This is an English translation of an article published in Nikkan San on Dec. 20 2020, as a part of my column, “The Way of the Pianist.”
What are the sound you associate with the holiday season? Christmas carols. The bells on Santa’s sleigh. The crackling in the fireplace. The hand bell swung around by the Salvation Army volunteers calling for donations at street corners…
Wedding. Graduation. Birthday. Holidays…each seasonal occasions have their songs, music and/or sounds. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist/musician, assert that at these ceremonies marking different life stage comfort the attendees that while life situations may change, there are things that remain constant, like your community, cycles of life, etc.
Our bodies adjust to preserve our energy against the challenges posed by winter. Shorter days. Lower temperature. We sleep more, and crave more food. Our hormones change, affecting our sleep patterns and energy levels. Seasonal Affective Disorder have depressive affect on many of us from the fall months to the onset of winter. That the holidays are focused in these winter months may have been by design, our ancestors’ wisdoms. Friends and family gather around feasts and lights, laughing, singing and dancing.
However, this year, the threat of COVID-19 prevent us from gathering together for the holidays. We started hearing the phrase “toxic positivity” in the spring, at the onset of the social distancing. To act defiant and positive, despite how you feel inside, sometimes become overbearing, and harmful to your mental wellness. Please be kind to yourself. Music can be helpful in sitting with, and appreciating your true feelings. Music can also remind you. We may be physically distant, but we are all in the same boat – we share our fate, and pains, as well as hope and joy. We are together, as global citizens.