Have you ever pondered the power of music?
I don’t mean thinking about the notes or the beat or the even the instrumentation.
I mean have you pondered it?
To ponder: to weigh carefully in the mind; consider thoughtfully: He pondered his next words thoroughly.
Think about what music is. It’s intangible. It’s really indefinable. It has no shape, yet it shapes thoughts. It has no function of its own, yet somehow helps us function.
Music has the power to stir emotions
And of its own accord can’t fulfill any of them. It isn’t needed in order to perform our daily duties, but how many places of business do you find with no music. I certainly don’t remember many. Music can’t comb your hair, brush your teeth, or tie your shoes, but it can ease you through those mundane tasks and make you forget about the time.
You don’t need words to enjoy music. You don’t need status. And you don’t even need people around. It isn’t poured from a bottle, shaken from a cannister, or even dolloped from a 5 gallon bucket. Still; it can be as refreshing as champagne, spicy as cayenne, and rich and decadent as gold ring homemade vanilla ice cream. (you Texans will really know what I mean by that last reference)
Music appeals to fewer than our five senses, but it also appeals to more than our senses. When you study musical structure, it makes perfect logical sense. But when you try to explain why it “moved” you, very often you can’t quite convey it satisfactorily.
It wasn’t because it smelled, tasted, felt, sounded, or looked so good. It was what it did to your cerebral cortex. Or maybe it hit you in the “gut.” But it didn’t actually hit you. And it wasn’t actually your “gut.” See what I mean? You can’t put your finger on it. In fact you can’t touch it at all. You just know. You know?
Music is the best marketing tool.
It’s an almost perfect way to ingrain an idea into the minds of your target market. Because without exception there has always been this common chord. (like my musical metaphor?) People love music! No surprise. It’s extremely versatile, dependable, believable, and yet inexplicable.
I’m a singer songwriter. I take the same octave countless other musicans use and create my little piece of semi-immortality to satisfy…what? Me? An audience? A paycheck? All of the above? None of the above? The answer is yes to all the questions. I’ve written tunes for each of those purposes. And each one was satisfying in its own way. Because each one involved the intangible little friend of mine. Music. I’m not sure why I’m so moved by this unseen companion, but I do know this:
Music is a gift from God. It, and your thoughts, can never be stolen from you, forced out of you, or driven away from you. As long as you want it; you’ve got it. Yeah, it’s an incredible gift. Sure, we could live without music, but it wouldn’t be nearly as joyous an existence.
Stay tuned,
