The Power of Music

Ever since I was a child, which was a long time ago, music has had a powerful influence in my life. As a youngster I listened to classical music and the operatic stars of those days with my Dad. He was not a musician, but apparently he had a nice voice. It was a time of enjoyment and education. He inculcated in me the love and power of music. His teaching from all those years ago continues every time I hear a song or have the privilege to sing with the worship team at our church or especially when I have the opportunity to perform a solo. It is in those times that I feel the closest to God.

Music is an individual pursuit and an almost personal time for reflection, retreat and dream. Music is also a corporate undertaking. I remember when our family would gather at my Grannies house (interestingly it was always referred to as Grannies even though Grandad was still alive) for a session of singing old show tunes, ballads and rebel songs. Everyone was there, all my aunts, uncles, other relatives, friends and my innumerable cousins. Each one of us had a "party piece". A "party piece" is something that was prepared and sung at the family gatherings. Most of the songs were from the 20's and on and there would be recitations as well. My Dad would tell the story about Fontenoy and my Mom, with a small glass of sherry in her hand, would sing her song. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the title.

Mostly though, the songs were rebel songs. These were songs about how bad the British were and how good the local boys were in fighting for Ireland's freedom from the British, particularly at the Easter Rising in 1916. I inherited my Grandads party piece and I am still called upon at family gatherings (whenever they occur) to perform that song: The West's Awake by Thomas Davis. I was amazed to find that there are recordings on youtube if you would like to hear it, or you could purchase my CD as I recorded the song there also.

In the here and now, music brings both bitter and sweet memories, but more than that music has the ability to stir the heart to do great things. I find that depending on the music I am listening to I am either nudged towards a manic state of joy or the abject sadness that might if left alone to it's own devices lead towards depression. Music demands a response, no mater what it is, you must respond. It is in these memories that I think of the power of the music. Different songs or pieces of music stir my memory so that I recall events and people. Music also brings some accountability as memories trickle and flood I am reminded of that someone who I need to contact.

The problem with music today is this: most of us do not make the time to stop and listen anymore. It's just noise that fills the air, often referred to as "background music". Do we express the respect for the writers and musicians by listening to the music and dissecting the sounds to hear all of it? I have the great privilege to drive significant amounts of kilometers for my job. Besides listening to some teaching on my satellite radio, I spend much of the time listening to my ipod (through the car not via earphones, that would be unsafe). Often, the visual stimulus of seeing sunrises, whiffs of early morning fog, lonely hot air balloons, fields of grain swaying in the early morning breeze combined with the music in my car exhilarates me and prods me towards a feeling of euphoria at the opportunities that lay ahead of me that particular day.

It reminds me that the outside forces, both positive and negative, have an affect on my mood and can be a harbinger of what lies ahead in my day. Every day that I travel to work, I take the first few minutes after leaving the driveway and play music that is spiritually uplifting and this works to take the focus away from me and shifts my focus to Him who created all of this.

Wow, the power of music has taken me on a bit of a journey this morning. This is what I love about blogging, I really like starting somewhere and letting the keys take me where my thoughts (however loosely connected) want to go. I love music, it plays a huge part in my life. My ipod is broken right now, so I have some difficuly listening in private. I like the freedom of getting lost in between the earphones so I can let the daily stuff wash away and I can once again drift away (thank you Dobie Gray). I miss the solitude. It's not that I want to be away from anyone, I just want to be alone with my music and enjoy the power and majesty of the created and the Creator.

Let me know if you have similar or contradictory thoughts.

Rob