The Medicine Cabinet #27

Courtney’s Lesson In Sarcasm 

by Nayt Housman

Music is my medicine. Is it yours? I ask the public six golden questions to find out if and how they use music to feed the soul.

'Courtney' by Nayt Housman

Tonight’s patient is one of my favourite people in the world and is equally the bravest person I know along with one of the most sensitive but boy does she know her way around a sarcastic response. I wasn’t sure we’d even make it through the interview and what usually takes around five minutes went for close to fifteen. In the few years I’ve known 24 year old Courtney she has travelled the world playing with dolphins, parrots, caring for orphans and generally looking for that ‘something’ that makes her happy. In the process she has grown so much, learnt more about herself than she imagined and taught me so much too. However as well as I know her being one of my besties, I know little about her music life, so evidently being a professional music doctor, I thought it my duty to find out.


Who are the musicians and/or bands that flick your switch and turn up the volume?

Courtney: Well, ummmm, I’d probably say that…ask me the question again? What do you mean, “flick my switch”?


Okay, It varies and often I don’t actually know the names of people but I would say Missy Higgins because she was like the first ever artist that I had any interest in. The next one you’re not going to like!!! It’s name starts with a ‘D’ and ends with a ‘rake’…I can’t help it, and I named my bird after him, Kirby’s middle name is Drake. And then Chet Faker and this guy called James Vincent McMorrow, mainly because I’m a bit lazy and my friends tell me who’s interesting. So those are two that some of my friends love. Oh and James Blake!

Why do you think they are the pills that cure your ills?


Courtney: Fucking hell Nayt, what does that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? *Lol* I don’t know what language you’re talking…


Well Missy Higgins, her music and her lyrics are quite poetic I think. So I can be quite like depressive with her and just because I listened to her through my high school years it sort of brings me back to that time. Drake ‘cause I can be ghetto! *Lol* and just ‘cause it gives me like some street cred. The other ones I mentioned, the James guy, he’s very ethereal and whimsical and just really pretty, his voice is just really beautiful, Chet is just cool. He could transport you to a pub like drinking the cider and the other James is just really emotional and beautiful too.

What kind of high do they give you?


Courtney: Oh god…what do you mean? Hahaha.


Well I think sometimes I listen to music that is how I’m feeling if that makes sense. So if I’m feeling a bit emotional maybe I’ll listen to a bit of Missy because it’s cathartic you know? Then some, I think that I can just relax to, like just chill out.

When do you find yourself craving music for relief?


Courtney: These are stupid questions…*lololol* I kind of like having music on all the time. Well sometimes, because I don’t like awkward silences. So if you’re having dinner or whatever it’s just nice to have that in the background…


What was the question? I don’t know how… How would someone answer that? When do you crave music? When you feel like listening to it pfffft! I think these questions are very ‘wordy’ and stupid.


No, I’m going to think about that… I crave music just all the time because I think it enhances whatever you’re doing. So if you’re drinking coffee, it enhances that experience, if you are reading a book, if you are driving a car, it enhances.

Where in life, home, and your world does music take you?


Courtney: Some, like I said before (Missy Higs) it can take me back in time and can just remind you of an era like, you know that song “show me how them apple bottom jeans…” that reminds me of grade 12 and getting my license and thinking I’m really cool and then like other songs remind me of when I was travelling (like Missy Higgins ‘Nightminds’). I also enjoy Christmas carols, I enjoy singing Christmas carols, I love dancing to Christmas carols, I love pretending that I’m the singer. It takes me sometimes to a happy place…I don’t fucking know…

How do you share your music love?


Courtney: I sing it; I’m just the best singer. What do you mean “How do I share it”?


Or DO you share your music?


Courtney: No not really I don’t think. I think music is a very personal thing. It’s like somebody looking at your underwear. So people can just judge you, it’s very private and it can be very embarrassing depending on what you see you know? People say that they like music, like they’ll pretend they like someone even if they don’t because that’s what’s cool.

All I can think now of is whenever I share my music with anyone that they’ll be judging me as if I have dirty undies! But thankfully I can live in comfort knowing a little saying Courtney has “accept the things you cannot change, have courage to change the things you can and wisdom to know the difference.” So in other words it really doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of your music whether it’s daggy, cool or otherwise. But the question really is what has Courtney taught me about music and life?


Well firstly that my questions are stupid but mostly that music isn’t all about idolisation.  It doesn’t matter what you’re listening to or who made it, only whether you find a connection with it in some way, although Courtney did only like Drake to feel ‘ghetto’ and give her ‘street cred’. I guess that’s her dirty underwear and I guess then the lesson is that everyone has their tunes that provide meaning to their life and then some are just for fun.


I shall dub this ‘The I Don’t Fucking Know Because Courtney Has Ruined My Life Effect’. So basically just like any music you want. There doesn’t have to be a reason, or there can be a reason. It can be because your friends like it or because it makes good background music or because you like annoying people with your Christmas carols.


Doctor Nayt’s prescription this week is to not bother even finding out the artists you like or even bother choosing any music for that matter. Just put on the bloody radio or put your iPod on shuffle and just let music, any music, be the background to your life. But even better than that, make everything anyone says into a song, like my friend Courtney does. Because in reality music is just in your soul and it resonates from your heart and when you sing the sentence just spoken back to the person who said it, it will make them smile and tell you “you’re weird” then you’ll laugh together and life will be beautiful.