Kerry-Anne Allerston
Image: Supplied
I often say this, but I really think music and art in all its different forms can save lives. Feelings and moments are captured in songs and the lyrics mean so many different things to different people. The music makes you feel a certain way and songs remind us of various stages of our lives, the people we shared things with, where we were and the experiences we relive when we hear them. Even if you listen to music in a language you don’t understand, the melody or emotion in the voice still moves you. It’s a universal language that we can all understand and, in my opinion, it’s as important as heart surgery or medication. I think sadness, for example, can inevitably kill you. I know that got deep really quickly, but I think there’s a reason why people say someone they knew died of a broken heart. I think they did and they do. You can fix a lot of things and there are always new treatments and new scientific discoveries being made, but how do you fix a broken heart?
It’s why so many apps these days have music therapy on them. There’s music to calm you down, relieve stress, make you sleep better and the list goes on. Music is one of the most important and most powerful things in the world and I’m so thankful that I get to surround myself with it as much as I do. I just spent a few days at a music festival and it’s much the same when you’re on tour with a band. You’re stuck in a bubble surrounded by people who are having fun and who are really happy. They’re this happy because they’ve escaped reality for a short period of time and they’re with friends listening to music and usually somewhere beautiful. It’s the same when you’re on the road. You’re with people you love and you’re doing the things you love. So what’s not to love?
It’s the comedown. It’s the cabin fever. You can’t live the fantasy forever so I suppose the trick is balance. A lot of artists get this right after doing it for a long time, but some never do and that’s the dangerous part. For me, going to a live show is a lot like dosing up on vitamins and having an endless supply of the warmest, tightest cuddles. An hour or two away from technology gives you a mini break from anything that’s rocking your boat - and not in a good way. For a few hours, all you’re taking in is the music. It’s the energy too. It’s the good vibrations in a room filled with people who are happy and having a good time. It’s energy transfer.
You’re sitting there wondering just how many gummies I’ve chewed and you’re probably thinking, holy smokes, this girl is cray cray. But it’s totally how I feel. If you’re surrounded by angry, hateful, negative people then I feel you yourself will become what surrounds you. I just don’t think there’s anything better than being at a live show. You could be sitting quietly just taking it all in or you could be singing the lyrics at the top of your lungs while sweaty people bump into you and smile at you all at the same time. Whatever the experience, it’s still good for the soul. And it’s food for the soul.
Remember making mixed tapes for that crush? You put hours and hours into creating the perfect love letter through song. It was the perfect gift because what could be better than knowing someone loved you so much they’d spend all their time making you something money can’t buy? Sharing music and the experience of a live concert will never be the same twice. Every single show is different and every concert is completely unique because no show can ever be recreated. The energy of the audiences is different and the performers feel differently from one day to the next. It’s a once-off experience that can never be repeated in exactly the same way again.
And then there are those songs that become little time machines. You hear the first few notes and suddenly you’re transported right back to where you were when you first heard it, when you kissed to it or when your heart was broken to it. Music quietly collects our memories and holds them for us until we need them again. It reminds us of who we were, who we loved and how we felt in those moments.
It’s the soundtrack to our lives and we’re the manufacturers of our own mixed tapes. I’m writing you a script and I suggest taking a dose of music when you wake up, at lunchtime and before going to sleep. It can be taken on an empty stomach and you may up the dose if and when necessary. Warning: It can be addictive. Side effects may include spontaneous dancing, singing in the car and falling in love with life again. If symptoms persist, please attend a live concert immediately.