"Beyond the immediate health risks of the Covid-19 pandemic, the containment measures it necessitates have brought with them a number of other stressors that can undermine individual and collective well-being. “It’s worth noting that music itself wasn’t the coping aid, but rather, music-related behavior, specifically the ways people have adapted their musical behaviors during the crisis. In this regard, music listening and music making appear to provide different coping potentials,” explains Melanie Wald-Fuhrmann, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. People who experienced increased negative emotions due to the pandemic were found to engage with music primarily as a way to regulate depression, fear, and stress, especially via music listening. People who reported more positive emotions overall were found to use music largely as a replacement for social interaction. Not just music listening, but also music making gave them a sense of belonging to a community. Making music, moreover, served as a method for self-reflection." Stress free play is embued in my mind, my music, and my life. And though I practice all of my hobbies in such a manner, I am always finding new ways to diminish tension and stress. Just today I found a way to flow that is new to my guitar practice but integral to my Tai Chi practice. Thus I am always learning and applying what I've learned. How about you guys?
Music has become part of my life. I started playing guitar late as an adult and enjoy every minute of playing. When we're younger, many parents would pay for music lessons and they expect results. Kids should be pushing to excel and passing conservatory grade levels. The past 2 years I got myself enrolled in adult group classes. We get to work on a few fun pieces. Many are older adults who are retired. We're just looking for activities to keep our minds active than thinking about passing conservatory exams.
