LIVE YOUR LIFE TO A SOUNDTRACK BABY!

Once upon a time, some dude called Friedrich Nietzsche said “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

Well, I am still not sure what the hell Zarathustra spoke about, but, as far as music goes, damn right said Fred.

A life without a soundtrack to it wouldn’t make much sense.

Music has the magical ability to express feelings when even words are not enough.

It is THE universal language, transcending cultural barriers and reaching deep into the emotions of everyone’s psyche, regardless of which background they hail from.

It just reaches into the soul and pulls out all the emotions, bleeding and raw.

It fires the imagination, stokes the flames of the heart, and paints everything in living color.

It brings memories to life, adds an unforgettable aura to what we do, and attaches itself to certain events in our lives forever.

Have you ever been listening to the radio when, suddenly, a particular song comes and it brings on an avalanche of memories with it?

Of course you have.

Isn’t it just magic?

Can you imagine the frustration of the Overlords as they tried to understand music in Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Childhood’s End?

Or, even more bewildering to them, the immense power music exerts over billions of humans?

You can just imagine them scratching their heads as they flew back home, going “What in deep space nine was that? A concert? These humans are crazy.”

Music binds and unites. It is a communal and collective field of energy that brings people together.

I bet you anything, there were herds of our hairy ancestors, jumping around a huge fire and chanting in unison, tens of thousands of years ago as they tried to connect to their Gods.

You can see the same effect today when people go to a concert – it’s just a celebration of pure, raw power that can move tens of thousands in unison.

 

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

As all of my brothers and sisters in iron will attest, music will control the intensity and energy we exude during our workouts.

It’s all about the beat when it comes to the pump.

Having an awesome soundtrack will ratchet up the oomph quite a few notches. There is nothing quite like feeling that boom in your heart, revving you up and getting you raring to go under the bar and making the damn thing bend.

Hell YEAH!

It doesn’t even have to be the same music to appeal to everyone though – each of us has his own kind of tune that flicks on the power switch.

That’s the beauty of it. It’s a very individual thing. To each his own.

My friend Lee Priest works out to love songs – no idea how he does that.

Ronnie Coleman destroys everything he touches to hip hop tunes.

Myself, I’m a rocker to the core – ACDC till I die, although there are some other great rock bands out there I listen to.

Everyone channels the notes differently but there is no doubt, music works.

And yes, there are actual studies that show that music does indeed make a difference when it comes to working out (you knew I’d have scientific backup for my madness, didn’t you?).

It has been shown that:

• Runners run longer and faster when listening to music.
• People attending classes synchronized to music can handle exertion better when timing themselves to a beat.
• And lifters lift heavier when listening to music that provides them with a source for psychological arousal.

And speaking of arousal, most of you know how music just sets the mood for some sizzling emotion.

Anything from “Annie’s Song” by John Denver to Beyonce’s “XO” – with anything you fancy in between those two genres – will do the trick.

The beauty is in the sameness of diversity. Different strokes for different folks, but it’s all music in the end.

OK, well some of it is just noise – I have no idea how certain “songs” by “artists” make it out to the general public (I’ve heard horny cats on rooftops yowl better) but then again, that’s only my opinion. Haha!

So, what’s the moral of this story?

Don’t be embarrased to live your lives to a soundtrack. This is our own, personal movie after all.

We get to make the music.

Fill your days with magical moments to accompany your favourite tunes.

Drown out your sorrows with soulful songs.

Make memories wonderful by attaching them to a magnificent melody.

Appease your anger by soothing it with a smouldering sonata.

And pulverize your plateaus in the gym by pumping out a pounding rock anthem.

And hell yeah, belt out the lyrics to it as well!

For any of your moods, there is a song for you.

All this makes me remember the words penned by Susanna Clark and Richard Leigh in their 1987 song “Come From The Heart”.

You’ve got to sing like you don’t need the money
Love like you’ll never get hurt
You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watchin’
It’s gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.

Now go and put your favorite tune on and play it loud enough to wake the neighbours!

 

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