Hans Christian Andersen once said: “Where words fail, music speaks.”
Just as our sense of smell can summon memories and sensations from our deepest past, so too can music serve as an emotional solvent – one that dissolves the clutter created by our dominant senses to unmask profound and pure feelings.
We all know this experience and, wittingly or not, make our musical choices accordingly. Sometimes, when we are happy, we put on special tunes that act as a soundtrack to that emotion. Me? No song fills me with more joy than “Walking on Sunshine.”
But there is also music with the power to make us feel sad, whether by association or, more intriguingly, as the result of its intrinsic qualities – actually causing sadness.
Perhaps it is the latter that divides good music from the truly great – the magic alchemy between melody, harmony, rhythm, and emotion. Personally, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” the most perfect modern composition I know, creates in me a deep yet comforting sense of melancholy.
And that brings me to the key centre of this piece – that music can help us in our daily negotiation with mood, and that it can be therapeutic.
This is a contentious idea in the clinical world. There are countless unconventional approaches out there, and more than enough quackery to go around. Because psychological therapists in B.C. are unregulated (a topic tirelessly documented and revealed by a community member known to many readers), almost anyone can hang out a shingle and claim to be a “therapist.”
Maybe some unconventional methods work. Maybe a lot of it is hokum. Perhaps some of you have had experience with paid music therapy – or other alternate therapeutic approaches. If so, why not write in and tell us about it.
But let’s cut through that bureaucratic matter and let science sing its song.
There is a growing body of reputable study that shows listening to music can boost our immune system by increasing the preponderance of antibody immunoglobulin A. It can lower the serum level of cortisol, colloquially known as the “stress hormone.” And in some people, it can reduce levels of chronic pain.
Also (though we don’t need peer-reviewed papers to tell us this) music can cause a decrease in resting muscle tone, lower the heart rate, and slow our breathing. These physical states coincide with feelings of calm and relaxation – just what we need when the yappy black dogs of anxiety nip at our heels.
Preparing for this piece, I interviewed several acquaintances who use music as a way to address mood issues, motivation, and depression. It seems there are two main methods, not mutually exclusive.
The first is ambient listening or, as one person put it, “aural wallpaper.” This means carefully selected music playing always in the background.
The second approach is more focused – more meditative – and involves listening to specifically chosen music in a controlled environment.
Which to choose? As with diet, balance and flexibility work best. It’s likely that the choice of music is more important than the method of delivery.
I should add that all folks I spoke with agreed (as do I) that live music is always better.
Music surrounds us, speaks wordlessly to us, and dances with our moods. If we listen carefully and are mindful, we may be delighted to find our hearts keeping time.
