#11 This Caregiver's Music: 'A backbone of music to stabilise this year.'
Music that inspires and comforts me. How do you build your playlists?
Hello, dear Readers. I’m Victoria (She/her/hers). I cared for my Dad through to his passing (the hellish dark days with grains of joy), and now I look after Mum (calmer waters, with moments of joy and several giggles). You can read more about why I’m publishing Carer Mentor here: Who Started Carer Mentor and Why?’
This is the eleventh ComfortZone article. I started to curate this section on the Carer Mentor website back in December 2024.
The first article has a wealth of ideas: #1 This Caregiver’s Watchlist. ‘Feel the feels’, escape reality or be transported by music.
A backbone of music to stabilise this year
Each year, I update a few playlists to stabilise, soothe or shift my mood during the year ahead.
Over the course of the year, I curate other playlists with new discoveries and motivators.
But these are the songs or classical pieces that serve as vertebrae, keeping me upright or moving. These make me feel more centred, and enable my head, heart and gut to align again.
Here are four playlists for 2026. You can download/follow me (vcinspire) on Spotify.
Positive Comfort. This was started in November 2019, two months before my father passed. It contains the big power ballad by Andrea Faustini, which was my carer’s anthem; ‘I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.’
Demi Lovato’s ‘Sorry, not sorry,’ and Sia’s ‘Unstoppable’ are the defiant keep-going songs that motivate me.
Classical Soother. The title says it all. There are many classics within this. Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No.1 is one of my favourites, because it embodies the slightly off beat, melodic and melancholic discombobulation, I’ve so often felt.
Whereas Delibes Lakmé: Act 1 Dôme épais, le jasmin’, soars.
Housework. This used to be the ‘Change the sheets’ playlist. It makes chores fun and gets me dancing. There are various GenXer themes in here.
2026 Journaling. A new creation with some of my faves.
Nimrod is one of the most comforting pieces for me. The strings and brass, strain and offer a slightly melancholic yearning. But then the music swells. There are waves of faithful chords that feel like an affirmation.
if you’re interested - here’s a short video explaining Elgar’s Enigma Variations:
Imaginings - Film scores. I’ve used this repeatedly to open up my thinking, transport me to new imaginings and reframe things. I hope this helps you too.
Enigmas - holding space When you’re feeling discombobulated and unable to pin down exactly how you’re feeling, sometimes it’s good just to hold the space. No judgment. Not pushing. Just being. Human
Remembering David Bowie.
The Guardian Article: ‘A perplexing, astonishing finale’: world pays tribute to David Bowie a decade after his death
“Ten years ago this week, David Bowie turned 69, released his 26th album, Blackstar – and then exited the stage for good when he died on 10 January.”
The Victoria and Albert (V&A) David Bowie Collection Watch, read, listen and see pieces in the collection.
“Tracing Bowie’s shifting style and sustained reinvention across five decades, highlights include artwork for the Diamond Dogs album, iconic photographs by Kevin Cummins and Terry O’Neill, and a set design for Bowie’s successful Serious Moonlight tour. The collection features several collaborations with artists and designers, demonstrating how Bowie’s work was influenced by and also influenced wider movements in art, design, theatre and contemporary culture.”
Please Remember to ‘❤️’ LIKE the article to guide others to these resources
Don’t forget
There’s a large hub of articles in Carer Mentor
iCare Stack is a hub of articles and a portal to other authors/writers/creators’ publications focused on caregiving. I curate the indexes and anthologies, so you don’t have to spend your precious time and energy scrolling or searching.
Revisiting this post, love these playlists and have them saved on my Spotify!
What a remarkably generous post. I'm listening to Positive Comfort right now. With tears. Good tears as I cry for my dad who I cared for all of last year and he left us in September. I can't afford a paid subscription right now due to some personal circumstances but I want to thank you for this with a big heart. Music has become more important for me as I navigate my grief through tough days... always looking for the beauty. Many many thanks!