Skirt Day (that first day when it's noticeably warmer and sunnier, and girls can finally free their legs from restrictive pants and wear the skirt or dress bought on sale at the end of last summer; boys typically perceive everyone to be unusually 'dressed up') has come and gone, and it appears the good weather is more or less here to stay. So what does this mean? As the Zombies would say (maybe with a few more ooo's and ah's), it's the time of the season for music in the Dustbowl. Drumming in the Dustbowl, guitar-ing in the Dustbowl, saxophone-ing in the Dustbowl - it happens every spring, without fail. People emerge from the shadows, inspired by the warm earth to sit down, chill out, and just make music. Whether serious or just for fun, it adds a nice dimension to campus life. I have yet to see sidewalk chalk or the guys who tie the rope between two trees and "tightrope walk" across it, but it's only a matter of time. At this time of the semester, the campus just feels more alive. Students can reclaim the land from the frozen clutches of Mother Nature and are willing to stray off the paved paths. The Dustbowl is no longer a barren wasteland, but a community park. People emerge from the shadows to toss a Frisbee around, and campus groups demonstrate and serve up free food and T-shirts (thank you GLC for yesterday's hot dog). People are excited to go out and do things. And the music is everywhere. If you think about it, however, there is really nowhere else besides the Dustbowl to even hang out in daylight hours. The tables outside of Lower? The grassy strips the size of yoga mats outside each residence hall? It's highly inconvenient, and hardly enough. (A personal rant of mine, not really music-related.) The beautiful weather also comes with a strange sense of uneasiness. It tells us summer is approaching, the school year is ending, and we are all moving on. We want to be outside to enjoy all the extra hours of sunlight, but school pulls us back into the library and residence halls. But at least I know the people in the Mods are having fun. During the gorgeous daylight hours, music is constantly playing. From my room in Edmond's, sunlight streams through my open window to the tunes of late-'90s and current pop hits, also often accompanied by tipsy sing-a-longs. So thank you, Mods, you give us all hope. So, to conclude this random jumble of thoughts: Let the sunshine in, keep the stress out, and turn up the volume of the music and life of your campus.
Mind on Music
Published: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Updated: Saturday, November 14, 2009
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