Every object in the world has something called a resonant frequency. There is a physics-based explanation for how it happens but the idea is that at some point when confronted with the right amount of energy an object will store and transfer that energy at a particular frequency. Often this transference is expressed as a vibration, like how your couch shakes when your downstairs neighbor plays the stereo too loud or how a guitar string vibrates when you pluck it. Maybe even more interesting is how that object takes on its resonant frequency, essentially filtering out all the others. 

I’m no scientist but I like to apply this concept to a process I call Mindful EQ. In the world of sound engineering the abundance of certain frequencies can help the message in a sound (or song) resonate more deeply, or it can obscure it. In the sound mixing process we use a tool called an equalizer (or EQ) that allows us to adjust different frequencies in a particular sound depending on our preferences.

Anytime I choose to listen, whether it’s to a piece of music or a person speaking, I bring that resonance filter of my personal history. Maybe a song possesses a rhythm that reminds me of a favorite childhood nursery rhyme. Or maybe the tone in a person’s voice makes me recall the way my Dad yelled at me to wake up every morning for school when I was in high school. Good or bad, I find it interesting to notice the things that resonate with me and maybe consider why they do.

By listening mindfully, I become aware of the filtering process that I bring to each song and conversation that I choose to engage with. Hopefully by applying a little Mindful EQ I am able to hear more of the music and less of the noise inside my head. Hopefully, some of these songs will resonate with you. – Thanks for listening, MMM

This month’s playlist includes song by: Peggy Lee, OK O’Clock, Wire, The Flaming Lips, Dead Lips, Lee Ranaldo, Raul Refree, Guided By Voices, Herman Dune, James Levy, Barbara Lynn, Erin Durant, Gil Scott-Heron, Makaya McCraven, John Moreland, Waxahatchee, George Strait, Samana, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Ricky Kej, Joan Shelly

(Subscribe to get a new playlist every 1st Monday of the month. Click on my user link or search: Major Matt’s 1st Monday on Spotify to cruise past playlists and discover more music.)