Coping with Music

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Since I write music I'm naturally curious about other people's taste in music and other such things and thus I'm curious about how you guys feel about music.  Do any of you listen to music to try to help improve your mood when you're perhaps depressed?  Is it mood appropriate and depressing when you're depressed or is it the exact opposite?  Myself, I find that listening to music that is appropriate to the mood helps the most instead of listening to the exact opposite.

[rogelio63]

What in interesting thread,,I seem to be different,,who isn't right?  When I get depressed, unfortunately I listen to music that seems to drive me further into depression.  It's a shovel for me, digging me deeper into a pit.  I am a musician as well, playing celtic, folk and bluegrass.  The Irish fiddle tune, "Border Widow" used to have almost tactile blackness to it for me.  The Irish ballad, "Sean O'Dwyer", almost the same. It's almost as if the minor keys are poison.  The minor tunings on a appalachian dulcimer are like brain candy for melancholia.  I've grown up playing this kind of music.  I play other kinds too.  "Little Wing" as played by Stevie Ray Vaughn is almost diagnostic for on oncoming depression.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Brian Wilson is also another musician I know of off the top of my head who has schizoaffective disorder.

[seeker289]

I find that if I listen to music it will change my mood, or at the very least improve my mood.  Izstrange mentioned Blue October and I have ALWAYS enjoyed their music.  After doing some research I learned that the lead singer Justin Furstenfeld is bipolar.  

[ILADVOCATE]

Actually Nick Blinko has schizoaffective. Strange fact but true. He has his own website with his art work as well. I don't know if creativity is a part of bipolar as people say but there must be some connection.

[Snakenstein]

Rudimentary peni all the time! The morose beats work well when im feeling down, and the fact that I love it so much works when in happy too, Nick Blinko puts so much emotion into it. It makes me want to create! (So I usually just start drawing and it distracts me) And old Nick Cave feels like a dream when i'm feeling a little more hyper (When he was doing The Birthday Party) :333. Sometimes I listen to Kommunity FK (Close one Sad Eye) when my mood is low too. And yeah, depressing music always helps when your depressed. Maybe its because you feel like your being understood? Someone is feeling the same way you do.

[zzzmykids]

I imagine you are very talented! I have an early 1900 Steinway "Upright Grand" and don't play a note! I can write poetry when super depressed.  BUT you, my funny cone friend must really have no idea how good you are, as your friend does with his music.
Neither daughters write, but both sing like crazy.  One was in all girl band that played their own music and has worked in the studio as the only white chick on all original gospel music.  The other leads worship.  What they would give to write music! Oldest daughter from 3 to 6 was the youngest pupil of Charles Lewis, a jazz composer and performer in mainly the Scottsdale, Az area.  Loved listening to him and his band.  Would love to listen to your music. God gave you a precious gift, know you are special and you can soothe the hearts of many with your music.  zzz

[izstrange]

Almost anything by Blue October. Some of my favorites are "A quite mind," "H.R.S.A," and "Chameleon Boy."

[LexiFaye]

Oh I couldn't sleep (racing stress thoughts) and thinking of music is perfect to maybe soothe me.

-Mad World - Gary Jules and Michael Andrews: Melancholy
-The Resolution - Jack's Mannequin (which he wrote about surviving lukemia): Need a lift up
-Anything by Staind. I feel like he writes songs for me and me life. Especially It's Been A While.
-Angels on The Moon - Thriving Ivory: Just lets me sing something out.
-Whats Up - 4 Non Blondes: Strength. I survived rape the night I sang that song karaoke. Took me a year to hear it again and when I did I felt empowered.
Lastly, probably no one knows Patrick Park. I used to know him, he's bigger in California. But his song Honest Skrew is a comforting song. Dunno why.

I was just thinking about how much music affects me. I balled my eyes out when Michael Jackson died. He was a childhood friend to me because of his music. Thanks for this posting! I love music, and I love talking about it.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

I have a physical MIDI controller keyboard and it's touch sensitive so it works pretty good in combination with the East/West Quantum Leap Symphony Orchestra Silver Edition's Steinway Model B piano or my Fender Rhodes patch that although is free it still sounds just like a Rhodes piano.

I notice if I try to listen to upbeat music when I'm depressed it just annoys me and makes my mood worse so I'll listen to stuff such as the more depressing songs by Pink Floyd or songs such as Gimmie Shelter by The Rolling Stones have a note structure which makes me get depressed for some reason and I have to usually avoid them when I'm not depressed.

I also like the music my friend makes, give it a listen.  He unlike me has the self-esteem to think his work is good, which it is of course.  http://eternalinfamy.com/

[ILADVOCATE]

Perhaps you could share a bit more about your own music and what you play? I've ran into many people who composed music or were singer/songwriters on the poetry scene as both tend to perform in the same places. I have a virtual analog keyboard synth and on the first day of the Clonidine patch application can compose (at home mostly). Same with playing classical piano and my mother owns a Steinway. All this is a rarity though but its great to hear about other people's creativity and see it live as well.

[ILADVOCATE]

I enjoy all forms of jazz. That can carry across mood and take me out of both mania and depression as its just even keel. My grandfather was just passed on played in the big bands in the 40's but I like everything from Charlie Parker and Miles Davis and John Coltrane up to anything modern as long as its not smooth jazz. If it has at least somewhat of an edge to it it takes me out of my shell.

[Bluetwo]

Music sooths the soul.
I love listening to progressive jazz to settle me out.
If I want to get moving I listen what my kids like or go to my favorite 80's songs.

