Even though businesses are opening and restrictions are lifting, our lives are far from normal. We are secluded. Concerts and gatherings have been canceled. It will be an odd summer.
As a musician and devout fan of music, I will miss summer concerts and rocking parties. I understand the need to distance ourselves. Still, for those of us who live for music, the season feels quiet and lonely. What can I do? As I do in the winter, when I need to hack my mood, I’ll listen to the music that brings me joy. It may not be the collective experience I enjoy, but it is the best option available.
I’m not unique in my love of sound. Music was an early development of our species, making it a significant form of cultural communication and personal expression. Profoundly creative and spontaneous, while simultaneously structured and intelligible, music moves us mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Music has a magical, transcendent quality to it—quickly transporting us from where we are to where we want to be. It harnesses our imagination and teaches us the power of dreaming. It is therapeutic, cathartic, invigorating.
We are drawn to certain songs and types of music because of the emotions they evoke. A high tempo song might give us energy. A love song awakens our hearts. An aggressive song helps us channel our frustrations. The music in movies heightens our emotions during peak moments, allowing us to feel the suggested emotions more profoundly. In other words, we usually use music to generate desired moods and transform negativity into something productive.
Since music is so evocative, we must use it wisely. Lyrics and rhythms, mesmerizingly combined, offer powerful suggestions—inviting us to think, feel, and move in particular ways. If we use music to generate the types of emotions that we desire to feel, we will learn that certain songs can lift our mood, inspire creative thinking, and motivate us to take action.
We all have lots of songs that we love, but not all of them bring us joy. Listening to a variety of music is beneficial, but sometimes we just need our joy-based playlist to lift our minds above what is happening inside and around us. Tune into how you feel as you listen to music. Add the ones that make you feel good to your joy playlist.
Next, I will share ten songs that lift my spirits. If you have songs that lift your spirits, please share them. I’m eager to expand my list. The only requirement is that it brings you joy.
My Top-10 Joy Songs
1) Lost Frequencies, Sandro Cavazza: Beautiful Life (close alternatives include Sun is Shining; Reality)
2) Michael Franti & Spearhead: The Sound of Sunshine (close alternatives include Hey, Hey, Hey; Hey Now Now; I’m Alive; Say Hey I Love You)
To maximize the positive boost, try the following activities while you are listening to your joy playlist:
· Close your eyes and allow your imagination to run wild. Think about things that make you feel good.
· Dance, move, or exercise. If you feel self-conscious or are in a place where you are not free to move, close your eyes and imagine yourself dancing or moving around freely.
· Play songs in the background when doing mundane tasks or things that do not require your undivided attention.
· Savor your favorite songs. Appreciate how the song makes you feel and linger in those feelings for a minute or so. If you do this often, you will create a hardwired brain habit of noticing and generating positive emotions when listening to music. Then you will have a method for generating positive emotions anytime you wish.
· Prime your brain in the morning by listening attentively to a positive song. Let it become your earworm for the day—the song that sticks in your head. Just make sure it is a song that you really enjoy because it will stick in your head. Even if it does drive you crazy, it will be better than the cheesy insurance commercial jingle that uselessly occupies space in your thoughts.
Even though we will not be rocking out together this year, we can still rock in our confined spaces and share what we’ve learned. We must help each other through this challenging time by adding to the harmony in our lives. Music is healing, and we all could use a bit of that right now.