Oh, the joys of a book club! We’d read, “The Unexpected Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,” by Rachel Joyce, and then the second-hand book section of a local charity superstore yielded, “The Music Shop,” by the same author.

The hero of the story, Frank, owns a record shop selling only vinyl. He has a gift. Frank can choose the right song for the right person at the right time. It’s a perfect ‘Moodscope’ story spanning all genres and all types of people at all stages of their lives.

This got me thinking about how we may ‘prescribe’ music to move our moods in the direction we’d prefer. With the Moodscope giving us accurate data on how we feel each time we take the test, could we use music to improve our state of mind. A quick glance at your affectogram will help enormously.

So, I’ve set to work gathering tracks for musical therapy for specific states. The result is too huge for one blog so I’ll share the first three to whet your appetite with the potential of sharing more in the comments if the theme strikes a chord!

“Not all wounds need bandages; some need Bach, or Aretha, or The Beatles.”

The three cards in the order the test presented on the day I began this:

Distressed

Inspired

Upset

If we’re feeling ‘distressed’ it could be that grounding ourselves in music may lead to a deeper state of calm. One prescription would be Erik Satie’s exquisite Gymnopédie No.1 with its minimalist piano. The beat seems to slow time down and breathes space into any state of agitation. Maybe we could even co-ordinate our breathing with the music. Ideally, it’s played at 72 beats per minute, with a healthy resting heart rate being between 60-100.

Please recommend other music prescriptions for each of these cards.

How about ‘inspired’? We’d like a bit more of that, wouldn’t we? We want to take the creative spark and fan it into a flaming state of flowing inspiration. Let’s try Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D Major! Tchaikovsky unleashes sweeping strings, building to a euphoric triumph. This is pure rocket fuel for inspiration!

If we’re ‘upset’ how about taking that raw feeling – that soul-deep ache – and transforming it into pure beauty whilst honouring the journey? Our tears can become artistic watering for new blooms to grow – given time. This catharsis could well lead to release. So, Nina Simone is prescribed, “Wild is the Wind (Live).”

Last week, I shared that each of the 20 Moodscope cards gives us a different vantage point to shift our perspective on our overall state of mind. Addressing chosen vantage points using specific therapeutic music could be a great additional option in our treatment regime. 

I look forward to listening to your suggestions inspired by your own Moodscope results today.

In the meantime, I will append links to the three pieces prescribed!

Lex

A Moodscope Member

ps. I recommend the book!

Erik Satie - 

Gymnopédie No. 1:  https://youtu.be/TL0xzp4zzBE?si=FDX5tuQa7wDOtJBt

Tchaikovsky - 

Violin Concerto in D Major: https://youtu.be/ovFPKu00cCc?si=H9De7CUGrZiTs8Q0

Nina Simone - 

Wild Is the Wind (Live):  https://youtu.be/rDuy874spGg?si=7UURmr0Yr3RHGGfT