Today as I write this post, it’s R U OK? Day in Australia.   It was created a few years back as a way of triggering conversations that might help people who while on the face of it seem to be in a good state of mind, beneath the surface are struggling.

Mental health is a topic that’s not for the faint-hearted, and let me state for the record that I have no training in the area.  But then again, that’s precisely the point of R U OK:  every one of us can play a role in each other’s mental state.  Small things matter.  Saying a cheery “hello!” to your grumpy neighbour will do both of you good 🙂

If you’re reading this it’s likely you are a creative – a videographer, an editor, a content creator, a podcast producer, an influencer.  What a fantastic gig!  You create things!  You construct images and sound and music to engage and resonate with other humans.  How awesome is that?!?  But as such, you probably spend a fair bit of time staring at a screen in a room by yourself at all hours of the day, and that has its challenges.

The current worldwide pandemic has had a huge impact on many of us, and depending on your country or region’s current state, you might struggle to emerge for even the simplest of tasks.  You also might be worried about work, your family and friends, money, yours and your loved ones’ physical health.  Phew!! …it’s a lot to deal with, and even more so if the ability to have human contact is reduced.

A key part of our ethos at Melodie is to be KIND.  Kindness costs nothing, no amount is too small, and it’s good for both the giver and the receiver.  Ditto, gratitude. 

Here’s a link to a site with some super simple tips that can in fact be a huge help if you’re going through a rough patch.

So in the spirit of gratitude:  I feel truly grateful to our entire roster of composers and artists.  In fact I feel enormously protective of them.  They are amazingly talented, hard working and giving of their art.  And to me that’s pretty much the best thing a human can be.  Please take a moment to check them out.  They’re all bloody fantastic.

One of the things Melodie is all about is emotion in music:  Making people feel.  I (and my wonderful colleague Craig Hodges) have the lucky task of listening to every track that graces our library, so I thought I’d share a handful of tracks that get me right in the feels.

Some of them are angry, some of them are tense, some of them are a cool drink on a sunny day, but each of the composers has shared with all of us, an emotion that they felt. And without words spelling it out, they were able to turn that emotion into frequencies and rhythms for all of us to share. What an amazing gift to us all.

If you or anyone you know needs help call Lifeline (in Australia) or be sure to talk to someone.