Music is a mostly healthy antidote to emotional strain and mental hardships. Like many other twenty-something college students, I struggle with anxiety. In fact, college students like me make up some of the 40 million Americans who have anxiety disorders, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. While nothing can replace traditional medicine, I found that a new music selection (i.e. Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac) has helped me reconnect with my authentic self.
Although I haven’t (yet) gotten around to reading Nicks’ new(ish) biography, “Gold Dust Woman,” I know enough of her story to be thoroughly inspired. She loved singing from a young age and turned that love into a life of art. Above all else, I admire the love she has for her craft. Just last year, Stevie Nicks was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, once as a part of Fleetwood Mac and the other as a solo artist. As an aspiring writer, I often struggle with motivation, inspiration, dedication, and basically every other -tions you can think of. Nicks makes me feel empowered in a way that’s both productive and fulfilling- a rare after-effect of music.
Describing how exactly music makes a person feel better seems trite, kind of like explaining why some people love The Office and others don’t. It’s this intangible attribute that makes being human so great. So, instead of explaining how Stevie makes me feel, I think you should check out more of her (and Fleetwood Mac’s) music. Here are some of my go-to songs:
With Fleetwood Mac
“Gypsy” from Mirage (1982)
“Dreams” from Rumours (1977)
“Rhiannon” from Life Becoming a Landslide (1975)
“Sara” from Tusk (1979)
“Never Going Back Again” from Rumours (1977)
“The Chain” from Rumours (1977)
“Everywhere” from Tango in the Night (1987)
“Gold Dust Woman” from Rumours (1977)
Solo
“Edge of Seventeen” from Bella Donna (1981)
“Talk to Me” from Rock a Little (1985)
“Rooms On Fire” from The Other Side of the Mirror (1989)
“Nightbird” from The Wild Heart (1983)
Everything on the albums 24 Karat Gold (2014) and Crystal Visions (2015)
I hope that you all get ~blessed~ with some Big Nicks Energy.