My friends know that I am always there for them. You need me, I will drop everything and offer my full attention to you. When I do not hear from someone in a little while, I have been known to send a quick message. “Hey. Just checking in.” That is all I need to say. So, when I checked in with a friend, they returned the usual, “I’m fine.” Until a few hours later I got the true answer. This friend had been going through quite a bit in their personal life. But it was when they told me, they were okay…until a song came on the radio, and it hit hard. Ah, music. The one thing that can heal, make you feel, and bring out memories you once forgotten. How does music influence our mental health?
The melody
I am sitting here writing to all of you while I listen to music. I have Daniel Jang on his violin. The guys of 2Cellos playing the song the Sound of Silence, and Vitamin String Quartet playing Anti-Hero. No words. Just the melody and tones of the song. This genre of music allows my mind to slow down. As if it is calming the voices and thoughts that constantly run through. Giving me a chance to focus on my writing and what I want to tell you about. Instrumental music for me pulls my brain down into a singular focus. Right now, writing a blog about music.
The lyrics
Recently I found music by a rock group called Citizen Solider. This is a group of men out of Utah, US that has created their songs from the experiences each one has had in their life. Experiences in their own mental health struggles. I have shared some of their music with you in the past. But one that hits home with me is, “Still Breathing”. The lyrics in this song have moved me to continue fighting no matter what I face. Words like “You’ve had millions of reasons to bend and to break, but you’re still alive and that is not a mistake.” How many times do we face something in our lives that makes us wonder why we are here? Events of our life that push us to our very limit. But right now, we are all still breathing.
Lyrics have a way of expressing the thoughts we struggle to share. Another song I will forever hold dear is by Calum Scott called “Only You”. This song hits very hard for me. At my lowest, a friend reached out to me. This was someone that I had not spoken to in a long time. That person once told me that the reason they reached out was they had an overwhelming sense that they should contact me. It was during the first phone call that they were able to tell I was drowning and losing myself. The lyrics of this song by Calum Scott talk about someone once bullied, went quiet, only to have a friend see through the mask and help them. “Only you, could see that I was hurting. Only you, ever cared to understand…I’d do the same, I’d do anything for you”
The feelings
Music has a way of reminding us of some great times in our lives. It also has the power to remind us of all our struggles in life. The emotions we bore. The thoughts, feelings, and memories that flood in. My dad and I loved listening to music and sharing new albums and artists together. My best memory of my dad was when we spent time together at a dinner theater watching the artist, Ambrosia, playing their music. It was the best Father/Daughter date ever. I remember how the room looked, where the artist was in the room. The feeling of listening to and enjoying the music. The pride to be with my dad at that moment. All of this floods anytime I hear one of their songs.
Music influences our lives
A chance to calm our minds. The ability to bring forth memories of good and bad. The power to speak out for us when it becomes so hard to find the words. Music is constantly used in therapy sessions. Used in doctor offices. Finding it in stores, schools, and at our spiritual centers. When was the last time you went an entire day without hearing some form of music? Peaceful, engaging, enlightening, refreshing, and empowering. For me, music gives me the chance to be me. Releasing the stress, expressing the happiness, and feeling the power of music keeping me centered.
Enjoy these videos.
With great warmth,
