Happy Friday!
I hope that you had a good two weeks. Mi dispiace, I tried last Thursday night but just couldn't find anything inspiring to write about. I couldn't sleep last night and knew what I would write about but the day sort of got away from me.
I attended a program last night that included an interesting panel discussion. The moderator asked the other panelists about a situation or event that provoked a great spiritual connection. One mentioned being at the Grand Canyon at sunrise with a group of teens and reading something profound, another discussed the experience of giving birth, and the third found connection with meaningful text study.
The next question was about their preferred environment – noisy or quiet? The person who loves music (and musicals) likes a noisy background, preferably with music. The panelist who had the "awe" experience at the Grand Canyon told of a memorable time on an Alaska cruise, looking at beautiful glaciers and mountains in a totally silent environment.
Not being forced to make a choice, I can go either way, depending on the circumstance. In general, I like quiet surroundings. I can't work, read or write with background music because I focus on the music rather than the task at hand. As you may have gathered by now, I love different genres of music, so there are times and situations where I welcome it – not just concerts but cooking, exercising, driving and on the dance floor, of course. The food always comes out better with Sinatra.
The Grand Canyon ranks right up there for me as well. I went there decades ago, and it is still my #1 "awe" moment. It's immense size and spectacular beauty is unsurpassed (if you haven't been there, put it on your bucket list and go!). I am also in wonderment of people who compose (present or past tense) music. I have never taken a course in composition, but it blows me away that people can put together musical scores that create perfect interplay and balance among 80 or more musicians in an orchestra or band. Each instrument has a different sound and there are different parts among the same instruments. Sometimes there are also vocalists, a chorus, piano or a featured musical group. Arranging all of those individual parts to blend, balance, play off each other, and create emotion seems very daunting to me - do composers really hear this in their minds? And yet, some people can do it, composing pieces that endure over centuries.
Music is indeed the universal language. It is part of almost every culture. And modern symphony orchestras are a metaphor for what humans are capable of – a diverse group of people performing as a team to create beautiful sounds that respect the composer's intentions and touching the listener. The word itself, from Greek, means agreement or concord of sound. Humans respond to music in different ways, starting in infancy. Music triggers physiologic responses in the brain, such as cerebellar activation, increasing dopamine levels, change in heart rate and decreases in cortisol. Thus, joy, sadness, relaxation, arousal, comfort, and nostalgia are common responses to music.
I am also impressed by musicians who can improvise, particularly in jazz. A group of experienced jazz musicians who have never played together somehow know out how to play in the same key, with the right timing and the right style to create a flawless performance. It is truly remarkable.
It seems that some of the world's problems could be mitigated through shared musical experiences (performing and listening) among people of different backgrounds and nationalities, and there are groups trying to make that happen. Sharing cultural experiences through music creates common ground and cooperation. I wish it was that easy!
This weekend, think of an experience where you experienced awe, holiness or a spiritual connection, consider sharing it with someone and contemplate your preferred noise-related environment. For those in the United States celebrating Memorial Day, remember to honor those who gave their lives for our freedom.
Deb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-JQ1q-13Ek
PS – I will be away for the next two weeks (in Italy for the EUNOS meeting!) and am skeptical that I will be able to write and successfully send out Happy Friday. But you never know...I'll be back!