Just imagine for a few seconds that you are strolling along the beach on a warm summer evening. You stop and pause and right there just for a moment, in the pitch blackness of the night you gaze up at the sky, and all you see are endless stars that run for as far as you can see. What a wonderful sight that is. Can you imagine that same sky without any stars? Life without music is similar to a night sky without stars. Dull and plain. Lifeless and dead. Just emptiness, nothing else…
Music, my dear friends has always been an important source of inspiration ever since the beginning of times. Our forefathers, the very first cavemen, they themselves created their own sounds and turned them into some sort of music. For them, this became divine and a symbol of the supernatural guiding their every action. Since then, music has in numerous occasions proved to be a therapy on its own and a source of healing. Life without music is indeed comparable to a clear night sky without stars.
You must be familiar with the names Mozart, Beethoven, Shubert and Strauss. Each of these famous composers depended on music for a living. Beethoven himself was deaf, so how did he listen to music? He did so by feeling the vibrations produced by music. Each single note that he played on his piano emitted a unique vibration and with the help of a stick which he pressed on the piano notes, he could actually feel those vibrations running from the piano keys upto his ear; and this is how he actually composed some of the most worshipped music of all times. One famous one you may have heard is “Fur Elise/ In french: La lettre a Elise”. He possessed a unique talent and a wonderful sense of rhythm and sound. Music helped Beethoven in much deeper ways than he could have imagined. It had healed his inability to listen by developing his sense of touch in extraordinary ways…Mozart was a musical genius, not only did he start composing when he was 5 years old, but his musical talent brought him to all the imperial courts in Europe where played music for the royalties. He composed his music in such a way that it expressed human emotion…something that was rarely found with classical composers at that time; because of this magical effect which his music had on people, he is considered to be one of greatest composers of all times. Anyone listening to Mozart would be able to relate to his music in their own way.
Over the years music has gradually weaved itself into the lives of individuals, communities and nations. Every country beats to the rhythm of its national anthem, a symbol of pride and respect. Every community has its own set of musical rituals and every religion has its own set of hymns for every occasion wherein each and every tune has a special meaning. Music is also what defines culture – some tribes in Africa are known to blend their bodies to the sound of drums in order to create repeated dancing steps, imploring the Gods to send them rain to water their crops.
Music Therapy is known to have positive effects on people and to every living thing on earth. Can you imagine going to a birthday party without singing “Happy Birthday”? Or attending a wedding without the traditional “Wedding March”? Or putting your child to sleep without singing a lullaby? Or celebrating christmas without singing “Jingle Bells”? Practically impossible to imagine. Music is, whether we want it or not, an essential part of our lives. Its effects are endless. Scientists and researchers all over the world acclaim the positive effects of music and are encouraging its use to heal people sufferring from all sorts of diseases. Wouldn’t you yourself after a hard day’s work, indulge yourself playing your favorite song at least a hundred times to help you relax and unwind.
Music over the last few decades has also become a flourishing business. From the beatles to the eagles, or from Michael Jackson to Eric Clapton, or whether you’ve been to Hotel California or seen Mamma Mia, if you’ve done the moonwalk on Billie Jean or even Dancing Queen, we have to admit that all these have influenced our lives in some way or the other. The success of any party or event depends a lot on the music, wouldn’t you agree? Life without music is indeed comparable to a night sky without stars.
So the next time you decide to listen to a piece of music, why don’t you pour yourself some black coffee, relax and take it easy, think of yesterday when all your troubles seemed so far away, and let the music heal your soul.
This is Music Therapy at its best…
Sabrina
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