The Magic of Music—A Mother-Daughter Song

Music is a universal language that can uplift, calm, comfort and heal—and neuroscience confirms this. Those who create music tap into a well of creativity that often transcends the mind. Before he passed, Nietzsche declared, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

Listening to music was one of the greatest pleasures of my father’s life, and he loved to sing and dance. On his deathbed, we had his favorite classical music playing continuously, and I sensed angels from another realm listening too. The beautiful melodies were a magical meeting place that crossed every boundary and connected us to the divine.

So today, in celebration of music and the power of creating it—timed to support the theme of tomorrow’s free “Unravelling the Mother Knot” writing workshop—I’m thrilled to share a new song with you: “A Little Time—A Mother-Daughter Song,” written by my sister Ruthie and her daughter, Nina. The song reminds me of the Cat Steven’s classic, “Father and Son,” alternating between the parent’s and child’s perspective, articulating the range of emotions that arise as a child grows to adulthood and becomes their own person.

While the song is autobiographical, it’s also a narrative about an archetypal mother-daughter relationship. “We wanted to convey the trajectory this relationship takes, the individuation process in such an entangled bond, the kind of conflicts that arise, and the strength of the love,” Nina explained. “My mom and I were living exactly what we were writing about—having a conflict and then finding a resolution. It was healing to write it and now, every time we sing it together, it feels like the healing continues.”

Nina is a natural musician who has been playing guitar, singing, and writing songs for years (I shared her rendition of “Grandpa Says” on Father’s Day), but songwriting is a totally new endeavor for Ruthie, and her innate talent has been a rich and wonderful surprise for us all.

Ruthie’s gifts might never have been unearthed if she hadn’t decided to accompany Nina to a beginner’s songwriting class led by Anne Sibley—a professional singer-songwriter who believes in the healing power of music and who is devoted to helping people find their authentic songwriting voice. Ruthie describes her experience in the class this way: “The songs Nina wrote in Anne’s class inspired me to take a leap and see if I, too, could tap into a new type of creativity, even though I have no musical background. In Anne’s class, songs began to come forth from an intuitive place. I started writing songs that have great personal meaning for me, and it’s been a gratifying venue for self-expression. Having Nina as a collaborator to figure out how to play the melodies I envision has helped a great deal. We’re a good team.”

Some of the most potent “Take a Little Time” lyrics from the mother’s perspective include:

It takes a little time

To break the habit

Not react to voices from the past

Why can’t we hear each other?

And yet our love sustains

And from the daughter’s perspective:

It takes a little time

To find out you’re only human

I thought you knew the secrets of the universe

It takes a little time

To see I’m my own person

Can’t tell where you start and where I end

“Take a Little Time” doesn’t shy away from the tangles of the mother-daughter knot, addressing it with lines like, “All I wanted was to grow up just to be like you / All I wanted was to grow up not to be like you.” Ruthie shares, “Songs can be so honest. They give us permission to stay with and feel the bittersweet and sad feelings we’d ordinarily run away from.”

I hope you enjoy this extra-special song, performed by Nina and Anne Sibley—an award-winning musician who is well-known and well-respected in her genre. “I feel honored that Anne agreed to sing the mother part in our song,” says Nina. “She’s been a musical idol of mine since I can remember, so I was over the moon to have the opportunity to record a song with her.”

Ruthie created the music video below, which displays the lyrics and features footage of her and Nina throughout the years, as well as photos of my daughter and me, and other friends and family. If you’re planning to attend our writing workshop tomorrow, it’s a great video to watch to prime the pump ahead of time.

I am very grateful to Ruthie, Nina and Anne for bringing this beautiful song to life. If it inspires you to take Anne’s next six-week online songwriting class in January, or to work with her privately, please visit her website for more information. As Ruthie said to me, “If I can do it, anyone can!”

Enjoy!

Myra GoodmanNovember 11, 2022