setting in like I have, I am sure they would be just as scared as I.

So let the soundtrack of 2009 begin! Tonight, Kevin, my best friend of 13-14 years, turns 21. Good riddance! (...It's something unpredictable/But in the end is right/I hope you had the time of your life.) Right now, all I know is that I gotta feeling...tonight's going to be a good night. Tonight's going to be a good night. Tonight's going to be a good good night!

Amen.
D