So now that the reunions are old news, I was thinking about what these bands, or their music offer us as individuals and as a collective society.
One concept that resonates deeply with me is the sociologist Tia DeNora’s idea of music listening as an asylum. This framing holds particular significance for me, especially when viewed through the lens of a neurodiverse perspective. For some of us, music can become a place of escape, protection, and sanctuary—a kind of refuge from the world. DeNora’s notion emphasises music's therapeutic and sanctuary-like qualities, offering emotional, psychological, and social shelter. It reveals how music serves as a powerful medium for creating personal and communal spaces of comfort, safety and asylum, capable of influencing mood, offering solace, and nurturing a sense of almost ‘womb’ like belonging.
Music, according to DeNora, offers a form of asylum by allowing individuals to retreat from the pressures and stresses of everyday life. It provides a means to manage emotions and experiences, offering a sense of control and stability. In moments of distress or chaos, music can create an orderly and predictable environment, acting as a buffer against external turmoil. It is this predictability and its unique way of minimising the distracting chaos that many of us (especially ADHD or ASD) may find particularly appealing. We can struggle with excessive distraction and the see-saw of overwhelm that can follow this. As DeNora says, music listening can ‘re-furnish’ our sonic environment and provide a calming sense of regulation when things become too much. We can take a difficult world and turn it into a fuzzy warm pillow of calm. This was especially a life saver for me when I bought my first Walkman (cassette player), I could suddenly soundtrack my own world.
This concept also expands to the role of music in social interactions and community building as It can create shared experiences that strengthen bonds among individuals, fostering a collective sense of identity and support. This communal aspect of music can also be viewed through its contribution to function as an asylum, where individuals feel part of a larger supportive network. I’ve spoken about this community in previous blogs and within my own research. Another key concept that DeNora highlights is how personal agency can be cultivated through musical engagement. By selecting specific pieces of music or participating in musical activities, individuals actively create their own spaces of asylum. This self-reliance resonates strongly with the way many of us rebels (or ADDers) prefer to operate—we often value independence and are reluctant to rely on others.
Overall, DeNora's idea of music as an asylum demonstrates the diverse ways music functions as a refuge. It provides not only immediate emotional relief but also supports long-term well-being by creating safe spaces, fostering social connections, and empowering individuals. In this sense, music becomes a vital tool for sustaining mental and emotional health, especially in the unpredictable world of the music industry.
So next time you’re waltzing around your own world with your Airpods in your ears, hold DeNora in mind as she has a fantastic way of looking at music. As music makers or music fans, where would we be without this life saving resource and our ability to refurnish or refurnish our lives? In a world of corporate companies squeezing the new musicians out, Tonic music are here nurturing the makers of this art.
Adam Ficek hosts a monthly show 'Tonic Music' on Totally Wired Radio, where he talks to various guests about music and mental health. You can listen again to any of the previous show on the Tonic Music Mixcloud page.
