Music to Grieve to
listen to sad music and feel better with andrew
featuring artists like
The Staves, Robb Murphy, Colin Hay, Shelby Lynne, Dawes, Tim Minchin, Radiohead, Nick Cave, Tom Khan
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Listening to sad music after losing a loved one, being diagnosed with a terminal illness, or finalizing a divorce might seem counterintuitive, but this somber sounding activity has been proven to help.
Nothing can prepare you for grief, nor is there a right or wrong way to deal with it, but sad music is an easily accessible and highly effective tool that can help you begin to heal.
The music on this list is not designed to cheer you up – although oddly – after listening to it, you’ll likely feel better – it’s designed to meet you where you’re at – to connect with how you’re feeling – to create a space where you can just sit and be with your grief and to know that – that’s OK.
It covers all genres and all topics so it’s likely that not all tracks will resonate with you – but some will – and some will shake you to your core – according to the science – this is a good thing!
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God in Chicago – Craig Finn
27 June 2017
At the end of the day, songs are stories – messages wrapped in sound that are designed to make you feel. In some songs the story is simple, the lyric sparse and straightforward – often accompanied by an elaborate musical wrapper that gives the words weight – but in other songs – in a song like this – it’s the other way around. I like songs like this…
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Things We Hang on To – Daniel Scarsella
20 June 2017
“The things we hold on to
Can cloud your point of view”
Ain’t that the truth!
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Hard as Stone – Duncan Reed
12 June 2017
Hard As Stone was written about a realization that it didn’t matter where you were in life as long as you were comfortable with the people around you. The story behind the song was about getting lost in the mountains when mist came down but not really caring as I’d become content with who I was with.
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Overwhelmed – Erik Fastén
25 April 2017
My cousin died last night – I’m kinda shocked – he was 52 – it doesn’t feel real. And yet here I am, adding tracks to the Music to Grieve to playlist and feeling – well – not better – but – I’ve no fucking idea what I would do if music didn’t exist.
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The Darker Side (Acoustic) – Robb Murphy
20 April 2017
The lyrics and melody of The Darker Side by Robb Murphy are really good. This song never fails to move me and has helped me through dark times. Therefore it will be a great fit for the playlist.
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Dream 3 – Max Richter
15 April 2017
I’ve been living here for a while – it’s super comforting to me – big, open, full of space and yet, warm and comfortable – almost like going back to the womb.
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Time – Hans Zimmer
14 April 2017
I’m a huge Hans Zimmer fan – oh sure, his music is just nuts – beautifully put together and always matching the film perfectly – and aside from the fact that we both use the same DAW – what I love is that I made it into one of his scores!
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Come Pick Me Up – Ryan Adams
27 March 2017
While blood will always be thicker than water, sometimes it’s only your friends who are able to save you. At times like these – this is the track you should reach for.
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Song From A Secret Garden – Secret Garden
24 March 2017
So now I have to go to someone with Latin heritage in Los Angeles to introduce me to Celtic / Scandinavian music – what the hell!?
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I Can’t Make You Love Me – Bonnie Raitt
23 March 2017
Provided by the rather talented Jeff Mallow, in his own words:
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See You Again – John Adams
22 March 2017
Recommended by Charlotte from Project Light Agency, here’s what she had to say:
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6 AM – Hauschka
21 March 2017
I’m not totally convinced that music can be depressing – if music is making you feel something then that’s the opposite of depression. Having said that – this track makes you feel pretty deeply…
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 write creatively 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 believe that music can make the world better.
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