What a Toledo Musician Taught Me About Slowing Down

Amanda Wilson · 2026-10-16

When I first heard about Thaddaeus Washington, I'll be honest, I didn't expect a musician to change how I think about mindfulness. But that's exactly what happened. Thadd is a Toledo-based artist and the founder of MIND Music, and he's been quietly building something that feels a little radical: he treats music as medicine. Not the background-noise kind of music. The intentional, sit-with-it, let-it-wash-over-you kind. ### The Idea That Stopped Me in My Tracks Here's the thing that got me. Thadd doesn't just play music for people. He offers his original compositions as meditative practices, which means you're not just listening, you're practicing. There's a difference, and it took me a while to feel it. Think about how most of us use sound during the day. We put on a playlist to power through emails. We crank something upbeat at the gym. Music becomes a tool for doing more, faster. But what if it could be a tool for doing less? That's the shift Thadd is inviting people into. And honestly? It's a lot harder than it sounds. ### Why Music Works as a Mindfulness Anchor If you've ever tried to sit in silence and focus on your breath, you know the drill. Your mind wanders to your grocery list, that awkward thing you said last Tuesday, the email you forgot to send. Silence can be loud. Music gives your attention somewhere gentle to land. A single note, a slow chord, a pause between phrases. You're not forcing your mind to be quiet. You're giving it a soft place to rest. A few reasons this works so well: - Sound gives your wandering mind a simple focal point - Rhythm naturally slows your breathing without you trying - Original compositions (versus songs you know by heart) keep you curious instead of distracted - You can practice anywhere, no cushion or app required ### What This Means for Your Own Practice You don't need to be a musician to borrow this approach. You just need a little willingness to get curious. Try this the next time you feel scattered. Put on one piece of instrumental music you've never heard before. Sit down. Close your eyes if that feels right. And instead of judging the song or skipping ahead, just notice it. Where does the melody go? When does it get quiet? What happens in your body when the tempo shifts? That's it. That's the practice. It's not complicated, but it is different from how we usually listen. > "Music isn't something that happens to you. It's something you can meet, moment by moment." ### The Bigger Lesson What I love about Thadd's work is that it reminds us mindfulness doesn't have to look a certain way. It doesn't have to be silent. It doesn't have to happen on a cushion at 6 a.m. It can show up through a song, a walk, a cup of coffee you actually taste. For those of us who teach or share mindfulness with others, that's a freeing idea. Not everyone connects with breathwork. Not everyone wants to meditate in silence. But almost everyone has felt a piece of music settle something in them. So if you've been stuck in your practice lately, or if you're looking for a way to make mindfulness feel less like a chore and more like a gift, maybe start with sound. Find one artist doing something intentional. Give them fifteen minutes of your full attention. You might be surprised what happens when you stop treating music as background and start treating it as a doorway. That's the journey. Not a destination, just a quieter, more curious way of moving through the world.