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“No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful” Kurt Vonnegut
When I would give presentations to parents of incoming students or workshops on SOUND and music I would start with “If there was only one subject to teach in schools it would be music. Music encompasses EVERYTHING” Those who put down the arts or deem it less worthy than science, technology or business and refer to extracurricular activity or a hobby obviously don’t get it all. Beethoven said “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy” and I agree.
In simplest terms, not only does music teach math, spatial reasoning, structural analysis, kinesthetic awareness, listening and literary skills, healthy expression, coordination, self discipline, time and energy awareness. But it also stimulates brain connectivity that does not occur in any other subject area. Left and right brain activity happens simultaneously according to recent scientific research and brain scans show the corpus callosum, a massive bundle of nerve fibers connecting the two sides of the brain, is larger in musicians.
When learning to read notation, memory increases, superior multi-sensory and processing and problem solving skills are birthed, critical thinking, an increase in executive functioning, heightened ability to communicate, processing and decoding become evident. If that’s not enough to convince anyone that learning to play an instrument or sing is most likely the most valuable skill set.
Let me share this; music comes from another space all together. Unlike science, math, technology, reading, writing and other subject areas music is the highest art form it is beyond logic.
Which means when a musician plays and sings they are communicating directly with their soul and beyond. They are accessing an altered state of consciousness. Music is an inherently spiritual art form. The emotional intelligence of a musician is higher than non musician and they can have an adept way or ability to “feel” and move through their emotions creating resilience and increased awareness of the whole.
Playing music can help alter mood too. It can help with anxiety, depression and can actually assist the brain to heal from trauma. Music creates community and connection and can make you authentically happy while not being dependent on anything outside of you. Music can reach places nothing else can and connects you directly to your heart.
In our day and age there are many technologically made sounds and music today, but it pales in comparison to a human creating the music him or herself and making the vibrations. We are human tuning forks and we have the capability of learning our inborn technology from when we are young.
We are made of energy and music, which is vibration in structured organized form, is the most profound and impactful way to learn to harness the energy you are made of.
Below are 3 easy ways to bring music into your life daily.
Start humming in the shower. (Feel the vibration of your lips and notice how it calms your nervous system)
Listen to something different every day. Find a genre of music you would not normally choose and expand your musical taste buds.
Dance- Move to your favorite song.