Music On My Mind | Sarah Rendon
Saturday, October 10th was World Mental Health Day. If you’re anything like me, you were amazed at the amount of genuine support and empathy that was extended by an insanely diverse amount of people. It was incredible to have so many different people opening up about their vulnerabilities--how they’ve struggled through and overcome dark moments, or perhaps they’re still learning how to do so. Through it all, I couldn’t help but begin to pick out a common coping mechanism in the plethora of things that helped them persevere--music. It was at that moment, while scrolling through instagram reading dozens of testimonies on behalf of struggling college students, young teens, and adults alike, that I realized music connects us all.
Music can be loud and vivacious, sure, but it can also be soft and vulnerable. As I’m sure tons of people do, I have an array of playlists that I’ve created to match any kind of mood I find myself in--from hopeless to fervent with joy. It’s therapeutic when you’re feeling down in the dumps to put on a few sad tunes, or when you’re riding in the passenger seat of your best friend’s car to blare that current pop hit. I think it reminds us that we’re not alone, that everyone experiences the lowest lows and the highest highs.
Further than the emotion behind a song itself, the personal attachments to a song can be equally as powerful. I have plenty of music that instantly reminds me of my dad or that takes me back to a specific moment in my life. Sometimes all we need on a bad day is to be reminded of our past so that we can remember how far we’ve come, and music can fulfill that role. I can’t say that I feel more special than when a friend sends me a song that they think I’ll enjoy. Our music taste is ultimately just an extension of who we are, and so it’s very personal when someone actively tries to understand and know that part of us. Music, just like quality time or physical affection, functions as a love language both between people and as a form of self care.
So, I encourage you to recall a song you’ve listened to recently that genuinely made you feel something, no matter whether it’s happy, sad, hopeful, or dreary. Try to feel grateful for both those emotions and your strength to endure them. Know that you have every right to take up space, dance like nobody's watching, and sing like nobody’s listening. And when you’ve finished jamming out--send it to a friend you think would like it!
Written by: Sarah Rendon
