Music & Mood
Music is a universal means of communication that transcends language, and culture.
Music can also be a powerful agent of change. It can invoke bygone memories, bringing on a wave of nostalgia that transports us back to a specific time & place in our history. It can re-energize us through pulsating rhythms that implore us to get up and move. Or, peaceful music can lull a baby to sleep with tranquil tunes.
Our musical tastes can be a reflection of our individual personalities with many people strongly identifying with a particular genre, artist, or band as if saying to the world “this music is me!”.
As a psychotherapist, I am keenly aware of the power of music on a person’s memory & identity, but am most interested in how it can impact mood. It may sound elementary at first…yes, of course, music affects our emotions. Duh.
But, upon further reflection, it is nothing short of amazing how a few simple variations in tone, tempo, or rhythm can vastly change the effect on the listener. Take, for instance, the popular song “Hey Ya” by Outkast. It is an upbeat song that had people shaking it “like a polaroid picture” on dance floors across the country. However, there’s also a lesser-known acoustic rendition of the song by Obadiah Parker with the same lyrics, but the vibe is totally different. Because this pared-down version fits the romantic despair of the words, the listener is left with the realization that the original song was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Or as one YouTube commenter put it, “a breakup song disguised as a dance song”.
Another illustration of this point would be to turn on a horror movie. Instead of allowing the typical scary music track to play in the background with all of its escalating heartbeat thumps & eerie screeches, try muting it. Then play the most silly or ridiculous song from your phone. Automatically, the impact is that the movie ceases to be ‘scary’ and instead becomes humorous.
So, how does this apply to managing our emotional states? The answer is simple: Choose music opposite to the emotional state you feel stuck in. Depressed? Pick upbeat, happy music. Anxious? Choose a calming, relaxing tune. Feeling overwhelmed or confused? Consider a familiar song with positive memory associations.
I already know what you’re going to say: “But, Christina, I like to listen to heavy metal when I’m angry because it gets my anger out!” or “I like listening to my super sad music when I’m depressed because it makes me cry”. I’ve heard these statements many times from clients. I get it… I really do! Your emotions absolutely need an outlet and music can serve that purpose. I’m all for that with one tiny stipulation: It has to be time-limited.
Meaning, if you’re angry, go ahead and listen to your death metal track & scream along. That can be 100% cathartic! However, after listening to a song or two, change the genre to elicit the opposite emotion. To not do so will result in being ‘stuck’ in an unpleasant emotional state by choosing to elicit that feeling over & over & over & over. Not good.
By allowing the release of emotions and then picking music that will shift your mood, you are empowered to decide how you feel.
Music truly is a powerful tool to use in our healing journey <3
Happy listening everyone!
