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Musically Speaking: The soundtrack of our lives

Music is a wonderful thing and makes an incredible difference in life.

Frank Zappa, wise man that he was, once said, “Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.”

How could anyone dispute that? People think nothing of playing the radio at work all day or in the car. They bring CDs with them to listen to on their Discmans or upgrade to a miniscule portable device that holds hundreds of MP3 files so they can have access to a variety of music whenever and wherever they choose. Music is a big business. Music is the icing on the cake of our lives.

The essence of music — the universal appeal, the power, the magic, the passion — is intangible and cannot truly be defined. Yet this essence exists within each and every song. The wonder of music is that there is so much to choose from. Even if you don’t enjoy the majority of music there will always be something out there that touches you. Even the most awful song will touch someone — even if it is only the soul of the creator through the act of creating it. That makes it powerful

Music affects us deeply. Have you ever noticed how if you hear a song that you haven’t heard in years it brings up feelings and remembrances of that time? Have you ever noticed how hearing a song that you associate with a former love, will make you feel feelings you thought were long gone? Music has a way of striking deep into our hearts and souls in a way that nothing else can. It can evoke and enhance the deepest passion and emotion.

One of the most powerful aspects of music is that anyone in the world, regardless of the musical theory knowledge he or she possesses or whether or not he or she is tone deaf or has perfect pitch, can listen to a piece of music and just enjoy the hell out of it. A composer and musician, well-versed in music theory, might find immense satisfaction and joy in listening to a piece of music, marveling at how the writer constructed the work, and might have a greater appreciation of the talent it took to create that work. However, lack of knowledge about how the piece was constructed in no way diminishes the pure and deep enjoyment of the music’s sound. It can be enjoyed by everyone equally.

Music is also considered the universal language. The basic human response to music is one of the fundamental commonalities among the different peoples of the world. Over millennia, the majority of cultures in the world have developed musical traditions unique to each. It is fascinating and heart-warming to see people responding to music in similar ways, regardless of the language that they speak, and to experience how it brings them together.

I will never forget my first visit to Russia, where I couldn’t speak a word of Russian and my Russian hosts could only speak a few words of English. Yet, one night we found ourselves on a bus with someone who played Beatles songs on a guitar. We all knew the songs and sang the lyrics with gusto (in English), and in that moment we bonded. I don’t think they knew the meaning of what they were singing, but it didn’t matter. It was the shared experience of singing much-loved songs that brought us together.

In a previous column I talked about the music business and the lack of authenticity in many of today’s artists and their songs. Regardless of my opinion of today’s popular music, I am well aware that many people out there enjoy those types of music and are moved in some way by them. It is so easy to put down types of music that don’t move me personally, but I know others like those types and dislike my own taste in music. Again, there is so much variety and so many choices in the rich, delicious world of music. People never get tired of looking for and listening to what moves them personally. Taste in music couldn’t possibly be more subjective, yet love of music couldn’t possibly be more universal.