There are many things that people can do to express their love for the special people in their lives. It can be through giving gifts, spending time together, and as well as dedicating songs for them. Music is something that can evoke powerful emotional responses in people. There are songs that can make us happy, touched, and thrilled. It has a unique power to induce emotional memory. And did you know that memories formed around music can have strong emotional centers? It also relates to something odd about music and emotion, and that is it grows with familiarity.
This is why when someone dedicates a song for you, you will always remember that person whenever you hear that particular song. But why do you think we are moved by music? How do you choose songs for a special person in your life? If you want to know more about this, read on as we’re giving you a guide on picking songs for that special someone.
Why Are We Moved by Songs?
If you are wondering why music evokes emotion and pleasure to us, here are some of the key features of music that may explain our emotional responses to it:
Music can make us reminisce.
Listening to songs that were played a lot during a certain life event that happened years ago, like family reunions, birthdays, and more can trigger a deeply nostalgic emotional experience. The feeling that we are experiencing is not in the music but in what that particular song reminds us. For example, it is possible for a couple to remember a certain song that was playing in the background during their first date, and this can become a very special song for both of them. When they hear that song, they will always remember that moment.
Music is a language of emotion.
Music has components and patterns that represent various feelings, making it a kind of language of emotion. There are people who find it challenging to express their feelings in words but can do it comfortably through music. Did you know that music has the capacity to mimic emotions? It’s because its temporal patterns mirror the emotional lives of us people, and this includes the introduction, buildup, climax, and closure. One example is a slow or mellow song, which, most of the time, conveys sadness as it has a structural similarity with the slowness that we might expect in a sad person.
Music is an auditory cheesecake.
According to a cognitive psychologist named Steven Pinker, music is an auditory cheesecake. It is like a concoction of recreational drugs that people consume through the ear to arouse a mass of pleasure circuits at once. Like rewards, it triggers the pleasure and reward system. When something catches our ear, we want it to be repeated endlessly in the song as we can’t get enough of it.
Music brings people the emotion of awe.
Most of the time, music can make people want to cry as they experience a sense of awe and admiration. Sometimes, this feeling is a kind of wonder at realizing what other people are capable of creating. It is a sensitivity to greatness along with a sense of being overwhelmed by the object of greatness. People may experience motivation and as well as goosebumps in response to these emotions.
What Songs to Choose for the Special People in Your Life
If you are thinking of dedicating a song to a special person, whether it is your parents, brother, sister, significant other, or best friend, we are here to help you. Here are some of the tips for picking songs for that special someone:
Picking Songs for Mom and Dad
Dedicating a song for your parents is one of the best ways to express your love for them. Whether it’s for their anniversary, birthday, or you just want to say thanks for all the things that they do, a good song can help you with that. If you want to express your love for your mom on Mother’s Day, you can check out this list of Great Songs About Moms.
If you are thinking of compiling songs to honor your bond with your parent and appreciate all the things that they have done and are still doing for you, you can pick some songs from our list of Great Songs About Parents and Children. Your parents will surely feel happy and loved whenever they hear the songs that you dedicated to them.
Picking Songs for Your Child/Children
Parents can also dedicate songs for their children. In addition to making your kids feel loved, you can also dedicate songs to them that can motivate and inspire them to achieve their goals and make their dreams come true. It is a way to let them know that you are always there for them to support them for all the things that they want to do.
You can create a playlist for your kids that they can listen to whenever they want. It is something that will remind them that you always got their back. If you need inspiration and ideas, here’s our list of 50 Songs from Parent to Child.
In addition to that, there are also songs that you can dedicate to your kids to remind them to enjoy their childhood days. These are songs about their childhood days that they can still listen to when they grow up. For ideas, you can check out our post on Songs to Celebrate Childhood.
Picking Songs for Your Siblings
If your big brother or big sister made a big impact in your life and you want to honor your relationship, choosing a song for them is a great idea, especially on your wedding day. Dedicating a song to them can honor a lifetime of memories. Maybe you can pick songs that you used to listen to when you were younger or a song that you all can relate to. It is a great way to say thank you for all the fun times you had together or a way to say that you will always be there for them.
Picking Songs for Your Best Friend
Most of us have than one friend that we can’t live without. A best friend can be someone that you have known from your childhood days or someone who has helped you survive your days in school or at work. If you want to give something to your best friend, you can create a compilation of songs for him or her. You can save it in a flash drive or CD, which they can listen to at home or even while driving.
When choosing songs for your best friend, it’s great to pick those that will make you remember all the good times that you have together. It can be a list of songs that you always hear at your favorite restaurant or songs from your best friend’s favorite bands and artists. They will surely be touched to know that you remember their favorites.
Picking Songs for Your Significant Other
Expressing your love to your significant other, whether to your boyfriend, girlfriend, crush, husband, or wife, can be more special with songs. It’s because one of the memorable ways to let someone know that you are in love with them is through music. If you are not talented when it comes to writing songs, no worries, as there are lots of tracks out there that you can dedicate to your significant other to show how much you care.
If you are a husband who’s looking for something to give your wife to let her know that you appreciate her, a simple song can go a long way. If you need ideas, here are 50 Songs from Husband to Wife.
On the other hand, if you are a wife who wants to make her husband feel special and pampered, dedicating a song or a list of songs for him is also a great way to show your love and bring out his true emotions. If you need help in creating a playlist, you can choose from this list of 50 Songs from Wife to Husband.
Picking Songs for Yourself
Of course, if we talk about love and care, you should also be involved. There are times when songs can help us get through the worries and problems that we are experiencing in life. There are days that feel sad but can be changed when we listen to uplifting and motivating songs.
If you are a person who’s transitioning from your youth to adulthood, it may seem like growing up is difficult. While this is quite a normal thing to feel, there are songs that might help you feel better. If you want a list of songs that can remind you to keep going and continue achieving your dreams, check out our post on Growing Up Seems So Hard and Songs That Can Help.
There are also times when it feels great to reminisce about the way you grew up. It’s because people’s growing up stage involves struggles, emotions, and memories, both good and bad. If you could dedicate a song to yourself, what would it be? If you have the same question in mind, you can read our post on Finding Songs for the Soundtrack of Your Life for some great ideas.
Conclusion
Music is indeed a powerful medium that people can use to express themselves and their emotions. You don’t always need to spend a lot of money on gifts and other material things to make special people in your life feel happy and appreciated. Sometimes, dedicating a simple but meaningful song to them is enough to make them feel loved and cared for. Therefore, if you are finding it hard to express your feelings to someone, why not try and choose a song for them. We hope this helps you in picking songs for a special someone in your life.