With a rise in suicides, depression, and low self esteem, how can music be a remedy for some of these issues?

Bert’s Response

Music In Me

By Bert Reece

Music is my soul remedy

It heals and soothes

It even makes me move

It changes my heart condition

And gives me a new disposition

It opens my mind to a whole new world

It even calms the savage beast that lives within me

It helps me to mellow out

It is the rhythm of my heartbeat

It is the sensitivity of my pulse that speaks

It is my universal voice

It is the music in me

Music does calm the savage beast in all of us.  It is the one constant that transcends all cultures.  From the young and unruly to the old and restless, music has the power to change all dispositions. 

People are hurting all around the world and the byproducts of that hurt are things such as low self-esteem, depression and the ever permanent solution, suicide.  People are looking for anything that might remove the hurt or dull the senses so they cannot feel the hurt.  Many are turning to the wrong devices such as drugs, alcohol, promiscuous sex and friends that act as leeches; they takes from you but do not give anything back to you.  These things make matters worse not better.  

How can music be a remedy for these issues?  We can be deliberate in what we choose listen to.  With the advent of ipods and mp3 players, we have more control over what we hear and the order in which we hear it.  Instead of listening to the radio, we can create our own playlists with music that uplifts and encourages us.  We can control what goes in to us, thus attempting to affect what potentially comes out of us.  Joe Madison (the Black Eagle) was discussing a topic similar to this topic on his Sirius XM radio show.  He noted that the music of his day, which included James Brown (I’m Black and I’m Proud), Marvin Gaye (What’s Going On) and Aretha Franklin (Respect), had an impact on his generation, so why would the music of our day not have an impact on us.

It also goes well beyond just simply listening to music in order to change your state of mind.  There are many of us who are creative in the area of music and can actually create the music that we desire to listen to; making it possible to purge negative energy that might prove toxic to our minds and our bodies.  Music has a great healing effect like nothing else in this world outside of God.

My grandmother just recently passed away at the age of 95.  Her life was not easy, but she did not let it get her down.  She always had a song to sing whenever I saw her.  I truly believe it was the music that God placed in her that kept her with us for so long.  She had Alzheimer’s in her later years, but still had the joy of music in her heart.  She could not remember a name, but she could remember a song.  How amazing is that?

God has placed the power of change right at our fingertips when it comes to music.  We must acknowledge the effects that what we read, listen to and watch does play a huge role in our day-to-day psychological make-up.  With this in mind, we need to ensure that we are putting things into us that build us up and not things that will destroy us.  More importantly, we must look outside of ourselves and identify the things that will destroy us and avoid those things.  I believe we have a current culture of young people listening to music that is killing them from the inside-out and they don’t even know it.  It is the only music that they have ever known.  Some have not been exposed to anything thing else while others who have been exposed to other music has found the other options to be foreign to them.  Life is the music in you.  Be careful about what you allow in.  God Bless You.

Anthony’s Response 

How can music be a remedy for low self-esteem, depression and suicide?  Well, as for me I feel that music is much more encompassing than the audible sound.  We hear music all day long.  You call a business and music is playing while you wait on hold.  You get in an elevator at a nice hotel or building and you hear music.  You go to the Dr.’s office and in the waiting room you may hear music playing there too.  Music hits you in the face all day long.  When you get home exhausted at the end of the day, after you have possibly been battered and abused by the daily grind, you sit down to rest.  You turn on the TV and bam, music is blasting from every channel you turn to.

Music can be beautiful, but it can also be noise if you let it.  It has the power to heal, but it also has the ability to steal your peace.  We sometimes have to search for the peace in our music.  With all the different kinds of music and sounds that we are exposed to, we have to learn to choose the music wisely that will lift up our spirits and affect change in our attitude in a positive way.

When I am feeling down or depressed I go silent.  The music of my choice is the melody of my thoughts.  The rhythm of life transcends the audible sound of music.  I choose the rhythm of positive melodies to change my state of mind.  Being blessed by the heartbeat of life is what drives me to feel better about whatever it is that has gotten me down.  And even when silence gets to be a bit too much all I have to do is go outside and listen to earth’s beautiful natural melodies.  The sound of the wind in the trees, the melodious sound of the birds and sometimes the sound of the hustle and bustle of cars that go by.  I am not your ordinary person, but music is not your ordinary healer.  It is universal.  It is unique.  It is what you choose it to be.

