Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
—Berthold Auerbach
In late fall of 1997, while living and going to school in Tyler, Texas (a beautiful East Texas town), I had one song that I played over and over in the evening time after dinner. That song was Leann Rimes’ “You Light Up My Life.” For some reason, the words and especially the soothing melody were a source of great inspiration and comfort during that period in my life.
Although the words and song were about love, I found inspiration in it to help me through going back to school. What was so meaningful at that point in time was that it was shortly after I had decided to pursue my Master’s in Psychology. This came about after a long journey of dissatisfaction with my life and self-sabotage resulting in my dismissal from law school.
I knew it was going to be a long journey but I was determined that failure and giving up were not an option this time around. With the help of that song (”You Light Up My Life”), those two semesters in Tyler became not only bearable, but therapeutic.
Instead of picturing a girl (the song has a guy as the object of her affection), I would envision a guardian angel looking out for me. So many nights before heading off to bed, I’d play that song and picture this angel looking down on little ol’ me and it had such a calming effect. My favorite part of the song was: “And you light up my life/You give me hope to carry on…”
“You Light Up My Life”
So many nights I’d sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams, I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark but now you’ve come alongAnd you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with songRollin’ at sea, adrift on the waters
Could it be finally, I’m turning for home
Finally a chance to say, “Hey, I love you”
Never again to be all aloneAnd you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with songYou, you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with songIt can’t be wrong, when it feels so right
’Cause you, you light up my life
Music has been shown to be good medicine. Perhaps one of its most famous, present-day advocate is Dr. Oliver Sacks (whose book “Awakenings” was made into a film starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro).
Dr. Sacks reports that:
[M]usic can animate people with Parkinson’s disease who cannot otherwise move, give words to stroke patients who cannot otherwise speak, and calm and organize people whose memories are ravaged by Alzheimer’s or amnesia.
Music “elicit[s] emotions and associations that had been long forgotten, giving the patient access once again to mood and memories, thoughts and worlds that had seemingly been completely lost.”
The power of music is unmistakeable. It doesn’t just move the heart or inspire the mind, it can literally move body parts (of people with medical conditions and in whom medical science could not help).
So let me now ask two questions of our readers today:
1. Can you recall a time when music (song, instruments, etc.) moved you?
2. If yes, when was it and how did the music “move” you?
January 14th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Steve: That is a beautiful choice of songs. I remember when Debbie Boone sang the original. As for my choice of songs, one would have to be “Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston. It came out during a time where I was in between being a teenager and an adult. Hearing the lyrics of loving yourself, depending on yourself…those were very powerful words for me. When everyone else abandons and disappoints, all you have left in the end is yourself (and God, of course). Another great post!
January 14th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Thanks Laura. The “Greatest Love of All” is a powerful song. It’s amazing that no matter what happens in our lives that our memory of a particular song with that exact moment in our past will forever stick in our minds.
January 14th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I’m strangely moved by ethereal dance songs. Whenever I hear an interesting sounding chord or group of instruments, it always makes me feel like I’m soaring above the clouds. As for actual songs… I’m not moved by actual songs, per se, but how they sound to me, if that makes sense. x)
January 14th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Great point Adrian. I think it’s important to clarify that music is a very broad term and can and does include everything from songs with words to instruments and so on.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Music can be a wonderful motivator, but it can also be a real downer if you let it suck you in. Sad songs that empathize with our own melancholy feelings have a tendency to cause us to perpetuate those feelings longer than we should. I suppose it’s just a matter of recognizing when even a “good song” can have negative emotional effects on us, and avoiding that song…or at least limiting its ear-time.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Adam: Point well taken. I believe that if our emotional state is already depressed and we use music to maintain that state then all we’re doing is to perpetuate the staus quo. If, on the other hand, we use music to help release those emotions and then lift ourselves out of that state and move forward then we’ve chosen to use the power of music productively.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I agree, releasing emotions can be of the ultimate value. Perhaps, it is akin to facing a fear. You face the fear, and then it no longer has the same power over us. So too, with a sad song. We connect wtih the song, and it affords us the opportunity to release our sarrow. And, it is then, we are able to release and begin a new day.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Thank you Bamboo for your eloquence. You have a wonderful ability to convey your thoughts in writing.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Hi Steve, just came across your site today from the Zen blog, I’m impressed at a nice outlook of your blog and the wealth of contents here too. I haven’t had the time go to through yet, but i have subscribed already, i will take sometime to read more.
I really appreciate your mentality of the can-do attitude, thanks for sharing!
January 17th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Wyatt: Thanks for the kind words and for subscribing. I’m glad you found us from Leo’s Zen Habits. He’s a super nice guy. Regarding this site, I try to keep things fresh and lively. BeyondBehaviors owes so much to frequent visitors like Adam, Bamboo, and many other loyal readers for offering their perspectives and comments. I hope you’ll continue to join us in these discussions. Thanks again.
January 17th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Hi Steve, haven’t checked your stuff recently (this year, gotta love the year change) Sorry, that we met on Saipan when our time was so short. Your lessons are excellent and timely, hope more people read them with all the craziness going on. Take care,we’re doing fine in Mongolia. Miss Saipan too, but the better for the experience.
January 17th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Hey Mark, glad to hear that you and your family are well there in Mongolia. Wow, seems like yesterday we were all at the Saipan Bloggers Meetup at Java Joe’s. Thanks for the comment and for stopping by. I hope you’ll come back often.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Hi Steve, I am also Vietnamese. I have 2 songs that help me through my stressful day at a high tech company. “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gainer??? and the other one “Let’s It Be” by the beatle. I couldn’t help but remember a quote- “God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference. I like your website. At least you found your passion.
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Kim: Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you like the site. The Gloria Gaynor song is great: “…you think I’d lay down and die/ Oh no, not I/ I will survive/ as long as I know how to love/ I know I will stay alive/ I’ve got all my life to live/ I’ve got all my love to give/ and I’ll survive/ I will survive.” So inspiring!