R.I.P Mom (1947 - 2012)

My mother passed away last week after a long bout with cancer. We were very close and music played a central role in our relationship. It gave us a language to connect, ideas to share, and times to enjoy together.

The Counting Crows were one of her favorite groups (mine as well) and we spent the last few weeks in her hospital room listening to old and newer songs.

Finding solace in the tunes

I know -- sounds trite but I first heard the Counting Crows in the mid 1990s in a small record shop in Ann Arbor as I was visiting friends.

I was immediately drawn to the hooks, the lyrics that mimicked the real ups and downs of my life, and its expressive nature. Mom, too. She was a piano player and I remember our 8 tracks of Eagles, Janis Joplin, and even the Moody Blues.

As she got older, Mom looked to me for new music discovery.

And the Counting Crows were definitely part of that. I'd make her mixes -- first on CDs and then iTunes playlists -- for her to take home to listen to on her own. We were intertwined -- through music and our souls (for 20 years, we've repeatedly picked up the phone to call one another at the same time).

To celebrate Mom's life and to mourn her death, my brother and I are flying in to Nashville (I live in Israel!)to reconnect to her past, our present, and hopefully enjoy ourselves like we haven't be able to over the past couple of months.