Rhonda’s Response 

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” Plato

The history of music can be learned by evaluating the six periods that define it. The first period is the Medieval Era. It lasted from the year of 800 to 1400. The music during this time revolved around the church and was sacred. “In the earliest part of this era most music was monophonic, meaning that it had one melodic line without accompaniment. However, by the 1200’s polyphony became popular. This is two or more melodic lines heard at the same time.” (Reference)

The second period was Renaissance. It lasted from the year 1400 to 1600. During this time, artist were given more freedom of expression and this is when secular music was founded. Secular music is music that is not centered on the church. The third period was Baroque. It lasted from the year 1600 to 1750. The music during this period was intense and extravagant. This is when opera and orchestra music was introduced. The fourth period was Classical. It lasted from the year 1750 to 1820. During this time orchestras became more prevalent and music was dominated by the “homophonic style, which featured one melodic line with accompaniment.” (Reference)

The fifth period was Romantic. It lasted from the year 1850 to 1920. This was a time for musicians to have creative freedoms. They changed the tonal relationships and length of their music pieces. The sixth era is the era we are in today, the Modern Era. It began in 1900, and today music has overwhelmingly diversified with new genres of music that were created from the inspiration of music forged from earlier periods. Technology is used to produce music and instrumental sounds and the topics of music have grown from those of the first period that were church based. It is good to know that the reason for introducing music during the first period still holds true today. Music was introduced to honor or invoke feelings in people and today that idea has expanded. Music is a great story teller and has played a pivotal role in our historical existence. Be it a healer during difficult times or leisure listening, it is an art form that has progressed from past periods.

One story that demonstrates how music can play a pivotal role during hard times is the story of John Newton. John Newton was a slave trader. In his own words John Newton stated, "I sinned with a high hand, and I made it my study to tempt and seduce others." During a difficult time in Africa, he was transferred to a ship that was in a tumultuous storm. He had been reading Thomas A Kemps Imitation of Christ. He converted to Christianity during this storm. As he continued to serve as a Captain for many slave ships after his conversion, he thought he could make a difference by setting the example for his crew and treating the slaves with some form of humanity. While on those ships, he wrote words that expressed his feeling which became the well-known song Amazing Grace. It represented a “message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of sins committed and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God.” (Reference) John Newton abandoned his moral compass because of his circumstance but through a dire time he turned back to faith to help him through, and the writing of musical lyrics sustained his faith.

Music is the only constant element in the world that does not discriminate by race, wealth classification, political beliefs, education, sexuality, and/or occupation. Music provides a creative catalyst to discuss sensitive topics that invokes an emotion from the listener to agree, disagree, or agree to disagree. There are many layers to a song where a person may like the lyrics but not the arrangement of the song or the instruments. Another person may listen to that same song and have an opposite feeling where they like the instruments and music composition of the song but not the lyrics. Music is like art, the interpretation of the song by the listener may be different from that of the songwriter. However, it is in those differences and interpretations that invigorate lovers of music. People of different walks of life and backgrounds can come to the same spot and enjoy something they both love, music, without judgment.

Not only is music nondiscriminatory, it is also healing. Instruments that make up music have its own unique purpose in a song. And how a song combines those instruments can invoke different feelings from the listener as well as thoughts of remembrance. The emotion and reminiscent thoughts by the listener can be of sadness, happiness, love, grief, advantageous, courageous, fearful, or strength. The emotions can go on and on but the best thing I love the most about music is when people start to make great strides towards their personal goals and achievements, a song that once sparked sadness can bring happiness to that same person. This is because they have persevered past where they were emotionally when the song made them sad.

Music has definitely been a healer for me. I have been writing my own songs since the 6th grade and find music the catalyst for motivation, creation, or getting through difficult times. When I feel anxious and need to be calm and clear my mind, I listen to classical music. Rachmaninoff is one of my favorite composers. When I want to get pumped for an outing with my girlfriends, I will listen to upbeat music (Rhythm and Blues, Hip Hop, etc…). Many times turning on the radio and listening to current music meets this need. When I am sad, fearful and need to hear encouraging words, I listen to Christian or Inspirational music. This music helps to catapult me out of those emotions and into a place of optimism. A few songs that I listen to a lot are I Chose to Worship and Welcome to this Place by Wess Morgan. I also listen to a song I wrote called A Stronger Love. When I write a song it encompasses an emotion that I have to release so it won’t fester. Many times these songs become an inspiration to others who may have gone through a similar emotion. There is no structure or guideline, just writing a song for an emotion in my life that needs to be released.

Music changed the world in the earlier periods and today it is still changing the world. It is enlightening the people and is the universal language that all cultures, all wealth classifications, and all races can relate. Music will be around when this Modern Era ends and a new period begins.

“Music is Therapy” by Rhonda B. Reece, 2013

“Music is the pulse of the nation. It is the voice of the people. It is the cries of the hurt and the happiness of the free. It is the strength to the grieving and the motivation to the creative. It is the song of nature. The calmness of the sea. It is the healer of a nation. Because it definitely heals me.

Let music be your therapy.”