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    • Apr 7, 2023
    • 5 min read

Music: The Three Forms

Music is everywhere. It’s in the rhythm of the tapping of your feet, it’s in the ceramic echoes of your spoon hitting your mug when you stir your tea, it’s in the humming you do when you walk around the house, it’s in the air, early in the morning, when the birds decide to sing. Everything is musical. And everybody loves music, right? For me, music is a central happiness stream – not just by listening to it though, but also by creating it. I play the piano and the idea of being able to play anything I like, from Disney songs to Chopin or Beethoven is exhilarating. The power of a melody is strong – it can stick with you for weeks and put you in certain moods. For instance, the ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ theme song is constantly stuck in my head, because I heard it a while ago and it’s catchy rhythm is inescapable. Granted, it isn’t the best tune to have imprinted on your brain, but it does make me laugh sometimes. To others, it might drive them crazy. This is why a melody is so powerful – the thousands of interpretations and opinions you can gather from a single tune is amazing. Think of Mozart - his pieces definitely had several interpretations as to what stories his pieces could be telling, deciphered by people over a multitude of decades after publishing his compositions. Pretty cool, right?


So, music, as an umbrella, can be divided into three forms: study, creation and casual. ‘Study’ is representative of the music you should listen to to complete homework or to read a book to or, if you’re allowed, music to listen to in class. It should evoke concentration and steer you away from background distractions. There are three categories of music I recommend for studying to. The first is classical music. It is so serene and isn’t distracting because of the lack of lyrics, and because of the fast-paced nature of most of the compositions, listening to it can arguably make you study a little faster than normal. The second category is chilled out ‘Lofi’ study beats. There are several playlists on Spotify to listen to but I will also link my study playlists at the bottom of this blogpost. ‘Lofi’ music (without lyrics), generally speaking, is so calming and tranquil. It always reminds me of sitting in a coffee shop and doing my homework there – my ideal study setting. The third category is something you wouldn’t expect – have you ever heard of Mario Kart? The Nintendo game? If you have, this type of study music is fool proof in keeping you focused. Listening to all the race soundtracks in one playlist – you’d be surprised how well this works! Because these tracks have no lyrics, they are perfect for studying to, not to mention how purely fun they are to listen to and how creative the actual melodies are. You might have heard of the iconic race ‘Coconut Mall’ from the Wii? This soundtrack is definitely one of my favourites to keep my studying moving at a quick pace. If you find a track you like and works best for you, you can listen to 10 hour long versions on YouTube. (Also, if you haven’t played Mario Kart, I definitely recommend.)


The ‘creation’ form is a lot different to the ‘study’ form, obviously, because instead of listening to music through your phone or speaker, you create it. Creation of music is so rewarding. You can pick any tune in the world to learn – it could be your favourite song, or a song for someone you love, or, you could even create your own song. The possibilities are endless. It is probably, in my opinion, one of the best hobbies you could have. It builds up your focus, attention to detail, helps with coordination but is also so relaxing. As a keen piano player, I can safely say that playing is one of my favourite stress outlets. You can pour all your emotion and stress into it. Of course, you don’t have to choose piano. You could choose the guitar, or the drums, or the flute. Anything you like, but the accomplishment and pride you can feel when you learn a song is heart-warming. I am currently learning how to play the ‘Kingdom Dance’ song from ‘Tangled’ and I am so close to mastering it. I know that once I have it nailed, I’ll feel victorious. The feeling is prodigious. After finishing a song you’ve been learning, you can start all over again with another song to use as a stress outlet. I fell in love with piano because of what I could do with that one instrument – the opportunities with it are infinite.


The third form of music is casual music. This is the type of music you listen to on a daily basis with your headphones or your speakers – the music genre you love most. Personally, my playlist is divided into about ten different genres – there isn’t one I particularly love most. My favourite artists are The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and Lana Del Rey – four completely different artists with completely different styles of music. The music you listen to daily is important. It can make or break your mood. For instance, if you have a playlist dedicated to sad music that you listen to daily, you’re bound to feel at least a little bit down - not only because of the lyrics and instrumental of the songs, but the frequencies in the music. Lower frequencies and psycho-acoustics that can easily alter your mood can make some people feel depression-like symptoms, while some may feel angry and disillusioned. High frequencies have the same concept, just different results. The physical effects of higher frequencies like headaches, sore ears and the power to make us feel alarmed are just as impactful as the mental symptoms of low frequencies. This is why pop music floats in the mid-frequencies. But frequencies themselves don’t distort our feelings and moods. The lyrics, instrumentals and rhythm of the song do too, so be mindful of the music you listen to, especially in the morning. Listen to the happiest songs you know of in the mornings to start your day off well. It will inevitably boost your mood, even if it's only slightly.


Music is such a dynamic force. It can change you, it can alter your moods, a single song can have a thousand different meanings. It truly is one of the most potent and influential things life has to offer. Use it to your advantage. I have linked my study Spotify playlists at the bottom of the post – feel free to use them when you’re studying and try out different styles!


XOXO,

Lola


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