Many sounds surround us, such as birds chanting in the trees, waves lapping on the shore and cars honking in traffic. But sometimes sounds are put together in harmony to create a specific atmosphere or to express ideas or emotions. This is all music!
No matter whether you listen to music regularly, or occasionally, at some point, music is part of our lives.
Sometimes, you might listen to a song or a piece of music, that will take you directly to a place or bring up a memory.
Yet, music’s effect goes beyond nostalgia: music has a healing power.
Many studies have proven that those patients who have received music therapy before and after surgery reported less pain and had lower blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. In addition, the dose and frequency of pain medication given after surgery was reduced in the study group who had received music therapy.
When the pandemic became a reality in March 2020, and the lockdowns took place all over the world, we all experienced unprecedented times, where anxiety became the common case for almost everyone due to so much uncertainty.
Through this journey of surviving life’s uncertainty with minimum losses, we discovered that music played a major role of providing different opportunities of escape to happier times.
With so many people staying in their homes, the internet was a useful tool to access information and news. Being online became a habit, especially connecting with social media on a regular basis.
Here I would like to highlight the very special events that made an enormous difference during this difficult period we experienced, especially during the lockdown. Many musicians and singers all over the world created “Virtual Musical Shows” or “Virtual Concerts”.
In March 2020, musicians performed in front of their mobile phones or webcams and streamed the performance live using platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, ZOOM and others…
A few weeks later this turned into a trend, and people were eagerly waiting to watch the shows. The beauty about these shows is that they are live on the internet and the audience can interact with the artist and even ask for a special song.
Facebook was the best platform for the virtual show, thanks to its high-quality audio and video streaming. This enabled hundreds of artists to spread music and positive energy near and far, closing the gap caused by the lockdowns and giving the audience a tool to combat fear and anxiety and the strength to fight mental health challenges.
This went both ways. The virtual shows helped the artists as well to maintain the connection with their fans and permit them to continue doing what they love and were born to do.
We all want to survive this pandemic with minimum losses, and music is always one of the most efficient ways to keep the balance.
So, what is your favourite song?
Matt Mardini
Program Manager
Montérégie West Community Network
www.mwcn.ca
