Music. Just the word brings me joy and lightens my mood. What about for you?
When the World Seems Heavy…
I’m thinking sometimes we need something light, something just simple and fun. This may be what some might call a fluff piece, because we all need a little fluff sometimes. Sometimes we just need a light, airy, inconsequential respite to read. One that doesn’t remind us, or make us be so introspective, or challenge the status quo.
Something we can just relax into and enjoy for the sake of being in that moment. Something that can help us make peace with the present.
I know this time of year sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Or any time of year, for that matter, can get overwhelming. Sometimes we just need a break, a pause from the business and chaos. Or a moment to just step away and regroup our thoughts.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Right now, most recently, I get overwhelmed because we just moved to a new state. In the middle of COVID, in the middle of all this chaos going on in the world outside. In tandem, our families had additional challenges on top of the everyday chaos. We made a huge decision quickly. And its been the best decision I think any of us has made in a long time. But it’s also a lot to do.
Something that has always been important to me when I’m dealing with hard things is music. Music helps me focus when I’m studying. Movie Soundtracks help me brush off a bad mood and just get my head right. The 90s era helped me subconsciously deal with what I was feeling through someone else’s art.
I Got the Music In Me…
Music also is just comforting to me, a guarenteed way to motivate me or lift a mood. It has a power almost, to help me ground and empower myself. Whether a power song like This Is Me by Keala, or emphazing the beauty in the world through an artists melody. My dad gave me my first album of my own when I was 8 – it was a cassette tape of U2: The Joshua Tree. The first music of my own, and one of my favorite albums to this day.
Now it is something that I can share with my niece and nephew. Something we can come together over and share and enjoy and connect through. Being an auntie is an awesome position and these guys are the coolest, most creative, amazing little beings. They have some stellar taste in music!
Que the “Home School Dance Party” Playlist
When we get overwhelmed in our newfound home schooling, that we’re all learning to do together, we put on some music. We decided to throw a morning dance party into our mourning routine, and sprinkle in more music anywhere we like. In our homeschool we make the rules, and in between getting an assignment done and moving on to the next subject, we take a dance break.
Sometimes we’ve only gotten five minutes into the next task and we need a break. Like those mornings maybe one of us didn’t sleep so well and we are cranky. Maybe there was something in the morning that was just kind of irked us into a funk. Or the subject we are learning is hard, and at times frustrating and we just don’t get it. So, we throw on a dance party mix!
Two minutes of just giggling, moving your body, having fun with it and just being happy in the moment. Then we get back to work.
If we need another break, we take another break. It’s okay to need a break. It’s okay to take a break. Give yourself that mental break and physical time-out that you need to be able to go back and tackle the challenge with increased focus and vigor. Sometimes just one song can change the whole trajectory of your day.
So we wanted to share some of our favorite songs that this 40-yr old auntie and 4th grader aged kiddos play on repeat to bring joy, burn some energy, and embrace the beauty of music!
20 Songs From Our Faves Playlist
Smash Mouth: All Star
Katy Perry: Firework
Pharrell Williams: Happy
Eiffel 65: Blue
Coolio: Gangsta’s Paradise
Phoebe Buffay: Smelly Cat
Vanilla Ice: Ice Ice Baby
Beastie Boys: No Sleep Till Brooklynn
The Rembrandts: I’ll Be There for You
Adam Friedman: Glorious
Greatest Showman Sndtrk: A Million Dreams
Miley Cyrus: Party In The USA
PSY: Gangnam Style
Bon Jovi: Livin on a Prayer
Metallica: Enter Sandman
Twisted Sister: We’re Not Gonna Take It
Men Without Hats: Safety Dance
DEVO: Whip It
Journey: Don’t Stop Believin’
Queen: We Will Rock You
