It’s good to know what keeps us relaxed and ourselves. For me, I’m glad I love listening to music. It helps keep me grounded and yet I can still dream. #joyatUofT for me represents the self-care that I take for myself and music is a big part of that. I really enjoy that it helps encompass all feelings and that there is so much choice out there from people just like us. We are spoiled in that aspect that we can just switch anything we want on. From that choice, I’ve been able to find artists that I perhaps wouldn’t have found without all this time on my hands and I feel a bit better supporting smaller artists too.
Music is helping connect me and my friends at the moment. This coming week, Joy at U of T week, it's important to think about what brings you #joyatUofT and for me I couldn't imagine it without my friends, so I look for new ways to keep in touch. Maybe one day it’s a new song that has just come out. And maybe on another day I’ll share a full playlist. In everything I do, I listen to music and it’s something that is beside me with everything I do. I’m even listening when I’m writing this and it helps me get in the zone, yet I know some people cannot listen and write at all. I listen to it in the morning in the afternoon and evening. It’s so refreshing to find something new and relatable or nostalgic and friendly to listen to a favourite song. To get those feelings so quickly, it really is a special kind of magic. And then to share that feeling with friends, that’s not bad at all too.
Looking back at my Spotify highlights, I had over 50,000 minutes of listening time. I’m happy that in this past year I’ve had something to take with me wherever I go. And inspired by my friends, I have my personal monthly playlists that are of songs that I liked during that month. This means that if I want to I can flick back and I can revisit some old songs and memories. I didn’t like playlists at all and now I do - they used to seem like a chore. Things change and that's fine too.
I think that’s what’s pretty incredible - songs are whatever you make of them. Individual yet shareable. Not all feelings can be easily put in words, but you find that song and it hits the spot. I can think of it like a form of expression that isn’t held back by a few letters on a page, but starts with what you sense and feel which seems more powerful. And so in this time of limited conversation and virtual life, I want to hear sounds that make me happy, a sweet voice or a familiar set of lyrics. I want to sing along.
I thought I'd share some Spotify playlists that are usually pretty on cue in case you want something fresh or want to know what I may listen to. And if you want a new artist try Maude Latour or listen to Of Monsters and Men.
Take care x
#joyatUofT
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