Just a Song Sunday: Music for the Sake of Music

This past week, I've left my iPod at work rather than taking it home with me. As a result, I don't have my usual commuting accompaniment to go with my 52 mile drive. I have had to rely on the one thing that is always somewhere in my car - my CD case.

I always have CDs in my car. I like making CDs in the tradition of the mix tape. I put my favorites on a CD and then enjoy those musical preferences when I need them. Some folks criticize my playlists. There are times when the music changes abruptly and listeners are startled by the change in music elements. It is not uncommon to go from Fanfare for the Common Man to The Locomotion to something from the Muppets in one of my playlists. I choose music based on how I feel about it rather than on whether it makes musical sense to have this song follow that one.

I am a bit more intentional when it comes to making playlists for my clients, by the way. I do spend more time arranging the music for specific purposes with an eye towards the elements of music and the people that I want to engage in music therapy. For myself, however, that consideration goes out of the window. I choose what I like - that is the simplest of all considerations - preference.

I've been revisiting the songs that I preferred over the past 20 years this past couple of days. It amazes me how many songs I loved and still enjoy but haven't thought about in ages. There are songs that bring up memories of specific clients who asked for the same songs over and over. There are songs that illustrate events in my life. There are still others that I can no longer listen to - my preferences have changed for some reason or another.

I have enjoyed singing along to my favorites. I have enjoyed spending time enveloped in music. It is not my usual practice - I often cannot tolerate more music after a long, loud day, but there are times when I need to have that music around me. 

Today, I have made several new CDs for my collection. I will take the discs into work for my clients to use when I am not present. I will take the songs that I like and arrange them into playlists for my clients and for myself. I will continue to make CDs to help me out (streaming just doesn't work the way I need it to work in my music therapy clinic) when electronics just don't cooperate. I will listen to those CDs during my commutes and during sessions.

For the moment, I am immersing myself in the music of Luke Bryan. He's the Musician of the Month (shh, don't tell my students), and I want to do some songwriting TMEs with my older students. I am learning one of his songs to sing with clients, and I learn my music much faster with a visual source and the auditory source. I'm not sure that I will like his music any better after spending some time with it, but I need to learn this song in order to complete my TME, so off I go!

In the meantime, I'll be spending some time listening to the music that I love. Revisiting old favorites and listening for some new ones.