I started this playlist with the simple idea that if you’re experiencing grief, then listening to sad music is actually a good thing - we even wrote an article about it here. Over the last year or so the playlist has covered many different types of grief, or at least, reasons for grief - but there’s something about the experience of losing a loved one - particularly if it was unexpected or they were very young - that drives a particularly deep and powerful type of grief.
One of the challenges people face is the isolation that accompanies this type of grief. People’s experiences with their loved ones are by their very nature unique - which means their grieving experience is unique and people can find it hard to be able to talk about about it openly. Often time this leads to the suppression of emotions resulting in the person never actually working through the process, resulting in unresolved grief that can manifest as a number of different unhealthy behaviors.
As you know we get hundreds of submissions for the Grieve to list - I read the track submission notes long before I listen to the music and I was immediately drawn to what Vincent wrote.
“I lost my best friend when we were both 20 years old (I am now 22). The event had an indelible impact on me as a human, and writing music has been the only way to cope. I put out a track called “August”, which I think aptly encapsulates some of the emotions I felt after losing him, and since putting it out, I have had many people reach out to me about how it has helped them deal with their own losses.
I think that is pretty special, and so now my goal has shifted to trying to get this song around as much as possible so that people who have experienced extreme loss can realize others have too, and that talking about it and putting those emotions somewhere is both healthy and necessary to moving forward and continuing to live.”
Thankfully the track is beautifully put together, simple piano reveals a stunning vocal performance that is complimented perfectly with a warm string section and a lyric opaque enough to be accessible to everyone.
Definitely one to share with people who might benefit from a listen…
Follow us hereYou can learn more about Vincent Lima here:
About the Curator - Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the dark forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top. They would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
After my dad died I was very sad - I couldn't play for a while and when I did, the music that came out reflected my grieving state. I wrote an album of solo piano music called Music to Grieve to - from which the idea of the Music to community originated.
If you'd like to know more you should read Nicole's fabulous article on why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
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Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the Dark Forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top, they would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
As a psychology graduate I studied how sound affects human performance.
As a musician I compose instrumental music that stimulates your brain but doesn't mess with your language centers, leaving you free to be creative and brilliant without distraction.
As a curator I research how music can improve your life and create flow - I can tell you what music to listen to when studying for a test and why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
As a creator / contributor at musicto I’m part of a global creator community that collaborates through music. You can learn more about our community here.