Amarachi Okeh: What Does Music Do To You?

I had gone to school that day normal, happy. No worries. No thoughts. But by the end of the day, I was already depressed, kind of. Why? I listened to music. A particular kind of music. Blues, romantic songs. Back street boys, Westlife, Celine Dion, you know them. The songs got me thinking. Thinking about what I didn’t have, how it feels, what it feels like having someone, why I am still -1 you know them nah. All those thoughts that hadn’t crossed my mind in a long while just with full force flooded back by just music!

Music affect us in various ways. You can’t deny the times you started crying for no particular reason, but a song. Music has this overwhelming hold on us. It speaks to us, speaks against us, even speak to us against something, somebody or for anything. It goes from the instrumentals to the wordings. Different things attract people to songs. It can be the lyrics or the instrumental. Whichever one it is affects us deeply – very deeply – much more that we can actually accept or agree. It’s like an involuntary response that we are not even aware of its effect until someone tells us or we are sharp enough to observe ourselves.

Have you ever had this funny but true thought: that you can actually guess the kind of songs a person listens to by just observing his or her behaviour? Why don’t you try it on someone for fun? That goes further to show the kind of influence music has on people which they may not know they are exhibiting.

Music elicits certain responses in us that we actually act out with or without our knowledge. Here’s an example: some songs just make you happy, some remorseful and so on. I’m sure you are no stranger to the cases where someone committed suicide because of a song, got born again because of another, got motivated to do something because of a type of song. All these go on to show the power inherent in music. Songs speak to us.

Earlier on in life, a once upon a time friend told me that certain songs can make you think ok… that was how he put it. He’s good at that, not finishing sentences leaving you to fill in the gap. I laughed it off without realizing that truth at that moment. Music controls your thoughts. Take for example someone trying to stay chaste till marriage, listening to a certain kind of song can definitely get you longing for things… or someone who just had a break up or someone like me who’s single and hopeful. Hmm, music has power!

A quote says ‘never underestimate the power in music.’ Music is food. Music is so many things to different people. To some, it gives consolation, others it brings hopeful thoughts, others happiness and yet some depression. Music can be food for your soul or poison to your heart.

No truer is this statement that, ‘with the right songs you either forget everything or you remember everything.’
Back to my cheerful day at school turned gloomy, I realized I was safer without such songs, my emotions in check and safe. For the time being, while I’m still waiting for Mr. Right (hehehe), perhaps I’ll be safer not listening to blues, romantic songs and life. No, I’m all good.

As we are always cautious of what we eat, did you know that it also applies to the type of songs we listen to?
So you, what music do you listen to and how does it affect you?

Photo Credit: Dreamstime | Photographerlondon