The Healing Power and Joy of Music!
“Music acts like a magic key,
to which the most tightly closed heart - opens.”
~Maria von Trapp
Most sporting events open with the National Anthem. Many Concerts sell out within a day, cars have radios and cd players, and when Apple released iTunes in 2003, digital music became more available and changed the world.
What is this phenomenon with music? Why are we so drawn to certain types of music? What exactly is music?
The dictionary describes music “as an art form and a cultural activity whose medium is sound.” And other general definitions of music include “the recognition of elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture, and different styles or types of music may emphasize, de-emphasize or omit some of these elements.”
Musicians all agree that music is more than something we listen to or play for fun. Many say that they have experienced profound spiritual joy and an opening of love and understanding that they could not have experienced or understood - in any other way.
Music profoundly brings Joy, as well as many other emotions. It does inexplicable things to us and has the power to change and transport our minds and imaginations to another time and place. It heals us; it eases our pain and hurts and makes us smile.
It changes our mood from sad to happy and even from happy to sad, it lifts our spirit, and it has the power to touch us like nothing else.
Hearing songs from childhood, mainly teenage years, can transport you right back to that time, flooding your mind and heart with all types of emotional memories, including heartaches, passion, joy, exhilaration, and individual expression.
Musical nostalgia is real.
We have always known that music has this profound effect. During the American Civil War, there were accounts of music used to aid in the healing of wounded soldiers. Ancient civilizations knew the role of music in our lives, and currently, music therapy is a burgeoning field.
Many certified music therapists are accomplished musicians who have an in-depth knowledge of how music can evoke emotional responses to relax or estimate people to help them heal.
Their expertise and familiarity with a wide variety of music styles allow them to find the specific kind of music that will get you through a challenging physical rehabilitation session to help you. They may play music for you, or with you or even teach you how to play an instrument.
And with technology giving us all kinds of access to music, you can find or play any type of music you like.
But in the end, music does inexplicable things to us. It moves us; it causes us to sway and tap our fingers or bop our heads as we listen to any song's rhythm and beat.
To feel is to be alive; to move is to be active, and in the end, that brings Joy.