There really is something about music, and the signature it leaves on our consciousness and the extended moments of our lives. When a person reaches a certain age and loses their memories, it has been found that music is a tether that can ground those back to their identity and reality. What a great power and tool this is. But you don’t need to be old to tap in to this power, you just need to listen to the music you used to love.
In the last few weeks, I have been on a musical journey of nostalgia. With the changing of the seasons from Summer to Autumn, we find ourselves in a more contemplative state. The sun sets earlier, and we are left with more time in the dark, quiet spaces of our lives. We can hear the echoes of those brighter warmer days, and find ourselves slipping back into memory.
Within those spaces, there is a lot of possibility for perspective and healing. And speaking from my personal experience, I would say there is much to be gained from taking time to commune with past mindsets and old frameworks. I was fortunate enough to get tickets to both Hans Zimmer and Dashboard Confessional this month; and while both artists are very different in their composure and their cultural impact, they both also evoke very specific and formative periods of our lives.
Hans Zimmer has composed the soundtracks of acclaimed films that have woven their way into the public consciousness. From Pirates of the Caribbean to James Bond to The Lion King, each orchestral triumph planted me back in the body of my younger self.
It was the six-year old in me, who reminded me to delight in the innocence of my own inner-child. The child who loved the cinematic experience of fantasy, who could truly get lost in wonder of Captain Jack Sparrow, and forget about the greater burdens of society. To be so fully transported by memory allowed the healing lessons of childhood to come back into my adult heart.
And so too, did I engage with my inner-teenager.
Dashboard Confessional is an emo band with an acoustic/indie bent, with piercing vocals and deeply poetic lyrics. The teen years are generally thought to be a less innocent time for us. We know just enough about the world to be disenchanted with it. We become struck with doubt, hesitation, self-othering, ennui, and angst. Some would argue that our inner-teen needs more care and love than those other pieces of ourself, because it is when our identity is the most ungrounded, and we care the most of what others think of us.
With the help of Dashboard’s lyrics, I was able to come back into that teen body, and soothe myself with the lessons that I’ve learned on the road of life. It feels akin to revisiting an old diary, and reading about old fears and concerns one no longer has. These lyrics that used to make us cry and want, can also show us just how far we have come. And to sing those words in those high and soft keys, feels really really good.
Music is a lot of things to so many people. But there is a lot of power in thinking about it as a tool of intention. I encourage you to uncover an old favorite album, or artist. Dust her off, give her a listen, and feel what comes up. You might just find some healing and perspective in those old notes and lyrics. Just remember to put them back when you’re done.
Here are two songs that just might light up those parts of your brain that need a good scratch.
The Indy Review 