Monday, February 23, 2009

La la la la la


Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
~Victor Hugo

Music has been a huge part of my life. I've been surrounded by it and immerse myself into it whenever possible. I think music conveys something much deeper than words. Some things cannot be spoken, just felt.

Growing up, my parents always had music on. If you were to watch home videos, there would be cds going on in the background. My mom has played the piano for almost 40 years and has taught for over 20. This experience brought a love of music to all her children, with all of them taking piano at some point. My dad has been the song director at a couple churches and has teamed with my mom to create the order of service on Sunday church services. This is how I developed a greater appreciation for music. I didn't just listen to it; I evaluated it, enjoyed it, and understood the work gone on to create the piece.

Not many people just sit and listen to music. They will use it as a background to what they are doing. Words are added to make songs, which can complement the music. But, how many people let plain music just wash over them?

The reason I started thinking about the essence of music is because of watching a movie yesterday. I know, you may be thinking movies definitely do not have just music-all the time. I was watching Braveheart when my sister commented on the music. I stopped focusing on the actions of the people and started listening to the music. It was gorgeous! The really cool thing is how the music transcended above any words that could've been spoken. There were several instances where no words were said and the music was all that was there to evoke emotion. One example is when William Wallace saw his wife in the crowd right before his death. The voices died down as the music swelled. No words were shared, yet you feel so many emotions evoked from the music. Compassion, love, joy, sorrow- these are some of my feelings in this short exchange.

Does music make people cry? Does its beauty stop people in their tracks? My mom plays beautifully and at times I just sit next to her piano and listen. I also watch the music and turn her pages. There have been many songs that I would just stand there and feel tears come to my eyes. I can't really explain it but music can create so many feelings. Yearning, praise for my Savior, happiness, sadness, and dancing can be aroused from simple melodies.

These simple melodies can permeate into your everyday life. Who doesn't occasionally start humming to a song? At my workplace, I hum or whistle everyday while doing my various tasks. Music is such a big part of my life and I know that I'm not alone in that respect. Think about how music affects you and how it can create different moods. It's so amazing how much impact music creates.

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