Underneath the Harmony

Music. It's an entertaining thing. It's a moving thing. I find that the perfect CD or the perfect playlist is the best thing for me to listen to on days I feel like being moved. The melody, the harmony, and the lyrics set the tone for my day.

I've recently been pondering this. What happens before the music become popular? What happens while writing the songs? Where are the original fans of this artist? I wonder all of this because my sister is a musician, and a dang good one at that.

My sister is having a CD release party this month. She is a brilliant guitar song writer and singer. I have the claim to fame that she is my sister, but sometimes I wish we weren't related so I may have more validity to supporting her. People often assume that because we are of the same blood that we are best friends, and who WOULDN'T support their best friend? With that said, let me tell you about my sister and me.

Brooke and I are opposites on almost every level. We don't usually listen to the same music, we don't enjoy the same movies, nor do we alway agree in arguements in life. She is tall, I am 'figured,' (to put it nicely). I have short hair, she has long hair. I enter into athetic competitions and she sits in her room writing lyrics. I teach Sunday school and am a Marketing and Public Relation Coordinator for a Financial firm (GrowSecure.com....just doing my marketing duty here. ha.) and she is a barista at a coffee shop. I couldn't stand in front of a crowd and talk, let alone SING, to save my life. Brooke sings to, and inspires, hundreds of fans at the drop of a hat. I graduated from College with a degree and she has put in two years of college and is considering maybe going back someday...maybe. Brooke and I were not automatically soul mates as friends. I am a logical and pragmatic person, while her emotional rants and off-the-wall ideas get me thinking that life may NOT indeed be about logic.

But we ARE sisters. Our father loved us with the same amount of love. Our mother mothered us as best she could. We both have blonde hair, and we both laugh at the same jokes.

While we are truly complete individuals, HER MUSIC brings us together. When she grasps at her guitar and the strings begin to pluck or strum (not totally sure what the difference is), we sing. We dance, we harmonize, we connect. Connection.

Isn't that the point of music...the connection is the sole heart of every artist while they slave over the perfect song.

And my point is this. If the moment that Brooke begins to play makes every indifference between us blur out of sight, then maybe me being an advocate for her isn't JUST because she's my sister. Maybe it's because I believe in this artist. I believe in her passion. I believe in her conviction behind every word. I believe that this Brooke can overcome the heart-wrenching world of 'the music industry'. I believe in her. And I'm asking you to as well.

Brook Anne Northrop is throwing her, first ever, CD release party sometime this month and I'm inviting you to join her, to join us, in celebrating what this woman has accomplished. Being the dreamer that she is, I know she's dreamed of this night since even before she was a teenager. I will keep you posted on the date.

For now, I am leaving with the intention that you will maybe look her up on myspace music.com (Brooke Northrop), that you will maybe purchase her music on itunes, that you will maybe show up at her party, and maybe even purchase a $5 EP CD. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but nonetheless, if you ever come across a promotion for her from ANYONE, even a relative, know that even those of us closest to her who may be the complete opposite believe in this amazing girl. And we believe in her music.