When my environment gets noisy I put on my headphones and listen to the music playlist that I have. I just love the songs that I have found and they mean so much to me.
Why am I sharing this? As a Highly Sensitive Person, it has a few drawbacks but also some wonderful advantages. It is easy for me to get lost in music, works of art, or different kinds of culture. I have never taken drugs, but music has such an immediate and extreme effect I have to imagine that taking drugs would be similar. I can feel tired or whatever and the moment that I listen to a song I love, I feel energy and happiness. It is incredible how it can shift my mood and perceptions.
I have seen music have this effect on others. I once went with a friend to a concert and although I liked some of the songs of the band my friend was a big fan. His entire mood changed and was very happy. I am glad he was happy but the overwhelming volume was difficult for me to bear and I didn’t enjoy the concert as much as he did. The next concert I went to I had earplugs and it was much more enjoyable and less stressful.
The money that we pay artists in exchange for happiness/enjoyment is not fair. I have always felt that artists should get 99% of the profits from media sales and also additional opportunities to directly send them money. There is music that changes who you are as a person, and just listening to it is a privilege. For example, I had a mentor who suggested that I would enjoy the Bach Bradenberg concertos and she was right. They are incredible. I remember first listening to them and the joy that I felt like my heart might burst from my chest. The surprise, the complexity is something that I always treasure. I still enjoy those songs and more, and I don’t understand how people can not enjoy things that are so creative and surprising.
Music is magic no matter its history. I think R&B, rap, and many other genres have compelling songs as well. As a kid, the album Thriller is something that I almost wore out the tape. It is an incredible work of art, and at the time I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. When you listen to something and it helps make you stronger, or a better person that is incredible. Do things that make you stronger over time. For me, listening to music has made me stronger over time. It has enabled me to understand to empathize with human people.