I was walking through the shopping centre, speaking, when I heard a song in the background, playing through the speakers at a tone loud enough that I could hear it but not so loud the music was the only part of the environment on which I could focus. As soon as I heard the music, my mind leaped into action, noting "I know this song! I can play it on piano." The next step? I asked myself who wrote the song. The answer is Olivia Rodrigo. The song? I didn't know the name. As I write, I recall the song is called "Good for You."
When I hear interesting music, I stop and go through the same thought process as described above. This happened in Berlin when I was drawn to two lovely young performers who were singing Hallelujah at Brandenburg Gate, elevating the environment to an almost ethereal state. I felt joyful; connected.
On another occasion, I watched an episode of Coronation Street with family and heard a song playing in the Rovers Return. I'm not sure what it is about music that causes me to redirect my attention toward the song. Sometimes, if I know a song really well, I have an urge to move my hands as if I was going to play the song on piano. I feel like the music is part of me.
Other posts in this series
Check out the other posts I have written as part of this series.