As my family can attest, I have far from perfect pitch and as the old saying goes: “I have more luck carrying a bucket then carrying a tune.” My grandchildren respectfully listen to my off tune lullabies in hopeful anticipation that I will end the serenade sooner than later. Perhaps in spite of or even because of this handicap, music has become a central part of my life. Whether puttering in the kitchen, reading a favorite novel or playing canasta on-line, music is in the background of most of my daily activities.

And so it seems with coping during this pandemic. If the newscasts are any measure of the rest of the world’s reliance on the soothing tones of new and old melodies then millions of people are similarly using this “survival” technique. Music may be said to be the mainstay of dealing with many of life’s challenges. And this pandemic is no different.

Here are some stories that highlight how music can “soothe the soul.”

My father grew up in the Canadian Atlantic province of Nova Scotia, a picturesque area known for its hospitality and abundance of skilled musicians. Like me, dad would not be called a crooner but his love for music was well known to his friends and family. In our household, Monday nights were reserved for Don Messer’s Jubilee, a musical variety show produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Whether it was Marg Osborne or Charlie Chamberlain (the program’s featured performers) belting out well known favourites, dad tapped his foot and mouthed the lyrics to familiar Celtic strains. On Sunday afternoons our living room was filled with the sounds of maritime musical favourites played by such well known musicians as the Rankin Family and Rita MacNeil. If my father had his way he would have nominated these performers for sainthood.

Last week, my dad’s beloved Nova Scotia was dealt an added blow during the pandemic. In a small, close knit county, a madman “committed multiple shootings and set fires at 16 locations , killing twenty-two people and injuring three others.” There is no way to soften this horrific tragedy. But the virtual vigil conducted on April 24 was alive with musical tributes to those who needlessly lost their lives or sustained serious injury. As one local citizen said, “There is a proud tradition in this part of the world. Sometimes, when there are no words, we turn to song.”

Similarly, I am truly amazed by the clips of frontline workers who mix their duties with a “dollop” of song. Some of these heroes sing as a choir at the end of their shifts, sending inspiring messages. Others, like Doctor Elvis, a resident at the orthopaedic department at the Mayo clinic, have been posting videos that are going viral. His renditions , including an inspiring “Lean on Me “ are stirring and touching, serving as musical medication to us all.

While struggling through this crisis is far from easy, knowing there is some solace through music is calming. Whether the music is rooted in family tradition, the result of connection to personal experience, or just love of a cherished genre, music can soothe the soul.