Certain songs, certain musical works, have power to heal\u00a0me 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.\u00a0And some music just seems\u00a0like\u00a0the right thing to listen to at a particular\u00a0time, for example big band feels like the perfect accompaniment to a\u00a0Sunday evening, whereas folk, blues, and classic rock is just right for\u00a0a Saturday evening.<\/p>\n
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:<\/p>\n
A You Tube Recording of the Mendelssohn String Octet<\/a><\/p>\n The next time a song hits you in a positive\u00a0way, make a note of it. Develop a musical medicine cabinet of tuneful supplements, immediately\u00a0available whenever you need them,\u00a0to lift your spirit, open your mind, stir your creativity, or simply to move you\u00a0up when you’re feeling down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Certain songs, certain musical works, have power to heal\u00a0me 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 … Continue reading