Records Xavierite Staff
Every single day, we listen to music whether that’s because we consciously choose to do so, or because we hear songs in a grocery store or playing on a random radio station. While some might not think twice about the music they listen to, others may find it to be healing and an important part of their daily lives.
For me, music has always been an important part of my life. When I reminisce about my past, I often remember the songs that I would listen to during that period of my life. I listened to a lot of Fleetwood Mac my first year of college, so hearing “Go Your Own Way” will always transport me back to the time I spent in the library on campus when I still hadn’t found a place to fit into.
Whenever I’m anxiously waiting for time to pass before an exciting event, I blast my headphones and listen to my favorite songs to keep myself calm. In even more extreme cases, I’ve hummed my favorite songs to myself to keep myself from panicking.
However, there is an extra layer of healing that music has when it’s enjoyed with people that mean a lot to you. Sure, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA can be fun to listen to alone, but have you ever sang along to it with your best friends in a car? Suddenly, the song becomes even more exciting, and takes on a whole new meaning.
Recently, my friends have gotten me to start listening to Chappell Roan, who just released a new song titled “Good Luck Babe.” Although the song by itself has already premiered and is fun to listen to alone, I know all of us are counting down until the day we get to listen to it all together.
Past shared playlists with small groups of friends, there’s the power behind the music that larger groups of people enjoy together.
Everytime I walk into the Xavierite office, I can’t wait to see what music will be playing through our shared stereo. Will it be Pink Floyd, Mitski, Hall & Oates? Or an artist I’ve never even heard of before?
As a senior getting ready to graduate, I know that soon I will be yearning to hear those songs playing throughout the whole office again. And I also know that a few years from now, I’ll hear some old rock song that I don’t even know the name of playing in a local Walgreens, and suddenly feel like I’m back inside the office I spent the majority of my college career in.
The beauty of music as a means of healing is that it is so personal to every individual. Whether it’s from the genres that someone likes, if they prefer streaming or vinyl, etc… music heals in a personal manner.
For some people, there’s an additional power to using music as a healing tool—and that is performing it.
For a musician, playing an instrument or singing heals in a way that nothing else can. Recently, I had to perform a vocal musical number while being physically sick with a sore throat. It was very difficult for me to even speak, but the drive to do one of the things I love the most in this world somehow got me through the pain and I was able to sing as if I was perfectly healthy.
Additionally, the fact that I was waiting all day to perform forced me to pull focus away from the pain I was in, because in a few hours, I was going to be truly in my element.
Although it may seem dramatic, I truly would not be able to live without music, and without the songs that create the soundtrack of my life.
Even now, the songs I loved as a child, like Hannah Montana’s “He Could be the One,” still hold a special place in my heart. I truly would not know who I am without music, both as a listener and as a performer.