My first love:
I think I shared in my first blog post that as much as I love counseling, it was not my first love. My first love is music. My earliest memories as a child involve me sitting next to a boom box with my eyes closed. Yes, I said “boom box”. I have loved music my entire life. Luckily for me, my family had great taste, so I was introduced to the greats early.
One of my uncles recognized my love for music early, and he graciously built my first cd collection. He added to it every month for a while. Remember that JET magazine special where you could get 12 CDs for $1? Okay, I realize that I’m truly showing my age now. He did that for me a couple of times, so I had a full cd case filled with young and older artists. I promise my collection is better than yours!
Live Music:
My love for music only grew with time. Now I am avid concert goer; there is nothing I enjoy more than live music. Within the last two weeks, I went to see Nas perform with an orchestra (how cool is that?), and I attended the Cowboy Carter show, where I got a chance to see Beyoncé for the seventh time (Or is it more?), and Jay Z for the sixth time. My inner child is overjoyed! Don’t judge me…well, you can if you want, I will attend Beyoncé shows for as long as she performs live!
Music is a relaxation tool and mind stimulator. Music is magical. There is not a day that goes by that I do not listen to it.
The science behind music:
Music releases dopamine, which is known as the pleasure hormone. It decreases cortisol levels, which relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. It improves cognitive abilities, and it also improves sleeping hygiene, and even increases motivation for exercise. Music serves as a great tool for physical and emotional pain management. Now my favorite thing is that it increases the practice of emotional expression and vulnerability.
Music is magical.
In therapy, I allow clients to incorporate music into their sessions. For example, we may find frequencies that are calming, or we may find lyrics that they can relate to; I’ve even had some clients to create songs to help them express themselves.
It decreases cortisol levels, which relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Do you have a comfort artist? An artist who simply lifts your mood? What’s your favorite song? If you are not using music as a coping tool, try it! You just may feel the magic.
Until you grace me with your presence again,
Dr. E
