My life feels surreal. Life seems to be moving quickly and music has played a significant role. We have already arrived at my next blog post while the previous feels like yesterday. Music has influenced my perception of time and mood over the previous two weeks in multiple ways and instances. And I think you might gain some insights into how you can or should not incorporate music into your own life.
My first meaningful encounter with music these two weeks was when I went on a skiing vacation. Together with a very good friend of mine, we had the idea to go skiing together back in October. As the vacation neared we became more and more excited about the trip. We sent each other Instagram videos about other people skiing and this made the hype bigger and bigger. Just before departure, my friend said that it would be a funny idea to bring a music box for skiing. And let me tell you, that was one of the best ideas ever.
On the second day of skiing, I brought a backpack with some little snacks and drinks in it, but there was also some space left for the music box I brought. So after we went up to the top of the mountain I put on the box and jammed some jam hits from artists like Katy Perry, Pitbull and Rihanna. Hits that everybody can vibe to when we are skiing past. It made the whole skiing experience so much more magical. Flying down the beautiful landscapes of Tirol while music is playing and skiing with your best friend made me smile so so much. And don’t get me wrong, even without the music I would have enjoyed this trip very very much. Skiing is one of my big passions, but the music added this magical, heaven-like touch to the experience.
I can’t even really describe the feeling. But there was something so magical about the moment. Forgetting everything and enjoying the moment. There was a glimpsing smile on my face the whole way down the mountain, every run. It made me transcend into the groove. The flow of the mountains and the skiing. The side-to-side movement of skiing. Reminding me to enjoy life once in a while. The bright sun, the beautiful weather and stunning views. Even writing this blog has put a smile on my face and makes me want to go skiing again. Back to that magical moment.
But not everything is positive in life, and you can’t always be happy. Because there comes that last day of the trip. The day you have to go home. Realising this was the last day you got to ski for this season. When riding the train home that moment hit me. The moment you realise the trip is behind you. And life is about to start again. It probably didn’t help that it was late at night and I was travelling on a weekday knowing I had to be present that next afternoon.
But what was also not helping was the music. I was scrolling Instagram late at night (which is never a good idea) when I got dragged into the ‘sad side’ of Instagram. Sad videos playing about the reality of life. And those videos were topped off with some very sad songs. And such visual and audial sad cues are quite discourteous for your general mood. This all led to me feeling quite sad and lonely about the world for a moment. Which of course can’t hurt every once in a while, but it does show you how influential your mood is. Especially when you are already feeling a certain mood, music and visuals can exaggerate such moods quite heavily.
This feeling of sadness got dragged into the next day where I had to go to university again that same afternoon. Luckily all my friends were there who asked how my trip had been and this made me feel a lot better. It was quite a hectic return in general as I had also planned to go to a Drum and Bass music party that same evening. Although I was quite tired from the travelling and bad sleep I got on the train I still decided to go. Drum and Bass is a music category that I really love and music always gives me lots of energy. And this evening wasn’t an exception. Once I entered the party I felt the vibe and the music. And everything seemed to be right again. Partying with all of my friends and listening to the music I enjoy.
And I think all of these experiences can be summed up to the following: For me, music plays a big role in how I feel. Sad music can make me even more sad than I already am, or it can even make me sad, while happy music and the music I enjoy gives me energy. It makes me feel jovial and I can really become one with the music and vibe. I think my main takeaway from these little stories is that I encourage you to discover and experience how music can impact your life. What music makes you feel happy? What music inspires you to dance? Where and how can you incorporate music into your life to improve it? Think about it for a while. Thank you for reading!