Finding Contentment: Music as a Way to Change and Improve Moods

Back when I was at University — and my friends seemed to be busy getting drunk and baked every weekend — I was periodically asked whether I just didn't have any "vices." I suppose this was prompted by the fact that I did not have any interest in the alcohol and drug parties that seemed to be part and parcel of the landscape around me.

Anyway, it was at around this time that I first coined the phrase ”music is my mind altering drug of choice.”

I suppose a lot of people would argue that music is important to them, but I have a feeling the degree of importance varies a great deal from one person to the other. Personally, I simply can't imagine a life without some kind of soundtrack playing.

What's interesting for me to consider just how much music can influence my moods, as well as my productivity.

One of the things I didn't like about working in the IT industry many years ago what's the fact that we were not allowed to listen to music while we were working, even if we were doing so through headphones plugged into our computers. The official argument was that we needed to be able to hear the phones… which seemed like a fairly lame excuse since 95% of the communication within the company took place via the intracompany computer messaging service!

Over the years, I've built up a variety of playlists and YouTube, each more or less designed to support a particular purpose or activity. Some are for doing serious work, some are to accompany my writing, some are too help me relax, some are for meditation and even sleep... but I have noticed — as of late — that the music I'm listening to the most is the kind that sends me into a reflective mood and often on a trip down memory lane as I recall pieces of my past that are somehow brought to the forefront by a particular music sequence.

I heard it said once that our aural memories are some of the strongest… if a particular piece of music was playing during some event that left a strong impression on you, you can almost relive it by turning on that piece of music.

Interestingly enough, most of what I listen to that also triggers old memories is actually pretty new music that was made long after the original memory came into existence. How exactly that works I'm not sure, but it works. I'm going to guess that tonal quality and "sound" is more important than a specific tune/song.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week!

How about YOU? Is music important to you? Do you find that certain songs or types of music trigger old memories? Do leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

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Created at 20220405 00:22 PDT
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