Music Soothes the Savage Beast of Grief

Joy returned to me six months after my brother’s death. It arrived linking arms with music. The movie Bohemian Rhapsody was in theaters, and my husband and I went on a date night. The film had been in talks for many years, and it was something my brother and I had discussed. We shared a love of music, especially the signature anthem of our youth culture: rock and roll.  The movie soundtrack stirred memories, reminiscences of youth and excitement and invincibility. It was a welcome reprieve from my current state of mourning that included thoughts of aging and despair and vulnerability. I pulled out old CDs and danced through the upcoming days to the soundtrack of my youth. I felt alive and joyful and my head was filled with blessed memories rather than the traumatic ones of the preceding months. I was connecting to my brother through hi-fi. In the summer of 1982 my older brother took me to a Queen concert. We told our parents that we were going camping, which we did quite frequently, so it was an excuse they didn’t question. In reality, we were headed out of state. We drove with the windows down and the cassette music turned up. It was a time of innocence and adventure. The future lay before us and we were driving headlong into it. The music of Queen stirred up memories of that time of our lives when possibilities were limitless, and we lived joyfully in the moment. Fast forward to this Christmas. I received a turntable from my husband, and my parents unearthed my childh...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Family Grief and Loss Personal American Music Therapy Association Bereavement Cancer grieving Neuroscience Source Type: blogs