Ever heard of "Blue Monday"? It's that day in January when the holiday glow wears off, your bank account has a big fat 0, and reality smacks you in the face. But here's the deal – we're not letting you succumb to those blues! Instead, we're handing you the power of our favourite mood lifter: music. Keep reading for 4 music-focused resolutions that we’ve crowd sourced from The Halley team that will kick those January blues to the curb and make this year the soundtrack to your success. They are a range of difficulty levels, so choose one wisely!
London is the ultimate concert playground so it's a great time to enjoy it. This year, let's tone down the Netflix binges and hit up more live music. By this, we don't mean spending big cash on big-name artists (though of course, you can) but it's always worth sprinkling some love on the indie scene. TimeOut and Dice are like your gig-watching wingmen, and are brilliant resources for free or low cost shows filled with hidden gems. In the Halley community, loads of our members are putting on gigs and festivals as well. Who knows, you might stumble upon your next musical obsession.
Make a commitment to exploring more music. There are a few ways to do this, such as making it a habit to listen to more albums or strolling down memory lane with classic records. In the past few years, going back to Top 100 lists from places like Pitchfork have reintroduced me to gems I thought I forgot. Another good place to start is your favourite artistsd favourite artist. The best bit about this is you don't even need to leave the comfort of your own home. Trust me; your soul will thank you.
Hands up if you've ever dreamed of being the cool cat strumming a guitar or tinkering on the piano. Well, guess what? This year, we're making that dream a reality. Whether you're a maestro-in-the-making or about to butcher your favourite song, it's all good - sounding kinda bad at first is part of the charm, right? This doesn't have to stay purely analogue either - flex your creativity and start learning how to DJ or produce to support your self expression. This commitment isn't for the faint-hearted, but I can promise you that if you stick to just 15 mins a day, by the end of the year you'll be able to serenade whoever you want.
Confession time: My Spotify playlist is basically just a 'liked songs' graveyard. Sound familiar? Well, let's shake things up and give our lives an OST - official soundtrack. A Spotify cleanup is good for the soul, but if you're already more organised than me, how about curating playlists for every mood and moment? Whether you need hype for a workout, chill vibes for that commute or guilty pleasures for housework. Get creative and let music be the magical backdrop to our lives.
