I caught an interesting discussion on CBC Radio this morning about the power of music as therapy. Music can be used to soothe and revitalize those suffering from dementia, for example.
A popular example of this can be seen in this clip of Henry that made the rounds a few years ago.
The music therapist said they were experiencing the most success with the music one enjoyed most as a young person in their late teens. For me, that would be the very early 90s. In the very early 90s, my go-to musical acts were:
- Nirvana
- Pearl Jam
- Public Enemy
- The Tragically Hip
- Soundgarden
- Beastie Boys
Even today I feel a sense of revitalization when I hear a tune I was cranking on my Walkman back in '92. Start a cut from Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet and I'll finish it for you. Play me the opening chords from Pearl Jam's Porch and I become Eddie Vedder.
It's the power of song. There's nothing like it.