The year 2020 just keeps kicking us while we're down, and it doesn't seem like there are any clear answers in sight. COVID-19 has shifted the world into a "new normal", but of course there is nothing normal about it.
The turmoil of the world is certainly scary, and it's causing a lot of stress and anxiety to us human beings here on the surface. The internet is giving us all a greater awareness of all the problems and issues we face, and it can be very overwhelming.
Social media and the 24 hour news cycle turns us all into dopamine junkies. We are running around in search of our next hit, and the tolerance for the extreme stories in the media leads to a search more salacious "click-bait", causing both a spiral into misinformation and depression.
What can we do? Sloooooooowwww doooowwwwwn. Look inward. Listen to your own voice for a change, instead of all the talking heads on the news.
Not to be confused with Talking Heads, the band from 1975. David Byrne and his crew are always a good listen.
Kids ask your parents.
All joking aside...
You may ask yourself...how did I get here? (Okay one more joke). While music may not be able to save the world, it can dramatically help with your mental stress. Any good musician knows that music requires immense focus and concentration. It's very difficult to think about the state of the world while practicing your craft.
Music acts as a medium for processing emotions, trauma, and grief—but music can also be utilized as a regulating or calming agent for anxiety. The occupation of a Music Therapist is based around this philosophy.
Everyone inherently knows music is great for calming your mood. When you listen to a great song, it takes you back to that time in place when you heard it. It smooooths you out, relaxes you, releases the feel good chemicals in your brain.
When playing music, you influence the emotion of yourself and the people around you. All you have to do to see this in action is play 2 notes that don't sound good together, and watch the scowls cross over the land.
Let's all be a force for good, and be kind to one another. Crank up your favorite song and ride. For those about to rock...I salute you.
A reminder to all the dear people of the world:
This world still brims with so much goodness and possibility. So many beautiful, amazing things to see and do:
Love, kindness, music, ice cream, sand castles, Jamaican accents, pizza, finding the other sock when you thought it was lost, Will Farrell movies, puppies, relaxing in a hammock, I could go on and on...
One of those beautiful things is you. Whoever you are, wherever you are, I'm sending all the love I can your way. Don't ever give up! It's time to string up our guitars and dig in.
Wow! I'm lovin it so far Nick. And amazing site to behold and I wish you well. As for me, well, I am yet still a grasshopper and my progress, though very slow, is still moving forward. I practice when I can and am looking ahead to new strings to play in harmony. Chords go together with less effort and my speed is improving. Hoping to get a new Alvarez guitar soon cuz I think I'm being limited by the one I'm using now. We'll see.