When an accident paralysed her from the neck down, Madeleine's Mom was convinced her life was over. After all, she'd never play piano again. Through the nightmares of rehab, and the music of Captain Fantastic, Elton John, Madeleine learned not only that it was going to be ok, but that there was always room for more and for better.
Madeleine has only recently started in the craft of personal storytelling and I'm so (so!) excited to see where she goes in the medium. I was blown away by not only the vulnerability she showed but also her command of structure, pacing and imagery. Such a wonderful experience working with her. She has no social media, so you'll just have to keep an eye out for your next opportunity to watch her practice her craft.
Listening to Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, I wasn't immediately transported to a pre-school montage like Myles was. It made me think more of the rambling, mid-to-late-70s rock-opera tracks like Jungleland or I Don't Like Mondays. Also, it turns out that Elton John wrote the instrumental half of the song while actually contemplating the music that would be played at his own funeral. Maybe that's why it's so grandiose.
I was going to go on a little "only in the 70s" rant/lament until I read that Axl Rose was inspired by Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding when writing November Rain for the Use Your Illusion sessions... The more you know. (As an aside, am I the only person who is completely gobsmacked that November Rain has over 1.5 BILLION views on Youtube? Dang!)
As always, I encourage you to sit down and listen to the whole of the song either before or after you listen to the storyteller's story. It really brings you closer to the events (especially in Madeleine's case).
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And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at volumeknobpod@gmail.com.