Musical instruments and mental health

[DrFishnets]

I have created this topic because my topic about my personal story of how wearing skirts and tights is good therapy for my mental health and it started going off topic about music.

Other than wearing skirts amd tights another good therapy for me is producing music and having an interest in synthesizers, electronic music and playing guitar and synths. I also enjoy art, drawing and model making as another form of therapy. The creative person that I am helps me.

[Dust]

Creative/artistic types need their creative outlets. Without it we start going crazy. It's hard to explain, but there it is...

[Kirbstone]

Having been thrown onto the retirement scrapheap last year I now find I have more time to engage in musical pursuits.

Since my 7th birthday I have played piano almost daily. Requiring one to read both base and treble clefs for both hands it is a very demanding engaging and fulfilling instrument to get involved with. (Proper organists read three clefs, one for the feet also. The King of instruments. Ask Uncle Al.) Also, once one has accumulated sufficient harmonic knowledge, playing popular music without notes is a good facility too.

Another instrument not to be overlooked is the human voice. I have been a chorister all my life and reading music for that is relatively simple in that one only needs to read a single line, one note at a time. I greatly admire those who can play and sing simultaneously, i.e. accompany themselves. Alas I could never do that.

Memory bank is important there. I had a brother who was a great troubador/entertainer and who could play guitar and sing all night without consulting any music or song lists. Alas he is no longer with us. The final hymn at his funeral service was himself double-track recorded harmonising with himself singing 'The leaving of Liverpool' to his own accompaniment. I have an elder daughter who plays Irish traditional harp professionally, has her own website and sings to her harp like she was born to it.
I myself keep my fingers busy in a harpist-led traditional Irish music group called Noteworthy. My contribution there is a mean tin-whistle.

That little instrument goes very well also with Sea Shanties and having joined a German shantychoir 36 years ago when I worked there I have remained in contact ever since and am due to sail on the Baltic with them later in the year and attend two Shantyfestivals. I'll pack a kilt and my whistles, for sure.

With daily musicmaking my sanity remains largely intact. At school I was introduced to the 'cello, a large stringed instrument played between one's knees while seated. In common with violins, violas and double-basses its strings have no frets to define the tuned note, one must find the note one's self! I never progressed to be able to entertain on the 'cello and I greatly admire those who persevere and do. I keep my 'cello under my piano and drag it out to play Christmas carols with visiting family only!

Anyone play the didgerydoo ?

Tom

[Seb]

I have tried many a times to learn instruments, from electric guitar to steeldrum, but I just dont have the nack for it. I love listening to music though. I have even tried to dabble in digital music production, both 8bit and proper daws but again, I just dont have that part that can connect the notes in a satisfactory way.

I have other creative outlets, I went to a arts high school and enjoyed both painting, photography and drawing. I used to experiment a lot with my beer brewing(now I mostly make the same recepie), i love playing creative video games(like city builders or games where you need to design things) and then there's sewing aswell. Oh, and I still "play" with legos.

[DrFishnets]

Thanks for the replies.

I have always been musical. I started playing keyboard at the age of 10 when I used to play my grandparents bontempi home organ and got my first keyboard which was Casio for my Christmas. Since then I’ve been collecting synths and own over 60 synthesizers and a lot of guitars. I think learning the guitar helped me a lot with my mental health as well as drawing, painting and art in general. I like to see the clothes I wear as wearing my artwork as I’m into designing my own outfits.

[Uncle Al]

This cake will help anyone's mental health



Uncle Al

[Kirbstone]

That cake looks like a birthday cake for Liberace. I defy anyone take a knife to it and cut into it!

Btw., In order to deliver any sort of credible performance on an instrument, the very last thing you need is to swig that whiskey.

Tom