#WorldMusicDay: From 90s music to making their own, people find solace in music amid the pandemic

There is no denying that music has the power to heal, but as the world battled one of the worst medical disasters, music became a source of solace for many. For some it has been a saviour of sorts - in the form of an anthem of motivation, a playlist for the long quarantine periods, a new genre that kept the mind away from the negativity or just a feel good song that brought in sunshine during despair.In ways more than one, it rescued many from the gloom that the two years of pandemic have brought about. On World Music Day, read about how music helped people to tide through the storm of COVID-19 pandemic.

Just as Sahir Ludhianvi’s song helped Sanjay Dutt gain the courage to stand up to the bullies in his life in the movie Sanju; 23-year-old Apeksha Porwal from Indore had David Guetta’s that kept her going. “I had to stay confined to one room for two weeks, with no actual human interaction. In these times I turned to music to stay sane. But, I would call Titanium my quarantine anthem. The lyrics, the melody – it all kept me from slipping into depression,” she shares.
For Bangalore based professional Rishabh Agarwal, his playlist of mixed songs helped him stay positive through his home isolation. “The second wave got me, and I was stuck in a two bedroom apartment, all by myself down with COVID. In that time, I created a playlist of the peppy and high-energy songs for the day and some soothing music for the night. I didn’t get bored of this playlist because it was almost like a reminder for me that I have to do some tasks to keep myself alive through this period. These songs pulled me out of hopelessness during isolation,” he shares.

It was not just the available songs that helped people to stay afloat during these trying times, but also the interest of learning a new musical instrument like Ukulele, Guitar or keyboard. “The first wave of the pandemic hit me hard. For an extrovert like me, it was hard to make the transition to staying completely indoors. After looking at many videos on social media, I decided to channelize all my energy into learning a new skill. Post work and during those long sleepless nights, I taught myself to play the ukulele by going through online tutorials. It made me feel less alone and social media appreciation was an added boost!” says Naval Chouksey from Pune. He also recalls how his friends also invested in learning instruments like guitar, keyboard and even harmonica.
Another way, in which music helped tremendously, was through the virtual concerts that musicians across the world held for audiences. Right from Facebook live, watch parties to zoom concerts – singers and musicians kept listeners busy.

Many studies have found that music can indeed have a positive effect on physical and mental wellbeing of a person. Psychologist at Peakmind Tulika Mukherjee opines, “With music, humans can express, find safety and comfort. Restriction in movement due to the ongoing pandemic, has made many mentally restless. But even patients with severe clinical symptoms have shown remarkable progress through supportive music therapy.” Mukherjee strongly believes that learning music during such chaotic times helps in being more mindful. “Playing an instrument helps us unplug from our anxious thoughts, allow our mind and body to refresh and not feel overwhelmed,” she adds.
A part of mental health research and executive director of Gi Group India, Sonal Arora shares, “Studies have found music therapy to serve certain neurologic functions and address deficits, which may arise from many of the neurologically based conditions. Music, therefore, also has cognitive and memory dimensions to it rather than only being a cultural phenomenon.”

“The return and popularity of 90s music in these times was an uplifting kind of music for me in these trying times. I was not only listening to these tracks, but singing them too. I feel music is soul touching. It just depends on the kind of music that matches your vibe. That kind of music is always meditative and uplifting in any stressful situation.” –
“The loneliness, solitude and despair everyone has been going through has been all consuming. In the midst of all this music has been my therapy. I addressed my emotions and feelings that I felt when going through a low phase, through my songs. It has the power to heal.” –