Music, a lot of people are experts on their version of what this word has come to mean. Our days sometimes even revolve around music, what we listen to on the way to work/school to get us charged up and ready for the day, what we listen to on the way home to decompress, or even throughout the day to get us through that project, class, or to do item we need to do.
What happens when we listen to that one Metallica song because it is not socially polite to scream at someone, but I can scream in my car/space because I am “singing.” Do we every really notice what happens while we are listening to music? When we scream that Metallica song, cry along to that Ed Sheeran song, or get swept into bliss by Glass Animals? Our body, spirt, and mind can all be connected for that one moment, that 6:54 seconds of listening to “Seek and Destroy” while we sing along, play along on our imaginary guitar, maybe even get up and head bang.
Music can invoke all kinds of emotions and are tied to all kinds of memories. Personally, I can tie many of the songs that I listen to over and over again to times, events, or individuals in my life. It is sensing into those moments, playing attention to how our body reacts to those moments that take us to the next level.
I am a huge fan of video game and movie scores. Why? Because I geek out over them. But really because allowing that music to fill the little spaces of oneself when we need it the most, is a powerful moment. Also, because I can tie back to playing that game or watching that movie. I have different playlists depending on my mood, situation, and day of the week even. Certain scores move us, whether its because of the story or the intense reaction we get when the conductor plays just the right instruments and notes at just the right times.
Check in with your favorite playlists today, why do you listen to them? When do you listen to them? Then check in with your body while you are listening, pay attention to the different sensations, sink into the song and enjoy.
Now playing: “Inside Out: Original soundtrack” by Michael Giacchino
Amber Legault LMFT 