Summer Soundtrack!

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this past weekend marked the unofficial start to summer!!! After the east coast winter it couldn’t have come soon enough!!! The start of summer always makes me think of good music, flip flops, sangria, and grilling out near a body of water.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve always made summer music mixes to kick off the summer; In the early 90’s my mixes came from recording my favorite songs from Casey Kasem’s Weekly Top 40 Countdown, my mixes then progressed to burning my own cd’s and later making playlists on my iPod and phone. Even though technology has progressed far beyond the days of mixed tapes, I just can’t resist burning my own CDs. I often hear people of my parent’s generation reminiscence over how an 8-track tape and an Am radio can transport them to a different time and place. I think we can all relate to that experience; to music's ability to transform our thoughts, feelings, and overall mood.

It's no surprise that music impacts how we feel, in fact it happens to be one of the most powerful mood boosters. Regardless of what type of music we listen to (Rock, Pop, Country, Jazz, Classical, New Age, Alternative, Reggae, etc.), music improves mood by increasing serotonin levels (also known as the body’s natural Feel Good Hormone)!

I'm struck by how much music we are exposed to; in the elevator, on hold, in the taxi, at the mall, at the auto body shop, in waiting rooms, etc, we’re almost never in total silence. Music is a universal passion; we use it to celebrate, to worship, to reminiscence, to express emotions, to communicate, and in countless other ways. Music adds to the ambiance of an event. And what about those movies; consider for a moment just how boring movies and TV shows would be without a constant music as a constant backdrop. Music possibly more than dialogue sets the mood and communicates the scene. Wouldn’t it be great if our lives also had a backdrop of music, our very own personal soundtrack - one that followed us around always capturing our mood just perfectly? So what songs would be on your soundtrack? What message and overall mood would the soundtrack of your life convey?

So take some time to sit back and just enjoy the music - let it take you back to a certain time and place. 

Funny how a melody sounds like a memory

Life the soundtrack to a July Saturday night

Lyrics from Eric Church's "Springsteen"

Until Next Time ~ Be Well