“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Bob Marley
Music, the food of love as Shakespeare stated, is almost an addiction for me. As we speak I’m am struggling to manage to contain almost 1500 songs in my MP3 player, no mean feat when there are constantly downloads and deals in some stores to be had!
What got me thinking about music was how it affects our moods and can tie into exactly what we are feeling. The majority of the time it can be an uplifting, almost religious, experience. There are also times where songs can make you feel sad and think about aspects of our lives that are not going well.
How about a cheer for all those bad girls and all the boys that play that rock and roll.
They love it, like you love Jesus.
It does the same thing to their soul.
Have love will travel, By Tom Petty
What we have in music is a platform which can be used to call on the masses to act and react to tragedies, violations or rights and generally hope that things will change. Likewise there is as much of a chance that music will be used to insight riots and criminal behaviour and is a simple way to prove that sex can sell. Much like any other form of entertainment; the reaction of the consumer will be different in various parts of the world.
Music can bring together communities which is obviously why it is so important in religion. Songs like ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’ are inspiring songs that make those that sing them feel part of something, a belief and that in itself is an uplifting experience. To know that there are others feeling the same kind of spiritual enhancement has to be something special.
We hear stories of how words and music can bring people out of comas and other life threatening diseases. Musical therapy is a health care profession. The American Music Therapy Association defines it as ‘the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy programme’
They also claim that Musical Therapists ‘design music sessions for individuals and groups based on client needs using music improvisation, receptive music listening, song writing, lyric discussion, music and imagery, music performance, and learning through music; participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and follow up.’
In commercial music we worship those who become famous through music. Elvis was dubbed the ‘King of Rock N’ Roll’, Aretha Franklin ‘The Queen of Soul’, Michael Jackson ’The King of Pop’, Westlife ‘the…’ never mind!
Music elevates us so we in turn elevate the providers of it into godlike creatures, with all our hopes and dreams.
Monday, September 3rd, 2007 and is filed under Thoughts & Questions.
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Cameron Says:
I have no idea who you are as I found your blog through a search for the quote from Bob Marley at the top of your commentary, but I just wanted to say that this was a very refreshing and thoughtful use of words that I really enjoyed. I just wanted to say thank you for your thoughts, and to be honest, I feel that people’s thoughts are somewhat private so this will be all that I read.
Cameron Brewer
The University of Oklahoma
February 12th, 2008 at 4:57 am
AlexM Says:
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
August 12th, 2008 at 10:43 am