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Sing in the Car

May 03, 2012 :: Parenting, Relationships, The Brain

Years ago when I was a new mom, I found myself in a car ride with a screaming infant.  Needing to continue my journey, I attempted to sooth my little dude with music.  When the baby symphony crap wasn’t cutting it, I went in for mommy music.  And the kid actually quieted down to Lynyrd Skynyrd…Sweet Home Alabama. 

I’ve always found a personal solace in music.  From a young girl, the melody combined with heartfelt words seemed like a beautiful way to have feelings.  I spent hours with our record player listening to other people sharing feelings I had too.  I couldn’t imagine anything cooler.

As I got older I became a mixed tape queen.  Every song and word - had meanings.  At an given time, you could know exactly what is going on in my life just based on my mixed tape music.

Many years later, and a crazy morning getting out the door to school, I decided it might be helpful to expand my kids’  understanding of music.  That morning we listened to Crazy Train by Ozzy Osborne.  It isn’t my typical genre of music, though it feels awesome to listen to him go nutty…when I can’t.  The kids laughed, of course, though I’m actually not kidding about all this.

As a therapist, I’d like to tell you I am super Zen and speak with a whisper voice.  But I used to be a type- A personality.  Like my clients, I work at finding peace and happiness.  So, listening to Alice in Chains, can really help me express myself.

The neat science behind music is that it taps into your senses.  When you tap into your senses, you are more able to tap into feelings.  Which is why a song can evoke such powerful memories.  Similar to a beautiful smell.

I used to work with a guy that told me he always knew when he was really stressed because his throat hurt.  When he thought about it, it was because he sang extra loud in his car when he was stressed.  I think that is rad. 

There are a number of musicians that instill a chill up my spine with their beautiful compilations of feelings and music.  You probably have some favorites that do the same.  Take notice of what music evokes emotion in you and allow it to share feelings your having. 

It’s a fantastic way to release emotion.