Have you ever noticed how music can change your mood? Have you been in a low mood and it reversed when your favorite song came on?
Music can be a powerful tool that you can use to increase happiness and positivity. You probably are aware that music can bring your mood down as well. If you are already feeling depressed, I recommend being very careful to pay attention to how music is influencing your mood one way or another.
I have a friend who has a "Happy Music" playlist that she plays to help her stay in a positive mind frame. I loved her idea and created one for myself (actually, my husband created it for me which is even better because acts of service is my love language, so he got brownie points too!). Not to date myself, but on my happy play list are songs by the Eagles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, some Christian music by Audio Adrenaline, The Newsboys and Chris Rice, and my favorite singing along music by Tom Petty. Can you imagine trying to be sad while singing along to "Runnin' Down a Dream"? I do most of my singing at the top of my lungs while driving (alone), and I won't put a video of that on here to spare us all the embarrassment. It does work to bring up my mood though, and perhaps even the other drivers might get a chuckle out of it. I also sometimes do laughter yoga while driving, but that is a topic for another article.
Creating music can be a really fun way to stay in the moment and keep your worries at bay. I occasionally make attempts to play the piano which brings great satisfaction, but I am not going to win any piano playing awards. I even had to google left hand notes if that gives you an idea of my level of play. The point I am making is that singing, playing and creating music does not need to be perfect to bring you joy. When you are focusing on music, you are being in the moment which means you are present in the here and now and not worrying about either the past or the future. Music can be a great way to keep yourself grounded.
I got a new musical instrument that just arrived yesterday. It is a tank drum. My daughter has been talking about tank drums for several years, and this year, I decided to get her one for her birthday. When I started looking at them, I noticed that the price range and quality varied greatly. We found some very nice handmade drums on Etsy. Being the frugal person that I am, I also looked at Amazon to see if I could get one that was a little less expensive to try it out. I found one for under $100.
It says it comes in the key of D Major, but it really is in the key of C which suits me just fine. I absolutely love it!!! It comes with mallets, and you can also play it with your hands. Here is a video of me just trying it out and playing the notes in no particular order.
Remember to bring uplifting music into your life! "Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one!" Dr. Seuss
I love this post! The video is also lovely, such a beautiful and fun sound. Can’t wait to find out what laughter yoga is :)