Soundtrack to Your Life
The powerful role music plays in our everyday lives
Do you remember the first time you watched a title sequence from one of the original Star Wars films? An arrestingly loud, triumphant B-flat major chord, followed by a rousing brass fanfare, ushers in the famous scrolling synopsis of the plot. Now try reimagining one of those same opening scenes, but deprived of the classic John Williams score. The excitement, anticipation and sense of wonder all but vanish, proving in this case that while the play’s the thing, it’s the music that captures our consciousness and girds us for the story about to unfold.
If we think about it, there is a unique “soundtrack” in progress for each of us, comprising the sum total of our lifetime exposure to music. This includes the events in which we have participated that feature music—concerts, weddings, church services, graduation ceremonies and holiday parties, to name a few. Music is integral to those experiences, and fundamentally shapes our memories of them.
But what about music’s role in our everyday lives, especially given the recent curtailment of social gatherings? Here we are able to determine the selections to include in our soundtrack, with a virtually unlimited opportunity to curate songs to accompany us in our activities or to listen to intently while relaxing.
Engaging with music can be done without much thought or, by contrast, with intentionality. The more attention we give to shaping our musical experiences, the greater the rewards. In addition, music offers a balance to other activities that can quickly consume our free time, providing a much-appreciated alternative to TV, social media, web surfing and the like. Anytime we need an escape from mundane reality, music is waiting for us.
We know from extensive research that listening to music offers numerous health benefits. We also know that our brains are wired for music, and our state of mind can be readily influenced by what we are hearing. Feeling lethargic? Some upbeat music could be a great alternative to caffeine and provide that motivation you were having trouble summoning. Music can also provide much needed self-therapy in times of grief and sadness, and facilitate experiences of transcendence and spirituality.
Music also repays deeper study. Spending a lot of time with a particular piece of music or studying a composer’s works in detail allows for greater appreciation and understanding. Maybe you want to discover what the Beatles were up to before they became famous, or would like to explore Brahms’ four symphonies. You might decide to broaden your horizons and check out something completely unknown.
Or perhaps you just want to be surprised and randomly shuffle through a pre-existing playlist from an online music service such as Spotify. As your soundtrack expands throughout your lifetime, you will be creating a trove of musical memories that you can conjure as well as re-experience.
As you create the daily soundtrack to your life, it’s comforting to know that you are in control of the means to achieve your goals at any particular moment. It’s all up to you, and perhaps you will manage to assemble, in due course, an epic soundtrack that would impress even John Williams.
Pianist, instructor and musicologist Erik Entwistle received an undergraduate degree in music from Dartmouth College. He earned a post-graduate degree in piano performance at Washington University in St. Louis and his doctorate in musicology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He teaches on Sanibel Island.