There’s one thing I never got to ask Lilly… Why “Our last summer” of Abba was her favourite song… Whenever I played that Cooldown song in class, she would walk right up to me and smilingly whisper: “Thank you for playing my song…”
I knew that “I will follow Him” was my mum’s favourite – not the hymn, no, her favourite was that rocking version of Whoopi Goldberg from the movie Sister Act – Mum always said that there should be no crying at her funeral. She said we should dance down the aisle to Whoopi’s song… Of course we all knew that scenario was out of the question…
Do you remember the movie “My best friend’s wedding?” Julia Roberts` character, Julianne, is in love with her best friend, Michael. After hearing the news that Michael is about to marry Kimmy, Julianne hops on a flight to Chicago to sabotage the wedding… But, much to her disappointment, Michael is head over heels in love with Kimmy, and Julianne doesn’t find her happily ever after… In the closing scene at Michael and Kimmy’s wedding ceremony, Julianne comes to terms with the reality. She gives an emotional speech as Michael’s “best woman” and tells him that he and Kimmy can use their special song, “The way you look tonight” by Tony Bennett, until they find their own…
Michael Ball’s “Love changes everything” always brings back sweet memories of my wedding day, whenever I hear Boyzone’s “No matter what” I have this clear picture of my baby sister and John opening the dance floor on their special day, and I know “New Age” of Marlon Roudette is my oldest sister’s favourite. Rugby teams, athletes, tennis players and even politicians have songs that psych them up before important matches or events. We all have favourite songs…These tunes can often trigger fond memories of our childhood, our greatest loves, moments spent with friends or moments of sadness. Sometimes it’s the lyrics we can relate to; sometimes it`s something as simple as a bass line or a tempo that causes a reaction in our bodies, or simply a tune that makes us happy. Whatever the reason, when we find our favourite song, it`s with us for life…
According to scientists, the brain generates strong emotions from musical stimuli through the activation of a neurological circuit called the medial limbic system. This conscious use of music to extract an emotional dividend is employed to motivate us during exercise, to set the mood for a romantic dinner, to relax customers at a spa or to rally a crowd at a rugby match.
But why do we develop favourite songs? Why is it so unpredictable and individual that some will stick with us, while others do not? And why do feel the need to listen to our favourite songs over and over and over again? My roommate at Varsity used to play “Always on my mind” from the Pet Shop Boys right when she woke up, listened to “It’s a sin” while she ate lunch and finished off her day with a (very loud) sing-along session to “Go West”.
…I need to confess – I have watched the movie “A few good men” five times – And I get goose bumps all over again when watching that classic courtroom scene between Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise …have you seen it? “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”
Same goes for the musical “The greatest showman”. I have watched it four times, have used the amazing soundtrack in literally every workout – from Step to Bootybarre and Power Pump, and I have downloaded every song and remix and cover version of the hit song “This is me”.
Am I crazy? No, many, many years ago Plato noted: “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything…” And, according to psychologists, it`s pretty normal for most people to hit the repeat button… There are several reasons behind this…
One is the psychological phenomenon whereby people feel a preference for people or things simply because they are familiar. Listening to a song you’ve heard before brings a sense of comfort. Another factor that comes into play is anticipation – let’s be real, humans are pretty egoistical creatures – we take pride in being able to sing the chorus with our favourite artist. Then there’s the very important repetition factor, of course. Repetition is everywhere. We find repetition in our workout programmes, in the books we read, in the places we visit and as mentioned above, in the movies we watch.
And it’s exactly here that I would have to disagree with Einstein who said insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Repetition CAN make you better. It takes more than one round of water to keep a plant alive. Taking part in more than one Winter Challenge forms a habit of working out through winter. And listening to the same song again and again is simply part of the way we create our personal identity.
Kenneth Aigen, director of the music therapy program at New York University explains it like this: “Each time we re-experience our favourite music, we`re sort of reinforcing our sense of who we are, where we belong and what we value.” They say we are what we eat, but in a lot of ways, we are what we listen to as well!
What is YOUR favourite song? Don’t have one? Haven’t really thought about it? That’s also not a problem – you can borrow mine till you find your own…☺
But, having a favourite song is not a necessity. Simply make sure your life is a song. Yes, a song. Sai Baba once wrote: “Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realise it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it. Life is also a song – sing it.” As we go through life, we are all creating our own “song” unlike any other person’s.
What kind of notes, rests and style of music are you creating? What kind of life song are you writing? A fleeting tune soon to be forgotten, or a beautiful masterpiece – one that will be remembered…?
Just wondering…☺
Yours in fitness
Mirna
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