Finding Music that Inspires You
Every morning starts with music. I am currently listening to an Indie Artist with a high-energy beat to wake me up. When I play with blocks with my daughter, we listen to The Battle of Helm’s Deep from The Lord of the Rings to make the blocks falling feel more epic. When I’m driving in crazy San Antonio traffic, I play calming music. But when I am doing chores, I listen to techno.
My kids do the same—my daughter listens to Disney sing-along playlists when playing by herself, and the Finding Nemo soundtrack helps her fall asleep. My son listens to War Thunder music while doing homework to keep himself engaged.
Finding music that inspires you in your everyday tasks can turn the mundane into something extraordinary. It also makes picking songs to perform much easier. I often ask my students what songs they’d like to play for recitals, and am often met with “I have never heard a song before in my life!” (Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but students often struggle to name a song they like.) We spend time listening to different genres, from classical to current, but in a world overflowing with songs, playlists, and recommendations, it can be difficult to find music that you enjoy.
The more you incorporate music into your daily life, the easier it is for you to find what you love. I strongly encourage you to notice the music playing in the background of movies—see how it influences the story and your emotions. Notice how the latest pop song on the radio makes you feel. Think about how the lyrics resonate with you. Don’t be afraid to explore outside your usual genres. Sometimes, the most powerful inspiration comes from a video game or commercial. Exploring the artist behind the music can shed a new light on the songs themselves.
Once you find something that truly transforms you, it’s easy to live in a world filled with music that inspires.
