Episode 209: Press Play: The Soundtrack of Life as a Caregiver

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Show Transcript

The other day I came across a type of music I’ve never really listened to before. I was searching for Portuguese  podcasts to help me learn the new language and after listening to a few min of them I got bored. So I looked for music in Portuguese and I don’t know if it’ll be any help but it is really fun to listen to. 

I use music to enhance or change my mood. If I’m in a hospital waiting room I’ll listen to something calm to counteract the anxiety. If I need to feel motivated I’ll listen to something that’ll pump me up. 

So it made me wonder what soundtrack do you live with? 

Music creates emotions and can bring back memories. I grew up in Philadelphia during the summer that the Song “Summertime” became a hit. I was in HighSchool and all of my friends knew the words instantly. When I hear it now it brings me back to riding in the car with the kid I would marry years later just enjoying life. 

I have trouble with piano music even though I love playing the piano. I can never use it as background music when I teach yoga. For some reason it makes me feel sad in an uncomfortable way. 

When I was little, and the original Hulk TV show would come one, I’d hide under a blanket until the music finished. The sharp notes just hit me hard.

Most of us have a certain reaction to music. 

Sometimes the music stops.

When my husband was diagnosed with cancer I could never listen to the radio when I was in my car. I didn’t sing. I never hummed. Everything fell silent for a long while. Almost as if my brain couldn’t process anymore input then it already had. 

Yet, I have dozens of Cds I listened to non-stop when my daughter was little that bring me back to that early period of motherhood I loved so much. I don’t actually have a CD player anymore so I probably should pass them on but letting go can be a topic for later.

What role has music played for you in your life… and how has it changed now that you’re a caregiver?

Where you in a choir? Do you light up when someone mentions karaoke?

Is there a band that defined your teenage years?

Do you travel around the world to see the one artist you can’t get enough of?

Music sets the tone that’s why you don’t hear a pop song playing during a funeral scene. The music in movies and TV shows are carefully selected to tell you how the director wants you to feel. It gives you permission to think a certain way about a character or an event they created to tell you a story. 

We can’t really get away from music. It’s playing almost everywhere. In fact if I walk into a store and there isn’t anything playing in the background it gives the store a weird feeling for me until I realize it’s because it’s dead silent. 

Music can make us feel. You can feel free while we sing at the top of our lungs in our cars. Hoping no one will notice. It can make you feel sad because the words feel a little too personal. Maybe it encourages you to go a little bit longer or a little bit harder. There might even be a song you play to feel a little bit more brave. 

Most of the time you may feel music is fun. It makes you smile. It allows you to forget how difficult caregiving may feel at the time. It provides and opportunity to connect with the people around you who are also experiencing the song. It allows you to be in the moment… for just a moment. It’s tricky because most times music creates a sense of happiness that you might not think you’re allowed to feel. 

Just like a horror movie can switch to a lighter tone to create some comic relief after an intense scene… changing your soundtrack can create shifts in your mood as well. 

What soundtrack do you live with right now? If we were to watch a movie of your day today what would the tone be? 

The beauty is if that isn’t the soundtrack you’d like to live with you can always change it. 

Did it used to feel good to sing but you can’t remember the last time you sand a song? Find that song you used to love… cue it up on your phone and sing! See how it feels. 

Did you love to dance but haven’t had an opportunity to go out with friends to dance again and you don’t feel like there’s a reason to do it alone in your home? Find that club playlist and put it on while you’re in the kitchen. No pressure, just let the music move you. 

You don’t have to pull out your old CDs… because we both know that will never happen. You can find all of that music on a music streaming service or even on Youtube for free. 

You can use music as a way to allow you to feel things you’ve been trying to hold back. Just like watching a movie that you know will make you cry the same can be done with music. 

It just has a way of making you more aware of yourself. Listening to music, singing and dancing are all ways to express yourself, live in the moment, let go of some of the stress you live with. 

You have the choice to listen to music in you home, on your headphones when you go for a walk or just while you take a shower. 

It makes things feel a little more special, fun, intentional and luxurious. 

We can create magical fun moments with our loved ones through the use of music. Connect with them and laugh a little. There’s nothing sweeter than sharing a song with a person you love. 

Music is all around us. You can control it whenever you want. You can choose the soundtrack you want to live in any moment. 

All you have to do is press play.

Thanks for listening.