Music Is Everywhere. Stop. Listen.

Music embraces. Music consumes me, always has. I remember the small record player and a stack of plastic children’s records that I played over and over for hours.

Around the age of five, I wanted a piano, a real piano, not the small toy version with only ten keys. I was relentless in my request, and my parents finally found the means to buy a used piano when I was 12.

I recently went through the albums I accumulated over fifty-plus years. I reminisced Broadway musicals, Beatles, and an array of genres from country to classical.

What is your favorite song or piece of music?

We all have one song where memories rush in, our hearts flutter, or we laugh uncontrollably as we relive the moment. Music will do that to you.

Now, I’ll ask another question. Are you musical?

I have friends and a husband who will proclaim they are not, but they love music. I came across an interesting book, This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin. In his study of music and the brain, he has found that “all of us are musical experts. We’re all expert listeners, able to make subtle discriminations about the music we know.”

Levitin describes the marvelous way your brain responds to music in this 12-minute video. His research also shows that “music engages every portion of the brain that scientists have mapped so far.” Why is this important?

We underestimate the power of the music that surrounds us every day. Music can soothe a fretful baby. Imagine a horror or adventure movie without the soundtrack. The music literally draws us into the scene, creating intense emotion.

You don’t need to have a music obsession to enjoy a good melody. But judging by the sounds I hear coming from automobiles while I wait at a light, I’m not alone in my obsession with music.

As it turns out, music is good for the brain. Listening to music stimulates those neurons and connections that help us become better thinkers and doers of all kinds of tasks. I’ve also heard it will keep you young. I’m definitely in favor of that!

I’ve just started reading Levitin’s book, so I’ll likely have more to report in the future. Until then, keep listening, making memories, and if you’re so inclined, dance.

Do you know?

If you remember the 2007 movie, August Rush, you will enjoy this clip of the father and son connecting through music—and the message to never quit. Earlier in the movie, Robin Williams answers the question, “Do you know what music is?”

Why?

“A singer must sing
a musician must make music
an artist must paint
a poet must write
if he is ultimately to be at peace with himself.”
—Abraham Maslow

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life, bringing peace, abolishing strife.”
—Kahlil Gibran

I always welcome your thoughts, so please leave a comment

Thank you for being here with me, and always—