Bluegrass--instant mood booster
When I envision Bluegrass music I picture a group of families gathering around a porch at dusk. The women are in dresses while the men have trousers, dirt-stained shirts, suspenders, and taxi cab hats. I picture a few fathers playing their fiddles, strumming their banjos, and plucking their stand-up bass’ while the children show off dance moves, kicking up clouds of dust. Although, however my imagination chooses to see Bluegrass visually isn’t the reality of the genre to me.
After recently spending time listening to the Bluegrass band Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, I have discovered a new purpose and place for Bluegrass music in my life. Picture an overcast day; the sky is gray and sending an ominous hue over the surrounding landscape. You do not feel like going outside, but at the same time you feel trapped in your house and are in a sour mood due to positive sensory deprivation.
How do you better your disposition?
Simply listen to Bluegrass. The reminiscent feeling of being with a group of close friends, continually creating new music; new melodies, rhythms, and styles, and dancing to the bouncy, upbeat tunes is an instant mood boost.
The fiddle’s sweet melody takes away the need for vocals. You can feel the mood of the song through the varying beats and imagine the story of the song yourself. The bass being the foundation and background of the story, the fiddle is the narrator, and the banjo represents the ever-changing storyline. Bluegrass has a naturally upbeat sound to it. And because of this quality I believe it can be an instant boost in any mood crisis for anyone with an open mind!