What Makes A Song Inspirational? Nostalgia and Music-Making

Not long ago, I had the following debate with a friend: “would you rather live in a world without music, or books?” It got a bit heated, to say the least – of course, both are legitimate forms of entertainment –but (and I say this as an English Lit graduate), she eventually agreed with me that music had the edge.

Imagine a world without music. A world without shower-singing, or even elevator windpipe covers of 90s rock classics. The long and the short of it is that music is inspirational, and it doesn’t always have to be in a life-changing way. For example, something upbeat might inspire you to go out for a run, or your favourite album may help you calm your road-rage when stuck in traffic on a Monday morning.

One of the most common associations with music is the way it can stir up overwhelming feelings of nostalgia in a person. I don’t claim to be an expert on the psychological impact of music, or even what nostalgia actually is, but I can describe it in laymen’s terms: I’m sure many people reading this can admit to feeling nostalgic hearing songs that remind them of a holiday, a film, a time in their lives, an old friend – even a particular conversation. I found an interesting piece by Mark Joseph Stern on the neurological associations of the much-loved songs of the formative years. Most songs I feel nostalgic about from that period are too embarrassing to mention, but for example “The Deadwood Stage” will always remind me of my grandma, whose favourite film was Calamity Jane. Obviously, I would never dream of associating R Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix)” to my sister’s hilarious reaction on first hearing it as a 14-year-old in the back of my parents’ car, forever ingrained in my memory – but you get my drift.

To me, nostalgia is inspirational as it provides me with opportunities to reflect (rose-tinted spectacles optional). When it comes to a song I associate in such a way, it makes me think: am I pleased to have had that experience? Is that person still a part of my life? If not, why not? In this way, I can be inspired to make more memories, and inspired to ensure they even better than those I already have.

With my thirtieth birthday rapidly approaching, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve tried to live my twenties to the full, and music has played a massive part of that – whether it be using a song to remind me of a funny weekend with my friends, or inspiring me to keep filling my day-to-day life with as much music as I can. That’s one of the reasons I joined Carpe Harmonia, so that if the day ever does come when I am actually forced to choose something other than music, I’ll know that I let it inspire me as much as I possibly could.

And a song you’re nostalgic about might just inspire you to pick up that phone and talk to your sister – even if it’s not necessarily to sing about the “freakin’ weekend” and how you’re “going to have me some fun”.