👂A melody so potent

Dear Balmer,

I have yet to find a word in the English language that describes playing a song on repeat, over and over, for more than 8 days straight.

98% of the Western population has experienced earworms, aka stuck song syndrome (SSS)?

The National Institute of Health (NIH) defines earworms as “Recurring tunes that involuntarily pop up and stick in your mind. They’re usually catchy tunes that pop up spontaneously or triggered by emotions, associations, or by hearing the melody. Psychologically, earworms are a ‘cognitive itch’: the brain automatically itches back, resulting in a vicious loop. The more one tries to suppress the songs, the more their impetus increases, a mental process known as ironic process theory.”

Earworms are considered intrusions. Unwelcome, annoying, involuntary thoughts. So this term doesn’t fit the bill when you’re purposefully typing a song title in the search bar, adding it to a playlist, and clicking the repeat icon 🔁 with a goofy yet satisfied smile on your face. 🤓

There’s another word for people with a strong, often obsessive, love of music…melomaniac.

“Melo-” comes from the Greek word mélos, meaning song or melody.

“-Maniac” comes from maniakós, signifying a state of madness, compulsion, or a intense craving.

It gets us closer, but I don’t love the idea of pathologizing our enthusiasm. Loving music feels more like devotion than a disorder.

In classical music, there’s a term idée fixe — fixed idea, a recurring musical theme that represents a singular obsession. Berlioz used it in Symphonie fantastique (subtitled Episode in the Life of an Artist) and expressed his all-consuming infatuation and romantic obsession with an actress named Harriet Smithson. One melody weaves through every movement, changing shape but never leaving.

That gets us even closer. So what if we merge the two?

What about melofixe.

A melody so potent it becomes a fixed idea. Not stuck like an earworm, but consciously chosen, embraced, and lovingly played to death (and rebirth). 🔁 

It’s those kinds of songs that I share with you here every week. 🤓

🎶 One Song

So what melody has held me, actually my whole family, in a headlock for more than a week? The one song we can’t stop playing, singing, feeling, looping…

🔁 This week’s melofixe comes from KPop Demon Hunters.

✍️ One Poem

〰️ One Move

👂 Loving on your ears

Watch this video for a 1 minute routine of ear massage, pulls, and folds.

This simple routine stimulates over 200 acupressure points in the ear. Many of which are connected to major organs and systems, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine and nervous system practices. It’s like giving your whole body a subtle and soothing wake-up call.

What it does:

• Soothes the nervous system, helping you drop into rest-and-digest mode

• Relives jaw tension and eye fatigue (especially helpful after a day of screens or headphones)

• Improves circulation in your face and head, giving you a beautiful glow and lift (no blades or injections required)

• Gently brings you back into the present moment

Let’s call this move, Becoming Ear-Resistable. 🤓

May your ears be attuned to what harmonizes you.
May music meet you in just the right places.
The aching ones, the dancing ones,
the ones that remember who you are.
And when a melody holds you like a loving prayer,
may you let it.
On repeat.
As long as it takes to release
and return.
May you let yourself be heard.

😍 Karen

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#8