Music is my therapy, my escapism. People often talk of their well-being ‘toolboxes’, figurative cases containing all the things that make them happy. Music enjoys a prominent place inside mine.
It’s a cliche, but I really do have a broad musical taste. I can quite happily go from listening to The Lark Ascending to a bit of '90s eurodance, or mix Don Henley into Darren Styles. It can depend on the mood I’m in, or indeed the mood I would like to be in. If I’m feeling low, I’ll stick my headphones on and blast some classic euphoria. It doesn’t matter that I’m not dancing or at the gym - the pulsing, heart healing rush of a trance classic as it progresses over 8 minutes can be a superb tonic.
I first got into dance music when I was very young. As a child, I remember trips with mum in the car with her cassettes playing (that's how old I am!). Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Mariah Carey - not my cup of tea, perhaps, but nostalgic appeal can turn objective quality on its head, and so I look back on those memories with fondness.
But then something happened. It was a gloomy wet Saturday afternoon sometime around 1998, and we were on our way to the supermarket. We had the regular radio on, and (if you’ll allow the Kylie quote) the music playing really blew my mind. This was the era of peak dance, in my opinion. Chicane, Sasha and Digweed, Lucid, Blank and Jones, Agnelli and Nelson - oof, such bangers! I couldn’t wait for the drive home from the shop just so as I could continue listening to the songs that would shape my love for all things electronica.
Not everybody likes dance and trance, and many will no doubt read the names above with a puzzled expression. And that’s fine. Just like style, music is a very subjective affair. Whether you are a rock-head, a jazz-jiver, a pop prince/princess or an R&B soul jam man, you will be able to understand the sheer therapeutic power of a song. Besides, it’s always good to try out new genres and playlists, and to get Spotify recommendations from friends.
Do I play any instruments myself? No. I think a particularly bad experience playing keyboard to Tango Argentino in a music lesson in school may have left a lasting scar. Still, it’s something to think about for the future, and maybe one day I will learn an instrument and be able to show my then-teacher what I can do with my fingers.
Ah, music. I truly would be lost without you. You’ve been there for me when I’ve needed you, when I thought nobody cared. You’ve got me through some hard times. You’ve also made me look a prat doing karaoke and dancing to you on the jukebox. But you’ve never been dull, regardless of what you’ve had to say.
So do let me know: what drove your love for music?
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