Keep young and musical

I'm starting to understand what people say when they tell you to enjoy being young. I think it's because I'm feeling young. Yes. On the eve of my 24th birthday, it occurs to me that I have learned in the past year how to keep young.

Yesterday I went to—what I would call—my second real concert ever, my seventh overall. Spice girls was my first concert ever at the Meadows in fourth grade. Backstreet boys came next in middle school. My then-boyfriend took me to Dave Matthews Band junior year; I was so freaked in the midst of all the drunk high schoolers on the lawn I didn't  even realize I was at a concert. (This I consider the real concert, because it was outdoors on a lawn full of music fans high as kites.) I saw Frankie Valli and the four seasons once and Billy Joel twice. So concert-going experience level = novice. 

But I was invited to go to the Global Citizen Concert in Central Park sponsored by the Global Poverty Project. On the bill: The Black Keys, Foo Fighters, and Neil Young. 

A few of my friends won tickets through the online lotto, and we all went as a big group. Now I know why people love to go to concerts. 

I had such a blast. There I was, in Central Park with tens of thousands of music fans, dancing on the Great Lawn and jiving to some of the best bands in the world. 

Can I also just say that guitar players are sexy? The lead singer of The Black Keys was just too nice to look at. It's something about the crisp white tee and middle finger ring that just makes a girl sigh. 

But aside from admiring the band members, I also realized that rock and roll is kind of awesome. It turns out, this Broadway girl just loves good music of any genre. I could totally see myself rocking out to some Black Keyes at home. In fact, I think I'll buy a CD of theirs. 

But I digress. As I stood in the crowd, I noticed that a lot of my fellow groovers were parents who brought their kids with them. One guy—it was the cutest thing—bobbed his head to the beat in time with his toe-headed three-year-old. This guy, a dad and all, was still working it out at a concert and teaching his kid to love music. 

That's when it hit me: music keeps you young. There is something about it that feeds the soul. People have wedding songs and prom songs and "first kiss" songs because music holds a power to bring us back to the moment. Music is presence and nostalgia all in one. 

As further proof of this: I went to see Pitch Perfect as an early birthday treat with my friends Elena (who I sang with in college) and Rebecca. 

Go see this movie. It is hysterical and l laughed out loud at Rebel Wilson the full hour-and-a-half. While Elena and I cracked up at how all the a ca-politics were just childishly silly and terribly accurate, we were taken back to our college days. As a perk, the a capella arrangements had me jamming in my movie theater seat to song damn good music. Nostaligic and present.

Music. You feel it. You live it while it plays, but it also brings you back. Yesterday, jumping around at the Global Citizen Concert (whether to keep warm in the chilled night's air or to enjoy the music is anyone's guess) I thought to myself this is what it means to be young. This is what it is to enjoy New York and life. Then at the movie, I just sat there and swayed and grooved. I had nowhere to be but enjoying myself.

I was always a stressed out kid and my parents would say "Ruthie, just relax and have fun." It may have taken me 24 years, but I think I've learned how.