Is there truly music for every mood? With a vast array of music now only a tap or a click away, there surely has to be. The choice of musical genre, rhythm, beat, tempo, duration and performer has become endless and can feel overpowering or overwhelming. But with such choice now everyday, are there common patterns in what we choose and when?
Someone I know told me the other day that she found pop and dance music more appealing than classical when she was ill recently, although she has loved classical music for years. The pop felt livelier and more stimulating – the faster tempo, the lyrics to focus on, the shorter length of each song so there was more variety. Classical music can be too long in duration if you struggle to concentrate or need a lot of mental stimulus. Symphonies might be the most admired of classical compositions, but they would never be my choice. Then again, shorter pieces of music or songs can be unsettling, gone too soon.
Imagine some different moods you might be in, and think what music you would choose to hear in those different frames of mind. If I was happy, I might want something loud and upbeat, with a dance rhythm, or ragtime jazz like Scott Joplin. If I was tired, I think I’d choose something quieter, maybe a classical piece, Mozart, Schumann or Rachmaninov. But it would depend. I wouldn’t choose a lullaby unless I needed to get to sleep! If I was tired but needed to pep myself up and liven up, I’d choose something livelier and energising. If I was sad, I might feel that sad music reflected my mood – a song about heartbreak, or an elegiac classical piece – but on the other hand, that might feel too painful, too familiar. Something the very opposite of how I was feeling might help lift the shadows. If I was annoyed, a loud discordant percussion piece might help me let off steam – or I might prefer something calming to open up another perspective.
Music for every mood turns out to be less straightforward than I might have thought. I might have assumed that a sad mood needed sad music, but it isn’t as simple as that.
Do you want music to mirror and reflect your mood, to help you express how you feel? Or are you using music differently, to change your mood, to cheer, relax you or calm you down? Do you want music to take you out of yourself and away from your thoughts, or to help echo whatever mood you might be in here and now? This is what it’s all about, music for every mood. What do you think? It would be good if you’d like to share experiences or thoughts in Medley’s Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/359291215486002 Thank you