From soothing melodies to energetic beats, music, and songs hold great power. They can lift our spirits, nurture our souls or tickle our funny bones.
The magic lies in the innate ability to whisk us away from a miserable moment and the clutches of gloom to a land of invigorating positivity, energy, and happiness.
There is a series on Netflix called Unstable starring Rob Lowe. Some of you may remember him being in classics like The Outsiders, and St Elmos Fire back in the ’80s. Unstable starts with the main character sitting on the end of his bed looking sad and putting earbuds in. As the music begins, he starts tapping his foot and when the main beat kicks in, he jumps up and starts dancing around his room, laughing and smiling, and pretending to be having a great time.
The next scene sees him in the bathroom looking in the mirror and he is about to cry.
‘Nooo that is NOT what we’re doing.’ He says to his reflection, again forcing a smile, ‘THIS is what we’re doing… You got this!’
I absolutely love this intro and have watched it so many times. The song he plays is my current ‘go to’ song and while most of the lyrics don’t make sense to me, the following lines really resonate – and I’m hooked:
Everybody stutters one way or the other
So check out my message to you
As a matter of fact, a-don’t let nothin’ hold you back
If the Scatman can do it, so can you
I’m the Scatman…
Music has the amazing capacity to positively (or sometimes negatively) impact our overall mental health and well-being. It can improve our mood and our cognitive ability and has the potential to evoke and regulate emotion.
Uplifting songs can boost our spirits and motivate us, and listening to a favourite can help regulate feelings and process thoughts. Listening to music we enjoy releases dopamine which can boost happy feelings and give us comfort. And let’s be honest, how can you not smile at the title of this post!
This incredible ancient resource serves as an emotional anchor and can transport us to forgotten memories and distant lands. It is a time machine that in a second, can propel us back to a moment of joy instantly connecting us with loved ones – present or passed.
In doing this, we are reminded of positive experiences which foster feelings of happiness and nostalgia. Studies have shown that music and specific songs can even enhance memory recall and retention providing a powerful tool in the treatment of Dementia or Alzheimer’s sufferers.
The power of music or song can reduce stress with calming melodies signaling our bodies to reduce stress hormones like cortisol and release endorphins which can act as natural mood-lifting chemicals.
Whether we listen passively or actively engage, this exceptional resource has the power to make us feel relaxed or energised, encourage us to laugh, or bring tears to our eyes. It encourages social connections and provides a valuable and unique platform for creativity. It can have us moving to a beat without even realising it.
And at the end of the day, music and songs make us smile and if you’ve ever done this in public, you will know how contagious it can be – which surely is only a good thing!
So if you happen to find yourself subdued thinking are you lonesome tonight, or wondering should I stay or should I go, then perhaps remember that it was someone just like you who also put the bomp in the bomp bomp bomp bomp, announced don’t stop me now, and when all was said and amongst a sky full of stars smiled knowing that I’ve had the time of my life.
Much Love
Dalya xx 💙