The Power of Madonna

So it's very fitting that for my first post, I'm doing a mini-Madonna-marathon.  And no, it's not JUST because Glee is doing it very soon (though anything Glee-related is definitely inspiration-worthy).  The truth is that ol Madge is not only the inspiration for this whole blog, but also for much of my life.  A line from one of her poems was the reasoning behind the name "Gabbia.Di.Luce", which means Cage of Light.  I've been doing much soul-searching lately, about who I really am, who I've let people see, and what it is that keeps us all from sharing ourselves with each other.  Fittingly, Madonna's poem from her most recent documentary talks all about this, and ends with the line "and I console myself each night, but at least my cage is filled with light".  For me, music is so powerful because it connects people through emotions and experiences that they either can't face yet or have trouble vocalizing.  How amazingly beautiful is it, when we share ourselves and our light honestly, and connect with people as a result.  It's what I hope this blog is about, and what I hope you feel from my very first dedication, to anyone who reads this.  From the Confessions tour, here's "Live to Tell."

"Live to Tell" - Madonna

Sigh. Now that I've gotten all deep and intense, let's lighten things up a bit.  Openly being myself has always been difficult, as it is for lots of people during those wonderful teenage years (watch Saved by the Bell, 90210, or Glee for visual yet hilarious evidence).  But I remember that somewhere around my senior year of high school, I really started hanging out with my friends more, and realizing that I could open up a little with them.  That's when I really started living for myself for the first time, and it just happened to be around the time that Madonna released "Ray of Light."  My friends and I spaz-danced to this in my electric blue Dodge Neon countless times, and the line "and I feel like I just got home" really resonated with me, and still does (though a rewrite of the song involving feeling 'like a grape sno-cone' may or may not have really resonated with me as well.)  So to all my ol RHS spaz-dancing, sno-cone loving, best friends after over a decade, this ray of light is fo you.

"Ray of Light" - Madonna

Alright. Sit down, de-dizzify yourself, and get ready to appreciate the range of Madonna.  She's mostly known for being the ultimate queen of dance pop, and while that's entirely true, she also has a way of writing songs and hiring video directors that take me to the other edge of the emotional spectrum as well.  Most of the dedications I post here will be for specific people and moments in my life, though I won't always elaborate.  All I'll say is that someone with a very beautiful soul shared with me a story of pain and confusion, at the hands of a parent.  Their courage and honesty moved me more than they realized, and the video below immediately popped in my head. "Oh Father" is for them, and for anyone whose ever felt the same way. 

"Oh Father" - Madonna

And thus ends my first post! What Madonna song should I have included? What did my choices bring out for you? Do you care at all about this blog? And if not, why did you get all the way down to here? :)  I'm seriously very excited to have an outlet for all my musical obsessions, and look forward to hearing your thoughts.