Music effects my mood, as I'm sure it does to everyone else. Anytime I hear the right song, my mood will change instantly. If I hear the song "I can Only Imagine" by MercyMe I instantly tear up as it was the song played during my grandmothers funeral. It reminds me of the funeral home, the side show and the sadness that surrounded that day.
When "Yesterday" by The Beatles comes on, I start to think about when I'm sad; because when I'm sad, I listen to this song on repeat. I know that I should be listening to happy music to make my mood better, perhaps I should be listening to "Here Comes the Sun" which seems to always bring a smile to my face.
I agree with this, I feel the same way. Music definitely fits to moods--now there are even several online radio stations that have mood channels. I think you could add a little more description to the reasons you think these songs connect with you; get more in depth in regard to your grandmother (or the mood you were in in that memory) and what makes your mood sad about "Yesterday"?
ReplyDelete"get more in depth in regard to your grandmother (or the mood you were in in that memory) and what makes your mood sad about "Yesterday"?"
ReplyDeleteMary said almost exactly what I was going to say. I think this is really good but the yesterday part would be a great place to show me what resonates with you as a person, and more detail about the funeral would make this so much more intimate and relateable. Force that side show on me until I feel your sadness too!
I really enjoyed this, but I would love to know more. Why does "Here Comes the Sun" bring a smile to your face? Why do you listen to "Yesterday" when you're sad? I think more detail and explanation would add to this essay, since it would help us to understand how and why these songs impact your emotions.
ReplyDeleteBeing a Beatles fan myself, I can easily relate to your song choices. "Here Comes the Sun" is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and the cheery, up-beat melody always puts me in a great mood. I've always associated the sun with feelings of hope and happiness, so I typically love any song with lyrics referencing the sun.
I also agree with Mary and Matt, and I would love to know more about your grandmother in this essay.
In 2006, my wife's uncle passed away. He loved The Beatles--maybe more than most, though love of Beatles is much like love of pizza and puppies in its near-universality--and so two Beatles' songs played at his wake. They were "In My Life" and "Here Comes the Sun." The effect of this was odd. I kept circling in and out of the room with the speakers and felt different emotions--first, the emotional release, then the happy kind of emotional release; then the repetition seemed absurdly funny; then kinda sad; then I got ashamed because I realized that I'd probably overstayed my welcome at the wake; then I wondered if he would have wanted "Here Comes the Sun" to play. Then I thought about how uplifting a choice that was.
DeleteAnyway, Kayla, can you include more of those sorts of associations? It seems you're drawn to emotional moments that are overpowering, and that you're struggling to show us the tiny bits of those moments that we will be able to imagine ourselves into. So, by all means, expand!
DW
I know why Kayla listens to "Yesterday" when she's sad: remember her essay about the breakup? While I saw the connection, as a stand-alone essay, you don't have a reason for it, as the others pointed out. I would suggest focusing entirely on "I Can Only Imagine" and your grandma's funeral and really dive into some feeling. Also, "Here Comes the Sun" is a GREAT song.
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