The love of radio

The radio has been part of my life, all my life.  Living without a television would be a minor irritation at times, but living without a radio would be very difficult. It has been a constant through life. 

My earliest memories are of an old wireless on top of a refrigerator in the kitchen. I listened to 'Listen with Mother', but other programmes entered my conscious. As transistor radios came available, so the association built up with being unwell and listening to various radio programmes in bed.  Mostly light music programmes, but some spoken word. News too, boring though I found it...then.

Later came to first forays into nightime listening and pop music.  I listened to comedy programmes too, with the humour of double-entrendres going straight over my head. ('Round the Horne' is still one of the rudest and funniest comedy programmes ever made.)

The transistor radio was my companion and there are several family photos of me, the sulky teenager and a radio somewhere near my side. (Reading the sentence back, may be a clue to my attachment to radio. Who knows?) 

A birthday gift of my first, personal transistor radio brings back happy memories. The destruction of said radio does the opposite.

Some years ago, I was on a weekend course in a beautiful and peaceful part of the Yorkshire Dales. There was no mobile signal, which didn't worry me, as the place had a land line for emergencies. But I had forgotten to take a radio with me and my phone radio wouldn't work.

The radio is still a night time companion. Going to sleep on the Saturday night took time. Waking up and not having some connection with the outside world felt uncomfortable. I went to the car, drove a few miles down the dale to a spot where I could listen to the radio. I felt I was in touch with the world.

The course was on a particular therapy. My little pre-breakfast sojourn down the dale interested the tutor. On the first day I had noticed that various people were being picked out for 1:1 in front of the class and I knew my time would come. I also knew that the tutor was on the look out for something that could be tear-jerking to the participant. Emotional arousal sells.

She asked me to be the 1:1 participant that morning. I knew what she was after. In a way she was on the right track. If something means a great deal to someone, enough for them to go out of their way to find it, then there is more than likely to be an emotional bond with the behaviour. My love of radio, could be considered not dissimilar to the action of addiction.

The tutor is a highly accomplished teacher and therapist. I knew that if there was anything to uncover she would. But it must have been frustrating for her, because I didn't break down in tears, as all the others had done. She was trying to show that there was something 'wrong' in my attachment to radio, my need to know that life was going on outside the building and grounds. But all I felt was joy and contentment, not distress. So no painful memories for her to pick at.

This morning I started with a news programme on waking. A dip into the teenage memory bank on the car radio, when an old 60s song was played. Then back at home, a memory of a wonderful TV programme, when the famous piece of classical music that was used as theme music, was played on another radio station. It's not even midday yet. The variety of entertainment available now on the radio is superb.

What's triggered these musings? A new song, not yet released, but being played (hyped) on a radio station. 

The music in the morning is generally just background noise, but something made me stop and listen. It wasn't the words, the voice seemed familiar, but I felt emotional. The moment passed. I heard it again on another programme. Same effect. On the third hearing, the studio gang were mentioning how moving some of them found it. I wish I could work out why. 

It's not the words, because I didn't hear them at first. The voice reminds one of another singer, but her songs, while sad, have never bought tears to my eyes so readily. I found the track on You Tube. Nothing too exciting there, it could be a glossy car or perfume advert. 

I've attributed the reaction down to some of the musical phrasing, that is pressing a button somewhere in my emotional brain, but goodness knows what it is. I'm sure that tutor would find it!

Inevitably, the song has now become an 'ear worm', a song that is stuck in your head. I don't appear to be the only person experiencing an emotional hijack. It will be interesting to see if it becomes a big seller.

Music can be a huge mood changer. Often, we can't help the change in mood that hijacks us. Doing a weekly shop can be stressful enough, without some tune coming over the tannoy that whisks one away to a happier or more miserable time. An emotional hijack and not always a convenient one. 

I have known music trigger episodes of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). If a piece of music was playing at the time of a traumatic event in someone's life, then any reminder of it, could trigger the brain to go in to 'fight or flight'.

We can't help the first thought, but we can change the second. I know exactly how to make a painful memory more painful. Wallow in it, play the music again and again, feel desperate. "If you pick it, it won't get better."

I also know how to brighten my mood. I have any amount of music that can do that. (Yes, I do have all my old 45s and LPs.)  Funny though, how powerful the wish to wallow in the misery can be, as if we deserve to punish ourselves. 

As I'm writing this, a striking thought comes to mind. My son has always loved radio too. He works for a major radio station, a music radio station. I wonder where the seeds for that were sown?

Meanwhile, in case you're interested, here's the link to the song I'm writing about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jJntIprmD0

©Ritaleaman2013