When I was in my depressed moods when I was younger in my 20's I would waddle in my misery with depressive songs.
Pink Floyd is a real downer!

[Twelvesgirl]

This is not music of the man-made album type but of the nature made type...I had a very hard, very depressive day yesterday...I'm not sure what was wrong, I was just very off. We planted trees (a mini weeping willow for me right in the corner of my yard) and I potted flowers and a plant that reminded me of Dr. Suess, just trying to bring my mood up. Nothing worked. Kids in bed, all is quiet, I went outside in my yard and sat. I opened up my mind and let it go, I let all of that chaos go to work, and instead of thinking about a million different things, I could hear every single noise in my neighborhood. It was completely amazing, the birds were all singing different songs and they seemed to all be singing to me, the CHAOS TUNE that I heard was so fitting to to my "normal" frame of mind. Eventually I fell asleep and was woke by my startled husband wondering what the h*ll I was doing sleeping in the backyard!!!!

[LetaB]

Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child
I am a Poor, Wayfaring Stranger
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

     These Negro spirituals tell the same story as I. I sing them to myself all the time.

[zzzmykids]

You should listen to windham hills music for the  folk stuff and any and all peruvian music without vocals.
I had the luxury of growing up hearing  piano played twice a day.  My mom was a concert pianist, church organist and lover of all music.  I miss it greatly.  I think she was the best musician in the world.  Oh and transposing on the spot was her thing.
Lol, when I bring,  her up here, if my piano is not tuned she gets angry and won't play at all...guess the hearing can go but not the perfect pitch!

You can query andes/peruvian instrumental music and come up with quite a few spots.
Again, I am the nerd in the crowd in here, love classical, broadway musicals, piano, opera, old hyms and todays artists that are instrumental.

I do like word songs sometimes but it takes me away from the place I am mentally enjoying.
Good Topic!!!
zzzmykids

[rmoore]

I know what you mean.  When I'm depressed I listen to music that makes me more depressed!  Sheesh!  Usually it's Celtic,,old Irish ballads.  There's this one fiddle tune called, "Border Widow" that I used to turn off the lights and listen to when I was a teen,no words to it,,but I would just marinate in this hog wallow of depression and go deeper and deeper until I would be actually tearing up.  I still do that to some extent.  But now I know that I have to avoid certain songs or tunes when I feel depressed.
Because I'm a folk musician, my "up" tunes can be just about anything, except of course the old Irish ballads.

[anninwashington]

I must add Bach's Brandenburg Concertos makes my brain feel healthy.  Just know its firing on all nerve ends and calibrated right when I listen to the concertos....

Usta hear full symphony playing and realize I was listening to the music in my head.  Not playing as much violin, and have not experienced that in years.....

[velvetvenus]

i used to write lyrics and play a little guitar back in the day. don't have much inspiration lately. but i love love love music! soooo theraputic. my favorites:
disturbed-sickness and get psycho
motley crue-just another psycho
killswitch engage, korn, eminem when manic or irritable
melallica-sanitarium and anything anytime! metallica rocks!
also like some punk like my chemical romance
without music i would be lost and very alone!  i stick to my favorites like disturbed and metallica no matter what mood i'm in. the others vary, i even like nelly some.

[zzzmykids]

Guess veggie tale songs are out! lol
Velveteen Rabbit music by George Winston and naration by Meril Streep was the best to send kids to bed on...um and the tired parents.
Purple Rain and any music by one of the best musicians still alive Prince is great.
the music score in Wicked, Les Miserables and a little in Phantom are good.
The guy who wrote it is well with my soul was not bp. He lost everything and at a point of pondering, where his wife and daughters had gone down in international waters in a steam liner after so much pain and loss, he wrote one of the most moving hymns....look it up.

Ok, Patsy Cline's Crazy for loving you is great.  I like the Beatles, yellow submarine for just jumping around to it.
I must be a nerd, I prefer dark poetry but soothing, comforting and mainly mellow music unless cleaning the house...then it is peruvian music!

zzzmykids

[farraway]

Well it's your string!  
You requested our music favourites......so aren't you supposed to keep us updated??  
You can compensate me with a song sometime!

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Shouldn't I have done what and where do you send your account for what?

[farraway]

So, the list so far is:

Afroman                       Because I got High
Beatles                       Nowhere Man
Elbow                       Beautiful Day
Bruce Springsteen       Dancing In The Dark
Coldplay                       What if....
Dido                         See the Sun Again
Eva Cassidy               Somewhere over the Rainbow
Gary Moore               Parisian Walkways
Rufus Wainright               Hallelujah
James Blunt               All the Lost Souls
Jeff Buckley               Hallelujah
Joe Cocker               Talking Back to the Night
Joe Satriani               Crushing Day
Katy Melua               Closest thing to Crazy
Keane                       Bedshaped
Loser                       Beck
Madonna                       This is Who I Am
Napoleon's Ghost       Take Me Away!
Niles Barkley               Crazy
Patsy Cline               Crazy
Pink Floyd                       Comfortably Numb
Prince                       Purple Rain
Sarah McLaughlin       Manic Obsession
Simon & Garfunkel       Bridge over Troubled Water

Just love Gary Moore, Katy Melua & Kean! - Thanks!
Corlenbelspar, shouldn't you have done this?  Where do I send my account?

[bernie40]

OMG how weird is that!  I was just thinking of Chrissy yesterday evening and went on youtube to find "brass in pocket" - after I'd sung it to my husband to find out the title, lol.  That was when she was "The Pretenders".

[anninwashington]

every heard of the Mood Swings, a Chrissy Hynes band back in the 90s I think....