Ever notice how, on a day where you just can't seem to please your boss, the kids are driving you crazy, or you feel like you're not getting any of the things you need done accomplished and you hear a favorite song, how it makes you feel? I'm sure you've noticed that it really helps calm you or maybe motivates you to get moving and you feel better all of a sudden.
Music, in many ways, can be therapeutic and healing. And for some reason, if I hear one of my favorite songs on the radio, it lifts me more than if I play the cd or listen to it on my computer. Why? I'm not sure, to be honest. Maybe it's because someone else is giving it credibility and I can imagine other people listening to it at the same time and enjoying it's value. Maybe it's a cumulative thing-that we all pick up on the energy put out by that song-by it's music, words, the impression it leaves on us, or the feeling that it speaks to us directly. A song or piece coming on randomly can seem like it was played just when we needed it. The randomness seeming less than coincidental and possibly like a gift from the universe. But having that favorite artist or song to play when needed is great, too. A former boss told me she liked to blast Bob Seger in her dorm room after a difficult exam. She felt better afterward and didn't need anything like drugs or alcohol to find her sense of well-being. "Starless" by King Crimson (the repetitive guitar part becomes hypnotic), "Strawberry Fields Forever" by the Beatles or anything by psychotronics work wonders for me. To someone else, a Mozart violin concerto or accordion music may be what inspires them.
Possibly the reason music is therapeutic is because of some way that certain sounds touch us inside. Maybe you love the sound of the guitar and a tasty solo gets under your skin. Or how about a great beat from the rhythm section, with the sounds of percussion and bass pulsing you out of your chair and getting you dancing? In many countries the sound of an accordion is what gets people up and moving.
So the next time you're feeling down, stressed, confused, or overwhelmed in any way, take out your favorite cd or tape and give yourself some time to just listen, breathe, and relax. You'll probably find that your heart rate lessens, you have better concentration, and you get more done than if you hadn't stopped for a while to listen.
