Music is probably what keeps the aliens from destroying us(laugh with me!) What can so easily shift a bad mood, lift a sad spirit, emphasize a joyous moment like music? I appreciate how music tells the story of our lives–we’re really living in a musical every day, we just need to pay attention.
My mom played the piano and organ and insisted we all get piano lessons at the very least and encouraged us to play an instrument–trumpet for me. She often had the classical music station on in the car. Dad would play Kenny Rogers or the Statler brothers or Steve Martin’s “Grandmother’s Song.” Todd brought us rock-n-roll and made sure we had MTV incorporated throughout our day (when it consisted largely of music videos). I remember my Aunt Daisy sent my dad a mixed tape of “oldies” and we listened to that on regular rotation, too. There were hymns and singing along to musicals and even the Irish Rovers. We sang, mostly in tune, sometimes not.
Music is time travel. Just a few notes from a song can throw me back to a particular place and time. Music is medicine. It is said to be able to soothe the savage beast and even the savage Becci. Music is a translator. When I don’t have the words or the capacity to process my emotions (see yesterday’s post), music offers me a language to do so.
I’ve written about many things this year that have helped me on my grief journey. Music absolutely lives in the top five. I’d like to share a few things that have been on regular rotation recently:
- Happy Bach in the morning with a big ol’ cuppa Joe sets the tone for my day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VKzYELdgDs
- I’ve loved Ella since high school and this offers over three hours of her music. I’ve been listening to her a lot more this autumn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzNbt6Ufcv4
- Sometimes you just need some heavy cello in your life. I tell ya, doing chores to dramatic cello music makes a person feel like a gothic heroine about to discover some seriously important clues while also getting the dishes done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5JX-vf048k
- And of course there are those delightful, guilty pleasures that are fun to jam out to. I’m not even sorry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz61YQWZuYU
I am so thankful for music. I appreciate recommendations, too. 🙂
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Feryl Files 