Music + My Soul

Something common I’ve noticed between most, if not all, neurodivergent people is their connection to music. For some, it’s a stimulant. For some, it’s therapy. For some, it’s an escape. Many neurodivergents feel music in their soul, with the rhythm, the lyrics, the beat, etc. For me, the beat and ad libs are what stick out to me most in music. I like a song with a good beat and ad-libs (Chris Brown or Ariana Grande usually does it for me). I could explain what music is to me in this way; my brain is constantly running, I have a million things going on and a million voices saying all different things. When a song has a lot of different sounds and ad-libs, it’s almost like it’s in tune with my brain. There’s so much going on, like in my own head, and the craziness of the song synchronizes with my brain which is almost soothing. A lot of people could say that a certain song saved their life. Which is true, the way the lyrics speak out to them or the instrumentals alone could outline how you’re feeling. Music has wavelengths which are interpreted by our brains, which explains why people like all different kinds of music. Personally, I don’t know what I would do without music. It can allow me to feel without saying anything. To just sit, and listen, with headphones, and let it patch a hole in my soul is therapeutic. When I need to amp up my mood, some Pitbull is the best thing to have. There are so many ways to talk through music. It can also quiet my mind, when I focus on specific riffs or sounds in the song it stops my brain from the thousands of things it’s doing. The beautiful thing about music is that it’s a universal language, many different cultures and backgrounds are able to express themselves through song. It also can improve memory by pattern recognition, and improve health by lowering blood pressure and improving overall heart health. Even in movies, music is a vital component to a good film. It can express the mood of the scene or situation, which actually helps a lot. Sometimes when characters say or do something and I don’t really know what the emotional context of it is, I can understand through the music playing. For example, I recently saw the Nutcracker ballet. There is no talking in this story, only a live orchestra to distribute the emotions of the scene. Neurodivergent people experience the art of music differently compared to those who are neurotypical. They just hear music as sounds, and maybe lyrics. Which is crazy to me, because I can feel music in my soul.