Prescribing Myself A Dose of Music

Certain songs, certain musical works, have power to heal me in surprisingly effective ways. Some songs evoke long-ago events, magically transporting me back to how I felt at that particular moment: happy, sad, energized, serene. Other times, a piece of music administers an immediate effect like a dose of medicine or a drink of alcohol. Sometimes a song or musical work provides the soundtrack to whatever I’m doing at the moment, reminding me of what I was doing when I first or repeatedly listened to it. And some music just seems like the right thing to listen to at a particular time, for example big band feels like the perfect accompaniment to a Sunday evening, whereas folk, blues, and classic rock is just right for a Saturday evening.

Just now on streaming radio I heard the first movement of a work that has long acted on me like a mental health booster shot. It’s Felix Mendelssohn’s String Octet in E-flat major, Opus 20. I loved it from the first time I heard it, not only because it’s beautiful but also for how predictably it lifts me to a higher emotional plane. I listen to it and become happy, energized, creative, and more at peace with myself and the world around me. Here is a version of it:

A You Tube Recording of the Mendelssohn String Octet

The next time a song hits you in a positive way, make a note of it. Develop a musical medicine cabinet of tuneful supplements, immediately available whenever you need them, to lift your spirit, open your mind, stir your creativity, or simply to move you up when you’re feeling down.

About literarylee

I sling words for a living. Always have, always will. Some have been interesting and fun; most not. These days, I write the fun words early in the morning before the adults are up and make me eat my Cream of Wheat.
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