If you think back to the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, you may find yourself humming the same comfort songs you had been then. After all, it was a significant time of uncertainty and it still is now, almost a year later. Remember when the top Spotify playlists were called “Quarantine 2020”? Yeah. It’s not as amusing now, as the death count only rises and humanity becomes more and more split over political opinions, mental health, and what is going to become of the world around us. More often than not, we searched for an outlet in which we could let out our negative emotions and pent-up energy without judgment. One of the primary ways we found this expression was through music.
Music is special in the fact that it can be used to the advantage of either end of the spectrum: it can help us escape, or it can bring us together. Let’s break those two ideas down and look at the science behind them.
There are a multitude of reasons why we listen to music in a more solitary practice. It can be as simple as shuffling a playlist while doing homework, or something as meaningful as listening to a certain song that seems to capture exactly what you’re thinking. The latter is what is more relevant to these specific times in isolation. Listening to songs with lyrics that validate your feelings, help you mend yourself, and make you happy are all songs that aid in escapism from situations in the real world. They give us the ability to process our emotions, and know that we are not alone in feeling them, no matter what any other outside sources might convince us. When we listen to music in this intensity, our brains release those two infamous chemicals: dopamine (“feel good”) and serotonin (“the happy chemical”). This creates a sense of comfort within us and as we relax, we think, “You know what? Maybe I will get through this”. That mindset is needed now more than ever.
Although many concerts and events have been canceled due to covid, music has still brought us together in the most trying times. Over the news we have seen parades, folks singing and playing instruments from their city balconies, and even a full Grammys production, all during this international crisis. We’ve endured a lot of challenges together, and celebrating with music gave a sense of belonging and compassion to those around us. This is where a third chemical comes into play, called oxytocin. This hormone is responsible for lowering anxiety and even loneliness when singing along or enjoying music with others. So it’s no surprise that we also have used music during quarantine to remind ourselves of people we care about and reminisce in happy times. Music doesn’t always have to be distracting, in fact, sometimes being put in the moment is just what we need right now in order to connect with our surroundings.
I could write a whole novel on the power of music and how it is crucial to current times. But for the sake of your sanity, I instead conducted an interview with Greenwood’s very own Mr. Jonathan Watts, Elementary, Middle, and High School Band Director. Mr. Watt’s personal insight into his journey with music throughout the pandemic.
What music have you been listening to over the course of the pandemic?
At the very start of the pandemic, my wife and I purchased a Disney+ subscription so that we could watch the Broadway musical, “Hamilton”. For a number of weeks after viewing the show, we were singing Hamilton songs almost non-stop. Much of our time was spent sitting on our front porch this summer and one afternoon we noticed a small praying mantis sitting on the railing. He would come back and visit periodically throughout the pandemic so we affectionately named him “Lin-Mantis Miranda”.
Have your music preferences changed lately? If so, what sort of music have you gravitated towards?
My music preferences are pretty much set. In terms of Art music, I really enjoy music from the Renaissance period. William Byrd, Tielman Susato, Giovanni Gabrieli, and Claudio Monteverdi are some of my favorites. Beethoven and Mahler Symphonies as well as Bach Prelude & Fugues are always wonderful. In terms of popular music, I tend to gravitate towards Dave Matthews, Green Day, Live, Firehouse, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots which are all popular bands from the 1990’s. (The band “Live” is from Lancaster, PA, so they are somewhat local.) My goto Broadway musicals are Hamilton, Les Miserables, Wicked, Cats, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof.
Think of a song you listened to lately. What emotions did you feel (or hope to feel) while listening to it?
“One Day More” from Les Miserables. In March of 2020 we had to have my cat, Dobby, put to sleep. Two months earlier (January 2020) he received a diagnosis of kidney cancer. An MRI showed over 14 small tumors in his kidneys and he was given no more than 2 months to live. We tried chemotherapy hoping it would give us more time with him but we could all see that he was steadily dwindling away. We made an appointment at the vet on a Sunday in early March to have him put to sleep so we could spend all day on Saturday with him. On Saturday in the afternoon, the day before, Dobby and I laid in bed and listened to “One Day More” from Les Miserables. It was very sad but I’ll never forget that day I had with him and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
How has music helped you cope with how uncertain the world is right now?
Music has a magical way of attaching itself to certain special moments in life, sometimes to a very specific event or memory. I can remember one such instance from my childhood when I used to go skiing on the slopes of Ski Snow Peak in Thompsontown, PA. The song “To Be With You” by Mr. Big must have been playing over the intercom inside the lodge all day that day because every time I hear that song, certain specific images burst into my head. Like it was only yesterday I can see images of the white snow hanging heavy on the trees. I can remember exactly how it felt to ride on the lift and can even feel the heat, while sitting by the fire inside the lodge. This time spent dealing with stress and uncertainty has been difficult so whenever I need a break, I can listen to music and retreat into those musical memories.
Do you think the idea of how powerful lyrics can be is underrated?
I think lyrics by themselves certainly wield much less power than when they are set to music. Which is not to say that by themselves lyrics have no power at all. We are essentially talking about poetry when we refer to lyrics without music and poetry can be extremely powerful to someone who knows how to listen. But this question I think, is asking about something else. I think this question is asking about bad language or dark imagery in musical lyrics and how those kinds of lyrics can corrupt the minds of the listener. In this case, lyrics only have the power we choose to give them and this directly dependent on why we listen. If we listen to music from the standpoint of hearing a sermon, then yes, lyrics can have a negative impact. But if we listen to music and consider the lyrics simply as self-expression, then there is no right or wrong. There is only expression. The lyrics simply convey how the singer is feeling rather than a suggested course of action.
I wish I could do these responses proper justice. They show that we can all learn from any type of music in these trying times. The next time you listen to your favorite playlist, think: what songs allow me to feel what I need to feel right now? Take some time to find these songs.
Works Cited:
Waterman, Kim. “The Power of Music to Help Cope with COVID-19.” Northwestern Medicine, Health and Wellness, 9 Apr. 2020, https://www.nm.org/about-us/northwestern-medicine -newsroom/nm-news-blog/power-of-music-to-cope-with-covid-19.
Langley, Michelle and Coutts, Leah. “Why do we turn to music in times of crisis?” World Economic Forum, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2020, https://www.weforum.org /agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-music-covid-19-community/.
Arenschield, Laura. “Stressed about COVID-19? Try tapping into the power of music.” Ohio State News, The Ohio State University, 2 Apr. 2020, https://news.osu.edu/stressed -about-covid-19-try-tapping-into-the-power-of-music/.