The healing power of music
by Ingrid Naiga
I propose a formal investigation must be carried out, to deduce what exactly about instruments, vocals, beats, adlibs, and any other musical arrangements; spark internal healing. From our ancestors till date, music and its adjacent features (dancing, celebration, culture), have represented the black experience.
Chants and folk songs, accompanied with folklore and legends; have been used as a means of informal education, usually narrated by elders. When I was little, every other Christmas, my grandparents organized a fireplace to tell my cousins and I, stories about our heritage. I looked forward to this time because, it was one of the few opportunities we had to commune as a family. Music was never without play, somewhere in the background. A lot of people I have encountered in my life, have been awestruck by my wide musical palette range.
If I get on the aux at any event, we will listen to everything, from Oliver N’goma to Don Kingdom. Music emits numerous beautiful waves and frequencies, delicate poetry in lyrics, clever punchlines hidden in adlibs – brilliance. I have had mental health related stress at different points in my life and, music carried me through without offering more than company. The tears I have cried while listening to affirming songs e.g., Adele’s Someone Like You, have felt like a warm hug and back rub, soothing my pain. The dancing I have danced too, healed my bones and the crevices of my body I didn’t even know felt pain. When Nelson Mandela met Lionel Ritchie, he thanked him for writing and composing the music he made. He shared how during his days in Robben Island prison, that music gave him hope to keep fighting in the struggle against apartheid. So, if you ask me, music heals and transforms for the greater good. Or at least, it carries those who will make the change they want to see.
I recently started paying a little more attention to the HipHop/Rap genre, what a vehicle for social change! Rappers place their experiences in their bars; if you listen with an open mind, the messages can be very powerful. Music is also very personal. I have playlists that will remain private until I decide otherwise. I think that’s why some people get mad when their music which they shared with 1 friend, is played around others. That’s how intimate it is. And I love that about it. If you’re having a bad day, slap on some of your favorite tracks, it will improve your spirits. I am a psychologist-in training, this has been proven in countless researches, so I’m not giving you quack lies. Enjoy a cold drink/hot, and play some music; it’s food for the soul!