Four old hippies drivin’ in the rain
I asked for a lift – they said:
Get used to the pain
They gonna fix the weather in the world
Just like Mr. Gore said
But tell me what’s to be done
Lord – ’bout the weather in my head
(Donald Fagan – Weather in My Head)
I was up early at Starbucks today. The morning crew had the music set at night time level and this came on. I had to smile.
It sums up the problem. We can’t do anything about the weather outside but our internal weather is our dilemma. Fortunately we have more control over that.
I haven’t talked much about music here yet, on purpose. It would be too easy for me to fall into the details of production or insider information about artists. It would be entertaining but it wouldn’t matter much.
Music itself, however, matters.
This is easy for me to forget, having swum in an ocean of music for most of my life. For music professionals it can easily become a science experiment or a money machine. If you push the right buttons you could get millions.
But the real advantages of listening to music are many. One of my favorites is music’s ability to change the weather in my head.
I was driving into work one morning with a hundred things on my mind. Inside my brain was a thunderstorm of thoughts. I was heading to Omnisound to record some new material from one of my favorite songwriters. Freelancing means changing studios constantly and they are all different. I was going over mic inputs and outboard gear while trying to remember the API console patch bay layout. Layered on top of that were worries about medical bills, insurance and life in general.
Then a song came on.
The radio had been playing in the background when a song I’d never heard grabbed my subconscious attention. I was trying hard to focus on my day while getting some first class worrying done when my foot began to tap.
By the end of the first chorus I was singing harmony to the infectious hook line. Then the air drums on the steering wheel started. Soon I was smiling and had forgotten all about worrying.
And this from a jaded music pro. I was in a good mood for the rest of the day. Internal weather – sunny skies.
Music has the power to reach right past your logical mind and grab your emotions. Considering the things that occupy our brains, this is a wonderful thing.
So, cue up your favorite playlist, turn it up and make your own weather!
Photo by theaucitron via Flickr
