I am feeling blue.
Finals are over and the stress is through,
And I am feeling blue.
Not that “lay in bed and avoid the world” kind of mood,
But that “wake up an see the sun is shining just for you”
Mood
What do you think about when you think about blue? It is the ocean, the sky, the rain, or something that does not resemble the color at all? Is it your mother, her laughter, a hug from your best friend, or do you not associate the color blue with anything at all?
When I think about blue I think about a feeling; a feeling that I can do it all. Standing on top of a mountain as the wind whisks my breath away—that is blue. Holding the very small hand of my six year old cousin, Guy, as he guides my ear towards his chubby face and whispers “Listen, listen… you are my best friend and I love you”—that is blue. Listening to music that gives me chills and makes me feel infinite, that is blue.
Music is blue. Bon Iver is blue. So, when I am feeling happy or strong or calm or anything in between, I listen to Bon Iver, and my world ceases to exist for as long as I allow it to, and I live in the world his music creates for me.
Bon Iver (Bone-ee-VARE not Bon-eye-ver) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Appearing seemingly out of nowhere, Bon Iver‘s debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, became one of the landmark albums of the late-2000s indie folk sound. Singer/songwriter Justin Vernon‘s sparse sound and pure vocals caught the attention of people looking for something folksy, yet not folksy at the same time. Following albums were further refined, shifting their sound, bolstering the band’s popularity, and widening its fan base.
Bon Iver’s music is like magic to me; it is so raw and unique that every time I listen to it, it is appropriate, no matter my mood. The music is fluid, like an ocean wave rolling across the surface of the water. It is strong and powerful, yet delicate and beautiful. It means something different every time I listen to it, and I find beauty in its complexity.
Image Courtesy of The Interns
Music can be like a drug. This may sound like an over exaggeration, but really it isn’t. Listening to and playing music can lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), according to Dr. Daniel Levitin, a cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist. This means that the calm euphoria you experience when you listen to your favorite artist is physiological and beneficial to fighting stress and anxiety.
Another way music enhances brain function is by stimulating the formation of certain brain chemicals. Listening to music increases the neurotransmitter dopamine, the same brain chemical responsible for the “feel-good” states obtained from eating chocolate, orgasms, and runner’s high.
Image Courtesy of Scientific American
The special thing about this “music high” is that it is different for every person out there. Bon Iver gives me that feeling, he makes me feel blue. However, my friend’s synapses fire when she hears The Head and The Heart and my sister feels alive when she listens to The Beatles. This is the beauty of music.
You can listen to Bon Iver on iTunes, Youtube and Spotify. My all-time favorite song by him is Holocene, it was the first song I heard when I was introduced to him. It’s been over three years and I still get chills.
What does that for you?
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | And at once I knew I was not magnificent | KXSU Music Reporter