Today marks the final day I will be spending with one of my best friends, whom I have been so grateful to have lived with this year. This gorgeous friend will be travelling overseas for two years and, while I am extraordinarily happy for her and so proud she has been able to organise everything for her trip abroad, I will miss her terribly.
This is a very bittersweet moment for me, but I’m so grateful that I still will be living with amazing people next year.
In a situation such as this, I love to turn to certain songs to ‘pick me up’. For me, music soothes and its familiarity is comforting.
Personally, my favourite songs to listen to when I’m struggling or upset are:
• Look After You by The Fray
• It’s OK by Atomic Kitten
• The Special Two by Missy Higgins
• Fast Cars by Tracy Chapman
• Don’t Panic by Coldplay
• You Make It Real by James Morrison
• Hold Your Hands Up by Cascada
• The Last Day on Earth by Kate Miller-Heidke
• Band Aid by Pixie Lott
• Golden Ship by Gin Wigmore
Alternatively before I go out at night, I’ll listen to certain music to ‘pump me up’ or prepare me for being in a certain mood or mindset.
How does music serve to improve one’s mood? Of course there are scientific and psychological explanations for the effect music has on the individual.
According to Trajoa (2001), admittedly cited from Wikipedia, “when unpleasant melodies are played, the posterior cingulate cortex activates, which indicates a sense of conflict or emotional pain. Eisenberger goes on to say that “the right hemisphere has also been found to be correlated with emotion, which can also activate areas in the cingluate in times of emotional pain, specifically social rejection.”
Trajoa explains that this evidence, along with observations, has led many musical theorists, philosophers and neuroscientists to link emotion with tonality.
What do you enjoy listening to as a ‘pick me up’ song, or to pump you up before going out? Do you think music is able to effect your emotions?
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