Music and the Mind

Music is great -- there's no limit to the variety of sounds that are combined together to make music. It amazes me how more and more music in all genres are created every year. I've enjoyed all kinds of music myself. People called me a religious head-banger in my first year of college... I guess they were surprised to learn of some of the music I enjoyed despite knowing my good character. A friend got me interested in that... or I should say it grew on me after hearing it so much. The same thing happened to me once in my late 20s... I went on a road trip with a friend who liked country music. I've never liked country music, but again, after hearing it for so many hours, it grew on me and I enjoyed it for about a year till one day I was listening to it and realized I just didn't like it anymore. A third time this happened: my grandparents listened to Patsy Cline and I didn't like it. Then my parents started listening to it! It would just grate my eardrums. Eventually, guess what... I liked Patsy Cline's music and would have a great time singing the songs with my dad. Years later, I became divorced and the heart-break songs of Patsy Cline took on real-life meaning and now I can't listen to those now-depressing songs.

Music conveys thoughts, feelings, dreams, and life experiences. Different tempos, instruments, and vocalists determine the melody, rhythm, and feeling of a musical piece... making it so music can alter our moods and our thoughts. Musical styles change from one small area in the world to another. Because of this music can mentally and emotionally transport us to another place in the world than where we actually are. Depending on my mood, I enjoy many different types of music. On the same note, a certain type of music can alter my mood. I love to dance, so music that motivates me to dance is my favorite. At other times, I want to feel calm and peaceful; for this I like piano music and nature sounds combined with instrumentals. I just feel happy thinking about all the great music!

I read an article from 1974 where Boyd K. Packer talks about music as a way to control one's thoughts. I've heard many times to use music to keep fear away or other negative thoughts, but apparently, I didn't apply this principle to myself as much as I could. Several months ago I learned that I have ruminating thoughts. As far as I can recognize in myself, I've always thought and thought and thought over things. I believed this was normal and could only mean that I'm smart to think through things thoroughly. But, nope, ruminating thoughts or thinking is deemed to be more of a compulsive behavior than healthy, smart thinking! As I read Packer's article, I realized that I can use music to inhibit ruminating about whatever in my mind. I was initially given a medication to "help" me not to ruminate, but I still ruminated; I quit the medication after a good try. If music can keep out thoughts that will taint our minds and spirits, then I'm confident music can help stop me from ruminating on things. I'm actually a little excited to try this!

Of course, President Packer advises us to choose wholesome, and even inspiring music to fill our minds and spirits. I've got plenty of that music as well. Packer tells of his brother's experience with music:
I have a brother who became a brigadier general in the Air Force. During World War II he was a bomber pilot and took part in some of the most dangerous and desperate raids in Europe. He returned to an assignment in Washington, D.C., about the time I finished pilot training in the same B-24 bombers and was heading for the Pacific. We had a day or two together in Washington before I left for overseas. We talked of courage and of fear. I asked how he had held himself together in the face of all that he had endured. He said, "I have a favorite hymn--'Come, Come, Ye Saints,' and when it was desperate, when there was little hope that we would return, I would keep that on my mind and it was as though the engines of the aircraft would sing back to me:
'Come, come, ye saints,
No toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you
This journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.'"
--Hymns, no. 13
From this he clung to faith, the one essential ingredient to courage