Up & At ‘Em! (or, Thoughts on Morning Music from a Non-Morning Person)

As a bit of a running joke, my dad famously woke up to the song “Need A Little Sunshine” by Augustana every morning for several years. It’s a perfect song for easing into the day; it doesn’t jolt you awake, but it has just the right amount of energy to motivate you to get up, get dressed, and get out of the house. In a similar way, every night for the last two years of high school, I set my morning alarms, queuing songs from my meticulously-planned rotation. I tried to find ones that were the perfect balance of groovy and mellow (unlike my sister, who, on weekday mornings, was known to blast steampunk or heavy-metal songs from video game soundtracks). These were what I came to think of as my Wake-Up Songs: upbeat enough to get me out of bed, and nowhere near as obnoxious as the limited selection of tinny noises from the iPhone clock app. They were songs that I enjoyed listening to for a moment, humming along from the comfort of my bed, before my dad eventually came in to get on my case about being late for school. 

Since moving to Kenyon, I have — somewhat grudgingly — made the switch back to the tried-and-true “Waves” sound from the clock app. (It usually only takes about 6 or 7 alarms for me to be fully awake and in a grouchy mood –– it’s foolproof!) But the songs in this playlist are often some of the first I listen to once I’m up, while eating breakfast or walking to class and wishing I remembered my gloves. They make me feel fun and hopeful and, most importantly, they remind me to go into new situations, even ones I’m dreading, with a positive mindset. I’m a strong believer in the idea that the music we listen to can affect the course of our entire day. Maybe one day I’ll return to my beloved collection of Wake-Up Songs, but, for now, I’m content to face each morning, sleep-deprived but cautiously optimistic, with the help of my Morning Songs. 

- em townsend