Musical Medicine

Article By Caydan Veltman, University Union Editorial Board Writer | Photo By Grant Sneor 

Midterm season showed up at our doorstep pretty quickly this year. In the blink of an eye every student on campus became jam-packed with an overload of work, tests and projects that seemed like they would never end. With stress levels getting higher, being able to decompress in a healthy way is so essential. One of those ways is through music. Everyone has their own music taste, but what do we tune into when we just need to tune out? Does music really help us destress?

I struggle with anxiety daily while living with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and music is an easy and effective way for me to deal with it. 

A song that will always bring me a sense of peace when my anxiety is high is “I Been Young” by George Clanton. I was introduced to this song two summers ago when I was at a low point in my life. A good friend of mine showed me Clanton and I found a new genre because of it. I used to listen to the lyrics to drown out the noise in my head, but when I listen to the lyrics today,  I instead reflect on how far I’ve come since then. That’s the cool part about music: the reason we listen to a specific song might change at different points in our lives and might provoke different emotions.

Everyone has a different song that brings that emotion out, so I sat down with some of the students and staff at Syracuse University to hear about what those songs are for them. 

I spoke to a junior at Syracuse who has struggled with anxiety and OCD most of their life. At times it can be so debilitating that even the simplest of tasks can become a daunting challenge. As a guitarist and vocalist in multiple bands, they refer to music as, “both work and the break afterwards,” or, in other words, music serves as both a way to support themselves and an escape from the stress that comes with that. Their go-to song is “Helpless Child” by Swans, a song that got them through some of the darkest points in their life. Today, they still love the song, but try to listen in a new way to find a new meaning. Music can be utilized in other ways as well: to feel happy, get a quick burst of energy, or go to sleep. It’s a tool and a healthy alternative to other methods of helping ourselves. When asked if they consistently use music as a way to decompress and ground themselves, they added, “It’s not the only thing I use music for, but it has been more helpful than Zoloft [has been] over the years.”

“It's not the only thing i use music for, but it has been more helpful than Zoloft [has been] over the years” - Student 26’

Every generation has their own music choices that resonate with them in a special way. Students and staff can have a totally different way of using music based on the decade they grew up in. One of my professors told me that, “[music] is a means of getting emotions out that I had a hard time expressing otherwise.” They had a rough childhood growing up and never had an effective way of dealing with built up anger and sadness, which led them to turn to the hardcore punk scene of the early 2000s. One of their favorite songs is “Love Hurts” by Roy Orbison – which is a huge contrast to their other tastes.

Albums tell stories through music while songs express small pieces of them. That is why some choose to listen to a whole album to decompress when times are tough and stress levels are high. The deeper message behind an album creates a strong nostalgia that can bring someone back to the first time they listened to it, allowing them to use it to find a place of comfort. For my professor, that album is “...To the Beat of a Dead Horse” by Touché Amore. The album is powerful for them and triggers a series of emotions from anger to grief, then despair.  

Some use music to take a step back when life is overwhelming, indulging in its ability to help us see the bigger picture. How many times do we find ourselves with so many tasks and sudden changes in our lives, to the point where we simply can’t take anymore? We shut down. Another student I talked to explained that music gives them an “all things shall pass” feeling that calms them down and allows them to take control back when their anxiety spikes. They explained, “It helps me calm down and sit in a moment because a lot of times I can’t sit in the present… when I am feeling really numb, it allows me to feel emotions through others' production.” Specifically, the song “Trees & Flowers (extended)” by Strawberry Switchblade has consistently reminded them that this too shall pass. 

“It helps me calm down and sit in a moment because a lot of times I can’t sit in the present… when I am feeling really numb, it allows me to feel emotions through others' production.” - Student 26’

Music helps release the emotional build up we have when stress becomes too overbearing. The power of sound allows us to leave our head in times of struggle and just disconnect from what is bugging us at the time. They say music is the universal language, and they aren’t wrong. No matter where you come from or what you have experienced, music opens our minds to revisit distant memories, good and bad. But that is the great part about it, everyone has different songs or albums that they form unique connections to, yet they still yield the same results: alleviation of pain.

I think the best part about listening to tunes is the comfortability it can bring us. How many times do you pick a song and find yourself revisiting a memory that reminds you of home, a place of ease? 

There is a unique, warm feeling you get when that one song comes on. This is how a student feels when they listen to “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young.  When asked what exactly it is about this song that provokes such a feeling, they said, “There is just something about older folk/rock music that feels very comfortable… something that is known that can take you back to a time when you were younger. [It] allows me to feel like I’m home again.”

“There is just something about older folk-rock music that feels very comfortable… something that is known that can take you back to a time when you were younger. [It] allows me to feel like I'm home again” - Student 26’

Your mental health matters and popping in some headphones and closing your eyes for a bit is one of those ways so many release their stress. Do not forget to give yourself breaks when things get tough. Life is about balance. Give yourself some grace and know that you will get through whatever you are dealing with. 

<3 

Caydan

Check out the songs!

Harvest Moon - Neil Young 

Helpless Child - Swans 

Love Hurts - Roy Orbison 

Trees & Flowers (extended) - Strawberry SwitchBlade 

I been Young - George Clanton

Cover photo artwork by Grant Sneor