Over the weekend I got to cover the opening of the New Harmonies exhibit at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History. This Smithsonian roots music exhibit really struck a chord in my music-loving heart.

I come from a musical family. My dad is one of the best guitar players I’ve ever met. The man can’t read a lick of music, but he can play along with anything. I especially love to hear him rock on his blue Fender Strat. And my mother is also musically talented. She taught piano for many years and has sung in several church groups.

Growing up, I quickly fell in love with music. When many of my friends were still asking for Barbie dolls, I wanted tapes and a Sony Walkman for Christmas. I grew up listening to my parents’ favorite music: the smooth soul tunes of Sam Cooke, the haunting melodies of folk singer Dan Fogelberg, the pleasant rock of the Allman Brothers Band.

These singers and bands soon became my favorite as well, but I went on to develop my own tastes. Growing up I swore that I hated bluegrass, but when the first Nickel Creek album came out, what some would call “newgrass,” I was hooked. I don’t think it’s even possible to count the number of times I listened to that CD. It constantly played on the speakers in my bedroom, so much so that my sister Chelsea still can’t stand to even hear the name “Nickel Creek.”

Making music of my own also became a big part of my life. My mother began teaching me how to play the piano at age 8, and I was hooked. I went on to play in church for many years. I don’t play much now, and I never pursued it as much as I should have. But still, on tough days, I sit down at the keys and play a soft song that instantly relieves the stress that I’ve been carrying around on my shoulders.

I also took fiddle lessons for a while (after my newfound fascination with bluegrass and newgrass, of course). Now it sits under my bed, accumulating dust with the two guitars and the mandolin that I have never learned how to play.

With my love of music, I was really fascinated with the new exhibit at the museum. It was neat to read about the origins of many of the types of music and the instruments that we have today.

For many people, the only instrument they play is the radio. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all have different passions and talents. But I think the new exhibit at the museum and other regional music efforts are things we should all support. They chronicle history, because music is often the way that we express what is going on in our lives, in the area. It is also what has made many Surry County residents famous.

I like what Mayor Deborah Cochran said during her speech at the exhibit kick-off. She said, “Music soothes the soul and is the soundtrack of our lives. We hear a song and we go back in time to our childhood, to high school, to college, to where we fell in love, and to other memorable events.”

Music truly is the soundtrack of our lives. Maybe music is no big deal to you, but I bet there are certain songs that take you back to a different place and time every time you hear them.

For me, most songs remind me of my past. When I hear “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Simply Red, it takes me back to the times when I would ride with my dad in his old red pickup truck, listening to the radio while enjoying the Yoohoo and candy cigarettes that he was sure to buy me. I hear “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus, and I’m 5 years old again, my mom driving me to kindergarten. “Hanging By A Moment” by Lifehouse reminds me of one of my best friends who would always call me on the phone when she heard that song come on the radio.

Music truly does shape our lives, our memories, our communities. Let’s help preserve that for future generations.

Meghann Evans is a staff reporter with The Mount Airy News. She can be reached at mevans@mtairynews.com or at 719-1952.