Name a favorite song that makes you happy when you hear it.
I get happy when I hear Billy Currington's " Swimmin' in Sunshine " because it makes me think of sunshine, the beach and being young.
Likewise, Billy Dean's " Billy the Kid " reminisces about the kids we all used to be and keep somewhere inside ourselves.
" Kokomo " by the Beach Boys takes me away to travel in my mind.
For me, the commercialization of personal music listening devices has produced a connection to music that I lacked for a long time. It's allowed me to connect with the likes of MGMT , Gloriana , Kingston and Chester Bay .
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Music has increasingly been recognized at health centers in the United States for its effect on the human psyche, and even healing power. For me, it relaxes, energizes (depending on the song) and is just plain fun.
At Mayo Clinic, as an example of music's impact, song has been integrated into the patient-care cycle. Patients can stop in Mayo's Gonda Building lobby in Rochester and catch a variety of songs and methods of producing them, from voice to piano , bells and spinning clackers.
When Marlow and Frances Cowen played a duet at the clinic's Gonda Building , the joy of that moment spread far and wide. Can you think of a song that makes you squirm in your car seat whenever you hear the intro because you like it so much?
That's got to have a powerful impact on a person's emotional health. As of Nov. 9, there have been 7.8 million views of the Cowen video, which reminds us how powerful a simple act by a couple — or an individual — can be.
Whether your taste in music stems from faith , popular rock , childhood enchantment , county-fair rock , harmony or fiddle , there's music out there to bring comfort , including vibratory rhythm cranked for those who are hard of hearing or deaf.
While I don't have proof that music heals wounds in the real world, like a laser can in a science-fiction movie, it triggers dreams and memories, makes me smile and takes my mind to stress-free moments. That makes me happy.
So my advice is find your favorite song today — and play it a dozen times. Just because.
