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By: Trevor Goody, MDS Band Director // MDS Musings Blog


Music is an emotional thing. Humans have always related music to feelings. If you are joyous, depressed, or frustrated, there is a piece or song that can get you through the emotion or help you understand it. Performing music—whether you are playing an instrument, singing in your car, or even dancing—ties the connection to emotions even more and is a huge stress relief for many people.

Playing any instrument allows me to connect to my feelings. I’m lucky enough to have many instruments at my disposal and any time I feel out of control in my life, I pick one up and play what I am feeling. It could mean something or it could be completely random, but it always seems to help.

Composers and professional musicians use that same idea to make their songs. Songs with words tell you exactly what they mean, but without words, the listener can interpret the meaning. You may say, “I only like to listen to __ kind of music,” but I encourage you to listen to something you may think you dislike. Take the time to really dig into the feeling and meaning behind the composer’s intent.

For example, I’m not a big fan of pop music; however, I appreciate how hard those artists work to make their music, as some of it is well created and is very unique. With my spare time, I like to search Spotify’s Top 50 of the week or go into my “Weekly Discovery” to find new music. Even the free version of Spotify has these features, so anyone can do this. Take the time and try it for a week, and I’m sure you’ll come out with at least ten new songs you like.

To get you started, here is a small list of music that I enjoy. Hopefully, you enjoy some or all of my suggestions! If you would like more, feel free to email me.

  • “19 Seventy Sumthin’” – Neck Deep
  • “Love on Top” – Beyoncé
  • “Symphony No 7” – David Maslanka (it has 4 different movements so you may want to save this for when you have 30 minutes of free time)
  • “Run Away With Me” – Carly Rae Jepsen
  • “No Angels” – Bastille (you may have to search YouTube for this one)
  • “Slip” – Shubh Saran
  • “Last Time I Say Sorry” – Kane Brown/John Legend (They just performed this live on the CMAC awards and it was GREAT!)
  • “Molly on the Shore” – Percy Grainger

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Mount de Sales Academy is a private Catholic school located in Macon, GA, and serves students in Bibb, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach and other surrounding counties. MDS is sponsored and inspired by the Sisters of Mercy. Since 1876, MDS has served a diverse college-preparatory community of learners—students and teachers alike—who are poised to discover, challenged to innovate, and motivated to serve.