Everybody loves music; throughout history, some of the most successful and famous people have been musicians. Beethoven and Mozart were the celebrities of their day, and then came actual rock stars like Elvis and the Beetles, and now we have pop stars like One Direction and Justin Bieber. One of the strongest allures of music is how it can change your mood (and how music can build self esteem, which we’ve recently discussed!)
Powering Through with Music to Set the Mood
You go to the gym, and you’re about to go hard on the treadmill because you ate an extra slice of cake last night. You made the perfect playlist to get through a long workout, and right as you are about to get it to some classic rock songs, you realize you left your headphones at home. The workout is over before you start.
Why? Because without music you realize you are running in the same place for thirty minutes and you fall into existential despair. Not really, but it does have an effect.
The right music during a workout can make a huge difference. Nobody listens to soft, weeping songs while working out because you feel weak when you do that. Breakups are for sad songs. Gym sessions are for pump-you-up songs. These pump up songs can come from any genre. Rap, EDM, Rock, Metal, even classical. Mozart has some serious high energy pieces for music that was played without guitars or drums.
And you don’t have to limit yourself to other people’s music when you want to set your mood. Learn to play an instrument yourself and the musical world becomes your oyster. Choose the right tune to play, clear your head, set your mood, and get yourself in the right frame of mind for whatever you need to do afterwards.
Thank Music for Positive Upswings
Bad days happen to all of us. You’ll benefit from having playlists for bad days.
Think of this one as your get over it playlist. Which sounds strict, but we all know sometimes we can be overdramatic and just need to get over it. This playlist only has upbeat songs. Because it’s really hard to be sad when some classic Brittney is blaring and you are unashamedly dancing even though you can’t dance to save your life. This is the playlist to use often, because life is hardly as bad as you think most of the time, and the music will help you to think about things differently.
And again, learn to play some music of your own. Concentrating on the music as you play – whether it’s classical, pop, rock, or anything else – will help lift your mood, lower tension, and relieve stress.
Music Albums to Change Your Mood
So, now that you know how music can change your mood, let’s talk practicality.
First, you need music. If all you want to do is listen, turn up your favourite radio station or use a streaming service, because then you have a ton of music readily available. Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music all have excellent quality streaming services. Before you pick, look into which one you would prefer in terms of costs and availability.
After you have your music, you need to select the songs to listen to based on the mood you want. Every album has a mix of upbeat, high energy sounds and slow, mellow songs. If you want to jump around like a kid on a sugar high, pick some peppy music and feel the beat.
And don’t forget that you can play music, too! Start with sheet music (and put those childhood music lessons to good use) – unless you’re ridiculously gifted and can play by ear.
There’s sheet music available no matter what skill level you’re at, and no matter what genre you prefer to listen to. Whether you want to strum along on a guitar, bang out some notes on the piano, or use drumming to set your mood, you’re sure to find something that suits you.
Music is Like Medicine for your Mood
Music is great because of its diversity and attachment to feelings. The right song lifts your spirits and makes you carefree. And the greatest magic of music is its ability to work like medicine for your mood – without the side effects! At times when you really want to be alone, music can be your best friend? Whether you want music to suit your mood or change your mood, it’s a click or instrument away!
If you dream of playing music, then all you have to to is get learning!
