26 March, 2020
This is the main theme of The Doobie Brothers song “The Doctor”. Music has the ability to soothe our souls. It often brings back happy memories of our formative years, or reminds you of a recent time that makes you happy. It can transform your current reality, transporting us to a joyful mindset. Music is a tool that mental health professionals use with patients to reduce anxiety. Music unites us by creating emotions for listeners that are often shared with friends. It creates a common bond. Music is the driver to evoke dancing. Dancing delights us, (or maybe not, if you have two left feet), it gets us moving , it creates an outlet for bottled up energy. Dancing is downright fun. Can you imagine life without music?
Do you play an instrument? Do you sing in the shower? Do you sing in the car along with the sound system? Do you whistle a melody when you are happy? Do you listen to music to motivate you during your workouts? Are you a professional musician that makes a living by making music? Do you like to attend concerts? Do you enjoy following your favorite local band, attending their gigs at clubs and bars? Are you “Jones-in” to go out and see their uplifting performances? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then you can appreciate the power of music’s ability to uplift our state of minds.
In the current climate, observation of social distancing protocols has caused clubs, bars, and music venues to shutter their businesses. Where’s the outlet for our musicians to perform their craft? Many are turning to social media platforms, providing daily performances to inspire us. However, these performances are “free”. It doesn’t cost a penny to enjoy them. The musician’s don’t receive any compensation for their performances. This will cause our “struggling musicians” to endure even more lean times , since their source of income has dissolved.
After we emerge from this pandemic, do you want to attend live music events? Do you want to experience the joy that the tunes invoke? If so, we need to support our musician’s financially during these days to ensure they can maintain a living with their musical talents. How can we help? Many musicians have set up donation pages where you can send funds to show your support. Go ahead and make a contribution. Purchase their albums on-line. Download the music from a “pay-to-play” site, versus listening to channels for free. Also, on the the musician’s social media page, leave a comment showing your appreciation for what they do. This will help to uplift the musician’s spirit. There’s nothing more rewarding to a musician than fans showing their appreciation with applause, and of course, seeing a full tip jar.
If you agree with me that “Music is the Doctor”, go ahead and take the prescription and enjoy the benefits.
Stay Happy and Healthy!
Good points; it’s cool how many people and bands are contributing their talents freely to help others during this challenging situation. We all need to show our appreciation and help them in return!