Music and Wellness: Jam your Way to Joy!
Don’t worry, this won’t be a 1200 words convincing you to listen to Phish. My jam may not be your jam, and that’s fine. Let’s get that out of the way, so we can just move and celebrate embrace how spiritual, fulfilling, and satisfying music can be. Being at a show is where I feel like I am the most myself, 100% authentic Drew Mikita, for better and worse. *Amazing Photo Credit above Adjomi Photography.
Please listen along with me as I wrote and you read (Grammatically tough sentence there, sorry English Department). Some of these songs have guided me through my most difficult times and mean more than words can explain.
While the origins of music have some debate, it is likely that since people have been verbally communicating, there has been music. Possibly even sooner, as creating sound with nature is absolutely music. Estimates that music has been around for roughly 60,000 years are possible (Black, 2013). Regardless of the origins, for those of who allow it, music can influence our mind, body, and soul.
For me, music reaches into my soul, the part of me so guarded, protected, and damaged. Music gives me a place to reflect, rejoice, breakdown, and just be me, building my soul back up. Music accompanies me on journeys through my moment, day, and lifetime. Providing me with so much, and all created by people who don’t, and likely won’t ever know me, or the impact he/she/they had my existence and happiness. THANK YOU MUSICIANS FOR GIVING ME SO MUCH!
Burn it down burn it down, set your soul free
Phish.
We’re all here together, in this spirit family
Everybody’s dancing, everyone can see
Burn it down burn it down, set your soul free,
Set your soul free
Music has a way to unite people. A crowd at a show is a living breathing thing. Seriously. For we hippies, this living breathing-entity of something far greater than collective sum of the parts, creates a spirit family. Us. The Artists. The Music. And Moments.
However music is experienced it has a way to speak to us, if willing to listen. Lyrics can provide a groundwork for self-exploration, a safe place to explore this often convoluted, beautiful, ugly-crying body we call home. Words and sounds offering us thoughts, guidance, acceptance, and freedom. A feeling of connection through message, experience, understanding, and empathy.
Listening to music and hearing music are very different. Listening is processing a sound (for this example). Whereas hearing is understanding, feeling, and connecting. Far more than just the a biological process of receiving sound. Some people will struggle to hear the sound of some music, and that is fine. Find the voices, sounds, and feelings that you hear, and jam out. Whatever speaks to you.
Quotes on Music
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
~Albert Einstein
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” ~Maya Angelou
“Music . . . can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”
~Leonard Bernstein
“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.”
~Kahlil Gibran
References and Resources
- ADJOMI Photography. Cover Photo.
- Black, J. (2013). The Origin of Music. Ancient Origins.
- Phish (Infinity). Set Your Soul Free Lyrics.