Do you know the Paul Simon song The Sound Of Silence? That might feel like a contradictory title for a song! Music for wellbeing is now recognised to be very positive. Do you agree? And how do you feel silence compares when it comes to boosting mood, or calming you?
Of course most of our time is spent with neither music or silence – but a varying background hum of traffic or aeroplanes or lawnmowers or birds calling or appliances running or ringtones going off. So music and silence alike can be a refreshing change. Never before have people heard so much or such varied sound every day as today. Imagine a household two or three hundred years ago. There would have been sounds we hear less now, such as the constant beat of horses’ hooves, but overall there was far less auditory stimulus than in the 21st century. Is this positive or negative?
I like silence, or near silence – as I sit here now, I can hear rain falling outside, and my clock ticking, and the distant hum of a radio. It’s restful and calming and restorative. But silence can weigh heavily, be oppressive or blank. That might depend on where you are and what you’re doing or feeling. Silence can help you think through an issue, but it can be negative if you’re overthinking. Silence opens up space to dwell on thoughts – space that may not be welcome, or bearable.
For some people, music aids concentration. For others it can become distracting and tiring. Just this one example highlights one of the most complex issues in wellbeing, how different we all are. And that’s before you get on to specific music tastes or tastes changing over time. I find I need music more when the weather’s wet, cloudy and cold, when hearing a lively beat feels like seeing the sun come out. Then again, the style of music people find helpful in particular situations will vary. If you are sad or distressed then music that is calming or beautiful might just be too nostalgic. How any of us responds to any one song at any one time is totally unpredictable.
I think striking a balance, weaving silence and music into our lives is very important. I enjoy most music, but only for limited periods of time. Some people I know have created playlists for every occasion, dedicating hours to crafting just the lists they want. Others listen to radio all day long, and feel it lifts their mood and the atmosphere of their home. I couldn’t bear to hear music playing for so long.
One way music helps wellbeing is by creating time and space away from the intensity of thought or experience, time and space for the mind to refuel and clear and recharge. Some people say this is music masking feelings, as if this is a negative. Yes, feelings need to be thought through, shared, unearthed, rooted out maybe. But that isn’t going to happen all the time, or to solve them all the time. Music may not in itself root out the issues, but it can be one way to explore them, or to endure, or to thrive.
Do you feel music or silence is more positive for you? It would be great if you have thoughts to share. Just go to Medley’s Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/359291215486002 Thank you.
Medley 