by Lauren Rosier
Growing up, music was always playing through my father’s vintage Polk Audio speakers. His music taste was wide and vast, and you never knew what he was going to play. His drummer background often influenced him in playing along to music and his collection (vinyl and CD) is still one of the largest I’ve seen to-date.
In 1997, when I growing into a pre-teen, I would have been in 5th or 6th grade, and that was when I really developing my own taste in music. Now, don’t confuse that with when my interest in music began, because that was four years prior, but the mid-’90s was when I started becoming influenced by music and growing a passion for it.
The mid-’90s were huge for female musicians, whether they were solo or in a band. Remember when VH1 actually aired music videos and had a Top 20 countdown? One of the most played albums in house in 1997 was absolutely Sarah McLachlan’s record, Surfacing. It was her breakout record, the one where she was able to make a name for herself, etc. Her female-influenced tour, Lilith Fair, was huge back then.
Sarah McLachlan has this ability to write songs that evoke such emotion upon singing the lyrics. I remember hearing her first single, “Building a Mystery,” and thinking what a huge voice she had. The song was a hit in the adult contemporary market and remains one of my favorites of all-time.
Her songs pull at your heartstrings and her voice is so angelic. For example, I’m sure you’ve seen the commercial of animals in shelters being abused, neglected, and euthanized and then you hear her song “Angel” in the background.
If you listen to the second track on the record, “I Love You,” the emotion she emits through the voice and lyrics when she sings “Oh and every time I’m close to you / there’s too much I can’t say / And you just walk away / and I forgot / to tell you / I love you…”
Having the ability to evoke emotion through your voice is probably one of the most influential and powerful traits that a musician can have. This is one of the reasons why Surfacing has always been so influential throughout my life.
