The Medicine Cabinet #13

Music Is My Medicine

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.

 Kerrie by Nayt Housman

Tonight in the clinic I saw to the needs of a very close friend. Kerrie, 56, who was once a feisty and sassy antique dealer and says being the best person she can, using only what’s needed and loving her lot is her life passion. That’s when she isn’t travelling or throwing shade at the neighbourhood villains.

Who flicks your switch and turns up the volume?

Kerrie: It’s so diverse (my music) it could be anything from listening to Neil Finn singing ‘Better Be Home Soon’ (it really makes me nostalgic about my estranged son)...

...and then I’ll flip over the other side to Freddie Mercury singing, Queens ‘We Are The Champions’

('cause I think I kicked my recent cancer to the curb and I won). Then I might even go into something like my 80s music like Grace Jones, Sade, Soft Cell you know I could keep going on and on and on. You know I just did my housework last week to the 1998 Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras soundtrack, there were some wonderful songs.

Why are they the pills that cure your ills?

Kerrie: I think what happens to me when I listen to music is I associate with the lyrics. If there’s something that’s making me feel nostalgic, sad or you know just morose, it’s the words that get me, but then there’s other songs where it’s the actual driving music for going on a road trip, so it could be I don’t know, the M People, something really beaty. I love a good dance, I’m the best dancer in my own disco, sometimes I’ll just put on music and for exercise, do 45 minutes of the most ridiculous dancing you will ever see in your life, but to me it’s fun.

What kind of high does it give you?

Kerrie: There’s nothing like a good tune and it can get you up there that you ARE that rock star on the stage. You know what I mean? If it’s a really good anthem you ARE Madonna, you become Freddie. I’M MADGE! “Hollidaaaaaay! Celebraaaaaate!” It transforms me from Kerrie into Freddie Mercury singing, “We are the champions, no time for loserrrrrrrs, 'cause we are the champions, my friend!” that’s a real winning song (laughs).

When do you find yourself craving musical relief?

Kerrie: Sitting back on a far off tropical island sipping on their local brew but having to listen to their local music. That’s when you want your own music to listen to, that’s why I always travel with a little Walkman.

 

Where does music take you?

Kerrie: It just takes me to my peaceful place where it will make me happy or make me sad. I mostly listen to it at home in my own lounge room or in the back yard, while on my computer or while I’m driving. It takes me to a place where the only thing that matters is that song or that music at the time, everything else has gone out the window, bar what I’m listening to. Goreki by Lamb is one of those ones that take me to another place. I don’t have any idea what the song is originally about but the tears just roll down my face.


 How do you share your music love?


Kerrie: Well when I worked in retail I stood there and sang so everyone could listen to it. If I have anything new to share I’ll share it but these days it’s usually other people sharing it with me. When I entertain I like to have nice music on so other people can hear. It’s very nostalgic for people to come to my place and pick my music.


“It transforms me.” Is there a better way to describe the effect of music? Through lyrics, melody, beat, tone and emotion music can make us whoever we want to be and transport us to other timeframes in our lives. It’s magical in its power and no one regardless of their apparent fortitude is immune to the effects of music.


I shall dub this 'The Houdini Effect'. Is it all an illusion or is it just tapping into secret unopened chambers within our personalities? How does music gain direct contact with our feely bits on the inside and how does is make our bodies respond with movement almost involuntarily? Whatever the answer I love it’s magic and I want it in me, for better or worse, ‘til death do us part.


Doctor Nayt’s prescription this week is to let go of all the things in life you can’t control, do what you love and as Kerrie says; “just be happy with your lot" because no matter who you are, where you live, what stage of life you are in, where you work etc. there is always music and music transforms you like magic.

The Candy Shop #15

Nayt: Soon to be visiting your dreams...

I Got It From My Mother

by Nayt Housman

Last week I shared a little about my dad’s rather, ummmm, camp taste in music and how it’s influenced my current taste. So this week I’ll share the Yin to my dad’s Yang.


If only will.i.am’s song was worthy of my even knowing the title (or making the effort to look it up) I’d use it as an introduction to this week's Candy Shop. However, simply knowing the one useful line from it is enough and I don’t want to offend any readers' ears with sub par music (this week anyway).


Most of my music memories of my mum have something to do with traveling. Either traveling to get groceries, traveling to and from school, traveling to visit friends or family, I always remember the music we would listen to on the radio or our fave cassette tapes.

Little Lies

by Fleetwood Mac 

I learned so many lessons in life listening to music in the car, “tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies”, was the chorus of Fleetwood Mac’s Little Lies. What I couldn’t understand about those words was, what is a little lie compared to a big lie?


Little lie = Saying, “Wow babe, your new cut and colour look amazing!” When you actually mean “Holy shit did you pay actual money to get that cut and colour?”


Big lie = “No officer, I have no idea how that 2kg bag of cocaine got into my bag.”


Okay, so I now know the difference between the two but why did she want to be told lies too?


Regardless of the reason I was told that all lies were bad and would result in severe consequences but that didn’t stop me listening to and loving Fleetwood Mac’s 'Little Lies' plus I always enjoyed imagining what the little lies could have been.

Sight For Sore Eyes

by M People 

Bizarre Fruit was an album that fruited from the loins of one of my fave bands as a kid. I remember wandering around our yard singing many M People tunes and most trips involved putting the cassette tape on and both mum and I singing along for the whole trip to and from school.


I don’t know if it was the house beats, the upbeat melodies or Heather Small’s amazing voice and larger than life hair, but I adored everything they did from 'Movin' On Up' to 'One Night In Heaven'. However we only ever owned the one cassette tape and once I discovered Bjork in the mid nineties I more or less forgot about them until recently. I plan to rectify this atrocity with many hours of YouTube and chanting “movin on up, movin on up, dooooo do do doo do”.

Break In The Weather

by Jenny Morris 

Way back in the early 90s a song with bloated saxophone and alluring lyrics seduced me, moved me and lodged itself in my brain. It was the funky, jazz infused, pop magic that is 'Break In The Weather', by Jenny Morris.


I don’t actually think mother dear liked it at all, but at the time it was repeatedly played on the radio as it was Morris’ biggest Australian hit and I certainly wasn’t objecting to its rhythmic lure.


Not only was it one of my fave songs as a youth (and it still is), but it also had one of the most amazing video clips I can remember. Featuring a ventriloquist puppet that projects trumpets from its eyes and ears, loads of creepy dolls, giant floating lips and hands, and some of the cheesiest (most amazing) dancing you have ever seen *fist pumps*.

Pleasure and Pain

by Divinyls

 Oh the Divinyls, they changed how I felt about rock music and introduced me to raw unbridled sexuality. In fact I love them so much I included them in my top 90s bands of all time, so rather than rehash the same blurb, go check out what I had to say in our 90s countdown.