Among the many subjects I like to enthuse about in life, music is one of my most favourite things... Not just because I am now a music maker, but because I have loved listening to music for as long as I can remember!
From my first love, Elvis, to my current #nowplaying fav Laura Marling and my unconditional love of The Beatles - music has been the soundtrack of my life. So many memories, happy and otherwise, are tied up in all those songs that saw me through my teenage angst, my twinkly twenties, and thanks to stint working at Smooth Radio in the Midlands, Barry White will always remind me of my thirties! #Bingo (Barry White Bingo was a game we played, and sometimes still do!)
And by holding music in high regard I am not alone. 'The idea that music can have therapeutic value is far from new: in ancient Egypt, chant therapies were seen as integral to the healing process, while in ancient Greece, both Aristotle and Plato embraced its beneficial properties, writing that it could help people become better human beings and overcome emotional difficulties during the process of catharsis.' says journalist Maria Konnikova in the New Yorker on a similar topic. We hear stories over and over about music arousing people from comas, and I've had a number of conversations with friends and family (and radio audiences) about what song you'd like to be played at your funeral (my cousin has a whole playlist ready!). Music is, for most of us then, integral to life. Music and song lyrics help us express ourselves and to feel empathy with our fellow human beans. We're all collating the soundtrack to our lives, all of the time.
I was thrilled when a former colleague - having kept track of my musical adventures via social media - asked me to share a song on the soundtrack of a short film he was making for a client. The girl in the movie is following her dreams, and he asked about a specific published track he'd heard, but I had a much more suitable one waiting in my collection from when I'd recorded my EP last summer.
Surprisingly enough, Believe, is a song I wrote when I was feeling a bit low. I think it was my attempt to cheer myself up, and while that may not have been the immediate result (in fact, I felt it was far too optimistic), I now enjoy the warm feedback I receive whenever I perform it live. And it was a perfect fit for the film I think you'll agree.
Music can be uplifting, and when used on a soundtrack like in this instance, be key to illustrating what the audience is feeling about the subject matter. I hope everyone who hears this song feels inspired. But I can't control how people feel... Or can I? *insert melodramatic sting here*
Listen to SheBeat soundtrack on this short film
