Independent of the events with the election last week, I wanted to write about the impact music can have not only on individuals, but on many people. Music matters very much to me. In times when I feel down, hopeless, stressed, (and the list goes on), I turn to music; not even to escape my feelings, but more so to process and embrace them.
We are so often told to be brave, be strong, pretend we're ok so that we can toughen up and learn to deal with any kind of scenario we are presented it. While that's all very good, I took a look at the other side of a scenario like that, and I realized that it's also perfectly acceptable, and even encouraged, to show your emotions, no matter what they are. Whether you are happy, sad, angry, expressing those emotions instead of bottling them up is so much more healthy and valuable, if you do it in a way that expresses positivity.
When I heard the results of the election, I did cry. Then I cried some more. Then I felt angry, betrayed, and all of these negative emotions briefly consumed me. Now, I feel empowered, ready to work, ready to do my part to make a change.
But I wouldn't have gotten to that point if I hadn't allowed myself to be angry, confused, and upset. I would have had to bottle those emotions up and shut them away, acting as though they didn't even exist. People kept saying to me, "Get over it" or "What's done is done, there's nothing we can do about it."
Nothing we can do about it?
Really?
I beg to differ.
As musicians, I actually feel that it is up to us to continue the forward motion of positive change through our voices and our instruments; through our songs, our craft. When something happens in our world that makes me feel certain strong emotions, my first instinct is to write a song; then to play that song, sing that song over and over again until I really feel the meaning of the words; then share that song with others, try to reach out to people, to make a difference and positively affect someone else.
We cannot be told to hide our emotions. We cannot be told to give up and accept what is reality, and just live with it. Yes, of course we have to live with it, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop fighting for what we truly believe in, for the kind of world we want to live in. It doesn't mean that we should settle for less than what we deserve.
Be kind to each other. Be loving. Be supportive. Express yourself and let others do the same. Don't dampen anyone's attempt to bring about positive change. And always remember that music has the potential to do so much more than we give it credit. So keep on making it. :)
