Folk music to ease the fear of flying
October 26, 2008
Whenever I interview Kate Rusby, her fear of flying crops up sooner or later. I am not well placed to offer reassurance.
My earliest flights were the stuff of nightmares: rickety little plane from Blackpool (I think) to the Isle of Man, short hops over to France with airlines about to go under.
Even in my mid-20s, I needed an American to get me through a simple flight from Belfast to London. I'd spent a fortnight avoiding being shot, bombed or beaten up and was now trembling about a routine journey by air.
"I think we're going to make it," he said as we completed takeoff and stiff drinks were served. That was long ago. I have no formula to offer Kate. Practice has simply made, if not perfect, acceptable.
And if I no longer truly fear each flight, I still adopt a form of gallows humour and treat it as if it is going to be my last.
It's not really serious, just a slightly morbid game I play, and it passes time. I work out what music I'd like to have heard for the last time just in case. Don't mock my choice - it's taken from whatever I had on the iPod......
My list for last night's trip back to the UAE from Jordan is as follows:
* Rachel Unthank and the Winterset.......Fareweel Regality
* Joan Baez.......A hard rain's gonna fall
* The Dubliners.....Bonnie Shoals of Herring (Luke Kelly singing)
* Cara Dillon......There Were Roses
* Alain Stivell (pictured courtesy of Roger Liptrop and his indispensable Folk Images site) ......Brian Boru
* Fairport Convention (with Sandy).......Farewell Farewell/The Deserter
* Graham and Eileen Pratt...The Last Road
* Steeleye Span....Long Lankin/Blackleg Miner
* Rachel Unthank and the Winterset.......Fareweel Regality (such a great song, so brilliantly done, worth at least one more hearing)
What an unusual way to cope with fear of flying! We offer education to help change those negative thoughts into positive ones and audio distration (Similar to what you use with music) when the thoughts get too bad. You might consider trying out our Fearless FlightKit. The Flight Harmonizer CD has helped turn so many people into fearless flyers. Happy Landings! http://fearlessflight.com
Posted by: Diane Owens | October 23, 2008 at 05:57 PM
Please see the video on the cause and cure of fear of flying at http://www.fearofflying.com/video_hs.shtml
This is not just another lightweight program; this program can help anyone and everyone fly, even people who fear panic when onboard.
Posted by: Capt Tom Bunn LCSW | October 24, 2008 at 01:46 AM
Marvellous thing, air traffic congestion.....you wait for ages for a plane (or Salut! Live Comment) to come along and then they all fly in. Let's not be churlish and call it an intelligent form of spamming, though. Memo to self: use more and more ecatchy phrases such as Fear of Flying and just sit back and watch the vested interests rushing to leave adverts, sorry Comments...
Posted by: Colin | October 26, 2008 at 06:31 AM
I see where you're coming from there Colin. I used to do a blog myself and it's as you say - the people with something to sell are on to you in a flash.
There's some good songs amongst that lot. I have quite a few Ralph McTell cd's as you'll probably understand - and I do quite a lot of to-and-froing from either Dinan airport or St Malo to my home in France - there's a mix I've got of all my favourite songs of Ralph's (if there can be such a thing!), and it lasts me until 10 minutes or so from home before it ends. The time goes so quickly. So yeah, listening to some great tracks can take your mind off things - you have some good ones amongst the list above - one that jumped out was Long Lankin who I believe was supposed to be from my neck of the woods in Northumberland - the version I grew up with was by The Dransfields - but I'll sure give Steeleye Span a go. I watched them on BBC4 last week, a really early one at some Manor House in the South and another with Maddy solo, she doesn't float when she dances anymore and I do believe I caught a note of frustration when she realised that she's not in her 20's anymore!! :O)
Good luck and keep it coming...I've just noticed another name down the side of the blog - Vin Garbutt!! I could go on forever on this blog mate!
I'll be back !!! (excuse all of my exclamations - I do it when I get excited!) (see?)
Posted by: Bill | November 24, 2008 at 05:04 PM