Music Therapy

I read a quote that said, “We use art to decorate space and we use music to decorate time.” I can always remember music being there as an aid for whatever I’m going through whether the times were good or bad. This is why I take my taste in music pretty personally.  I get offended if someone doesn’t listen to a music suggestion I have. I also get offended if their suggestion doesn’t live up to the hype. Music is more than notes and sounds for me. It's more of a therapy of sorts. It's a big deal. 
My elders would tell me as a child to be mindful of what I listened to because certain music carried certain energy along with it. I thought they were over exaggerating at the time because I just either thought the music was cool, I liked the beat or that it didn’t really matter what I was unconsciously letting into my subconscious. I think differently now. 
Certain songs can evoke certain emotions. I dare you to watch a horror movie muted but with smooth jazz or 90s r&b playing in the background and tell me that that movie seems just as scary as when you’re watching it with shrieks and shrills in the background. Certain sounds and melodies aid or enhance certain emotions.  There’s a science to it all.
Intentionality is important to me. Energy, vibrations and my mood are things that I am conscious of daily because I know how easy it is to get into a funk of sorts by not keeping my thoughts in check. I don’t take mental health lightly and I know that the body follows the tone that the mind sets.
When I can’t check my mood on my own, music has been known to help lift my spirits on numerous occasions. Honestly it has saved me more times than I can remember. Music is powerful in that way. We can use it to manipulate how we want to feel and the right song played at the right time can change our day around for the better. 

 

Some songs make me smile because they remind me of a person or an event. Some songs just feel good. Some songs just have the right lyrics to remind you to be strong. And if you’re lucky a song feels good, sounds good and says all the things that bring you to a mental standpoint that uplifts you.
I assume that the music you listen to serves a purpose as well. Hopefully that purpose is to help you connect to a certain feeling that you need to motivate, inspire, sooth and or comfort you not only during times of adversity but during the good times as well.
A few songs that come to mind when I want to be in a good mood are:
  • Alright by Kendrick Lamar - It’s pretty self explanatory, but sometimes I just need to be reminded that everything will be fine in the long run.
  • Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness - My favorite line  from this one is: “You can win as long as you keep your head to the sky.”
  • Best of You by The Foo Fighters - This song just reminds me to make sure I’m in control of my emotions. 
  • Blessed by Big Sean - this song great because sometimes during the tough times we do forget that we really are still blessed. It’s also good to be reminded of our blessings when things are going good too.
  • Always by Stevie Wonder - a song that just feels good and puts me in a good mood.
  • Everyday People by Sly and the Family Stone - I really like the part that says “different strokes for different folks.” It encourages me to love myself and others for who they are.
  • Stand by Donnie Mcclurlklin - This is a powerful song because sometimes showing up is all you can do when you feel like you can’t endure anymore. 

 

By Ernest Moore

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