BE a Go-Go

It's my freshman year in college and I'm drinking a warm beer from a plastic cup in the basement of a fraternity. My dorm hall-mates and I are standing around making small talk when we notice that the crowd is slowly migrating upstairs. We follow along. As we ascend the steps, I hear a piano being played. We reach the main living area of the frat and sure enough one of the brothers is playing the piano while a whole mess of students crowd around him. I'm trying to figure out what is going on when all of the sudden everyone, in unison, starts to sing..."Bye, bye Miss American Pie. Drove the Chevy to the levy, but the levy was dry...". I frantically look around because I don't understand how everyone knows this song and all it's words, everyone that is...but me.

Flash forward to my days working at Prudential when one of my co-workers was talking about The Who during our lunch break. Innocently, I said "Oh, what songs do they sing?" Everyone at the table giggled, but then seeing my confused reaction, they became dumbstruck. I had to be kidding, they said. I told them that I was not, that while I had heard of The Who, I could not name even one of their songs. Their reaction was one of sheer disbelief, and maybe a tad of disgust too. Many times after that when people would ask me what singers/bands/albums I liked, I always struggled to answer. This isn't because I didn't love music, but because I loved individual songs, specifically ones with great beats. You see, I am a Go-Go.

"Go-Go": A person who enjoys a song foremostly and fervently based on it's beats and regardless of it's genre. The term originates from the song "We Got the Beat" by The Go-Go's.

I realized I was a Go-Go after taking a deep dive into my introduction to music and the role it played in my childhood. To start, my parents were on the older side compared to most of my peers. My mom had me when she was 38, probably closer in age to my peers' grandparents than their parents. Their 'advanced' age definitely impacted their taste in music and the only albums I ever heard being played in my home were by Perry Como and Mario Lanza (Google them) - and no, I am not kidding. When the radio was on - the main source for music back then- I recall mostly news shows or baseball broadcasts, never music. So, almost 100% of my exposure to music was through my ballet classes.

I started taking ballet at the age of three and continued on for more than a decade. I know things are different now, but back then we danced only to classical music or maybe occasionally a broadway tune. We never danced to a modern song and those that we did dance to never had words- only beats. I was taught that music was to be merely an assistant, providing a melodious metronome by which I set my movements. It wasn't the star of the show, but the canvas to my painting (the dance), so to speak. I imagine all dancers know exactly what I mean here, but those of you who did not dance may be baffled as your experience with music was much different. Since I spent a very critical decade+ (in terms of when the brain develops and learns) relating to music this way, my brain became permanently wired as such. Some 50 years after that first dance class, I still hear and feel music almost exclusively this way.

And let me clarify, being a Go-Go does not mean I do not appreciate and enjoy ballads, rock songs, lyrical songs, etc. It just means that they simply do not touch my soul in the same way. In my reality, music is meant to make me want to tap my foot, snap my fingers, shake my hips...to make me MOVE and FEEL the beats. I don't get the same jolt of pleasure from the songs of a great songwriter, for example. (Sorry to my husband and all the other Bruce Springsteen fans out there!) While I can enjoy many genres of music, songs with what I consider to have run-to-the-dance-floor beats are what truly bring me joy.

I only recently came to the realization that I was a Go-Go by the way- and honestly, it was therapeutic! I finally understood why my musical tastes differed from my peers and I'm at peace with it. No, I'm more than at peace with it...I own it proudly! Instead of feeling lesser than for not knowing the words to "American Pie" or "Born to Run", I feel blessed to be able to profoundly experience, with every fiber of my being, the notes, rhythms, and beats of a great dance song. It's a gift, it makes me unique, and I will forever proudly flaunt my Go-Go distinction with honor!