Making your soundtrack

Sometimes when we cannot find the right words, music can speak for us. We all have a song or song-style that speaks to our soul in ways we cannot verbally describe. Music is a strong trigger for memory as well as emotion.

When I am working with a hospice patient or trying to connect with an interviewee, I will often discuss music or play a song that speaks to them. It is a harmless enough subject to be comforting and at the same time it can awaken us from within. We can also use music to help us write down our stories. For today’s column, I will give you some ideas of how you can use music to help you find the words to write your story.

To begin, I encourage you to think back on music that you associate with your life experiences. Here are some examples: My grandfather had a song for every occasion and he always made sure to sing a lullaby to us kids every time we stayed at their house. The sound of him singing Bing Crosby’s version of “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral” as I fell peacefully to sleep will always remain crystal clear in my memory. I also used to beg him and my grandmother to sing the duet “You’re Not Sick, You’re Just In Love” by Irving Berlin. That memory helped to define happiness in my childhood.

Likewise, when I listen to James Taylor’s early albums and Bonnie Raitt classics, it takes me back to Saturday mornings as a young girl, dancing in the living room with my sisters as a way to make cleaning the house more fun. On the hand, when I lost a loved one in the hospital in 2013, I remember driving away with tears streaming down my face and my heart skipped a beat when Carrie Underwood’s song “I Will See You Again” came on the radio. I was hearing it for the first time at the exact moment I needed it.

By using these memories to describe why these songs mean the world to me, my children will be able to listen to the songs themselves and feel more connected to my story. In a sense, I am writing the soundtrack to my own life and letting music do the talking for me. If you want to use this as a writing exercise, you might consider writing a list of songs that are meaningful to you such your favorite hymn, your first slow dance in eighth grade, or the first dance at your wedding. List the song, the artist/composer, and why it is important to you. This becomes a musical journey for your future generations and a unique way to connect with them.

If you are musically inclined, you might consider recording some songs yourself that are unique to your story. For example, in the mid 1990s, my grandparents sat down with a tape recorder and a microphone and sang songs from their childhood. My grandfather sang a version of “This Little Piggy” that is not commonly known and my grandmother sang her favorite silly songs from her Campfire Girl days in the 1930s. Now my children are enjoying the voices of their great-grandparents and those time-honored songs are now becoming a part of my childrens’ soundtracks.

While your words are priceless, your voice will help bring the music to life for generations to come.

Remember to enjoy the journey! As always, please reach out to me through my website if you have any questions: www.sarajaneruggles.com.