Solaced and refreshed
A very young patient enjoys the vocal music of the 82nd Airborne Division Chorus,
who visited Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 2008.
“Songs for all ages” by The U.S. Army, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.” ― Martin Luther
I connect with a lot of things Martin Luther said, but none more than this quote. There is nothing quite like music to soothe, heal, cheer, console or bring cathartic tears. Music can reach beyond barriers that may be presented by language, illness, or disability, and has even seemingly awakened coma patients.
Music has never been more freely available than it is today, with online offerings to suit every taste and mood, along with multiple free programs that allow you to build your own playlists. You can put together a collection of your own happy favorites for playing yourself out of a crabby mood, or calming melodies to ease tension and agitation.
If you need a quick dose of cheer, try this favorite from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a work that never fails to lift my spirits. This short clip is from “Autumn,” so when you hear it, perhaps it will bring to mind the energizing touch of crisp fall air, which will be here before you know it!
One year ago today:
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: catharsis, cheer, comfort, consolation, healing, inspiration, joy, moods, music, singing, songs, therapy
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia! My uncle has been suffering from a UTI (now is back in the hospital). Before we sent him to hospital, he was delirious and seeing things (bugs and such, mostly negative), so I put on one of his music videos, and he tested much more peacefully.
The video was one sent by Ham radio twin friends of his that have lovely gardens, and each year, film their gardens and set it to nice background music. This DVD was called “Consider the Lilies.” I will send you a copy.
Thanks, Susan! I’m sure it is beautiful, and that is one of my favorite Bible passages, and grew up singing a lovely hymn based on those lyrics. I’m glad your uncle found solace in music.