Music has depth,
The depth of life aloud.
Melody streams into the memory
Like a remembrance of life past.
Rhythm presses along,
Pushing towards somewhere else.
Sound calls all forward
With resonance of existence to be had.
The song of sound,
So deep within the being.
This poem is from the upcoming book of poetry named “Unfolding”.
A few nights ago, I went to a music event at a small venue in Houston called McGonigel’s Mucky Duck. The music was provided by a woman and her band from Austin. The place is small and intimate and the waitresses are friendly. Comraderie radiated from the walls of the building as it has been the recipient of years of people connection and music making.
I was with a party of six celebrating the birthday of one of us. Most of my group was tired, because we met at the end of a work day. We ate, talked, and looked around as people usually do when they are out eating. It was nice to be together, but the tiredness remained.
Then the music started! Suddenly everyone in the pub became part of a collective witnessing of rhythm and creativity. The music, live and enlivening, filled our ears and our bodies. The tiredness seeped out and was replaced by inner rhythm and energy. For over an hour, worries were forgotten and music was absorbed. We clapped our hands and moved to the rhythm. We participated in a group experience of connection and creativity. Our participation contributed to the singer’s performance and her performance contributed to our participation. A cycling of people influencing people through the power of music!
The power of music is beyond understanding. It touches our hearts and our minds, our emotions and our intellect. Music provides a map towards self-understanding and others-connecting. The rhythm is in our bodies and in the amazement that is life.
“Life can be so enjoyable; one simply has to agree to be ready and to be amenable to receive the good….”
from The Gift of Intuitive, Dedicated Comfort
Breathing is key to longevity and quality of life. The rhythmic movements of the diaphragm and lungs determine vitality. Supplying oxygen, supplying force.
Joining together in song is longevity and life-quality bait. The more we sing with others, the more possibility of bypassing lower quality living.
People who take part in choral singing increase their quality of life, if the atmosphere in the group is uplifting. When ill-thoughts abound in the group, there is no increase in quality of life—and there is no decrease either. The actions of the organizer are no more influential than the actions of a single member; therefore, each member contributes to the overall atmosphere of elevation or neutrality. People who sing in a choir need to be cognizant of their contribution to the group besides their harmonies. (This statement does not mean that people who sing in choirs should not attend a practice because they had a hard day. It means they should be participating in the group because they really want to be there. They should not let idiosyncrasies of others in the group lower their group experience.)
People who take part in group singing, such as at a religious service or a music concert, can also have their quality of life increased by the experiences, if the atmosphere is transcendent. In these circumstances, the actions of each participant is less important to the overall achievement of the group. Even the singing of one song by the group can influence quality of life. Singing from the heart is the key ingredient.
Contented breathing can occur when a group (of three or more) joins force in song. The actual sound does not need to be beautiful, but the intent does. Singing to feel joyousness, singing to entertain one another, and singing to satisfy the need to sing bring connectedness that is beyond ordinary communication. (For an explanation of contented breathing, see the blog post “Aging is manageable when breathing is contented, post #3”).
The need to sing is stronger in some people. It is a natural, soul-bestowed need. People who feel they must sing should not bottle-up this need. They require song in their ears, in their throat, and in their entire being. The reverberation of sound in the entire being brings balance and connectedness for them. When they sing, whether in a group or alone, transcendence can occur if they understand the force of the self-made music. This last statement also applies to people who create music using instruments.
That’s it for now. We’ll explore breathing more in the next post.
Making music is basic. Basic need. Basic urge. Basic aptitude. Basic activity. Basic therapy. Making music heals, entertains, balances, and comforts. The ability to create music is in all people because all people require music to live in this world. Music is basic.
Playing an instrument, singing a song, clapping hands, snapping fingers, clicking, whistling, humming, tapping the feet, bringing sound out of varied items—no matter the tools used, what is created is music. Performing for others is not required when creating music. The most important audience is the music creator.
Children naturally sing and bring music into their world. They listen carefully to sounds, and notice the sounds that are emitted when they clang things together. Noise is not what they are making; they are making music! And they are learning and understanding when they create all the various sounds that children tend to make. As children are socialized, they are often chastised for the various cacophonous sounds they create, and they learn to limit their music creation. The loss of the ability to create natural music is a contributor to ants-in-the-pants behavior because the natural pull is to hear own-made sounds.
Recorded music is less nourishing than own-made music, even if the recorded music is by a virtuoso. Sitting in an audience when music is being made is more nourishing than listening to a recording alone. Sitting in an audience when a singer is lip-syncing to recorded music is more nourishing than sitting at home listening to the recording because “music” is created with the clapping, singing along, and so on. Listening to a recording and singing along is not as nourishing as singing without the recording, but it is nourishing. Listening without singing along but dancing, clapping, snapping, or doing other movements that relate to the music is nourishing.
As people age, they often leave off making music. Too busy. Too many “more important” things to do. Not so. People should make time to sing, play an instrument, hear live music performances, take part in live music performances (including religious services), and explore sounds.
(I want to dedicate this post to my good friend Lisa who has just taken up the bass guitar! Looking forward to tapping along—and dancing—to her bass rhythms.)
Music, art, slapstick, drama, literature, dance, and other forms of entertainment. All are created by people for people. Experiencing entertainment is soul-fulfilling. Creating entertainment is soul exercise because the soul requires the stretch of the imagination and the melody of the breeze. Any form of entertainment that is awakening for the soul is soul exercise.
Music naturally fills the body and reaches the soul, especially for the people who are generating the music. Listening to others play music is enriching; actually playing the music is enriching at a deeper level. The act of making music is the catalyst for melody-absorption. The music does not need to be at a professional level; the music—however it is played—is like a key in the door to the soul. Listening, singing, strumming, blowing, drumming, bowing, snapping, clapping, whistling, or any other music-generating activity is absorbed into the intangible part of us.
Dance, like music, reaches the soul, especially when the dance is true to the person dancing. Dancing from the heart, dancing from the gut, dancing from the sound of the music, dancing from the rhythm of the beat, dancing with abandon, dancing in one’s room or dancing in a group, dancing intently, dancing internally, dancing when dancing isn’t allowed, and dancing soulfully! Dance performed for others is soul-moving, especially for the dancers but also for the observers if the dance is authentically performed. Dancing in a group performing choreographed routines is exercise for the body, but not necessarily exercise for the soul; however, when a dance performance is choreographed from the heart, then the heartfelt movements can transfer to the performers and even to the observers.
Art is soulful exercise when the inspiration for the artistic expression is soul-awakening. Especially for the artist, but also for the viewer.
Entertainment is naturally built-in. People are drawn to others’ antics. People are drawn to others’ doings. The soul wants entertainment, and the best way to get it is to be entertaining. To oneself and to others!
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