An Ode to Music

For those of you who know me, you know that music is such a huge part of my life. You know how when I talk about it in depth I usually end up saying a lot of unfinished sentences. i.e. "It's just so... It makes me feel so... I just... ughhh" etc. Music is probably my greatest love of all, and yes, I get stupidly romantic about it. I cannot express the depth of what music makes me feel, and I end up with lots of unfinished sentences and lots of looks from people as they try to figure out why I'm talking about music like some people talk about their significant other. Ever heard that song that goes "Music is my boyfriend"?

Here is why I think music is so important. It is so fundamental to human nature. I mean, think about it. Even if you aren't listening to a song there are so many ways that music relates to what is happening. For example, your heart beat. It is (hopefully) a constant rhythm that you don't even think about unless you've just completed some sort of strenuous activity and it's pounding like crazy. But it's this omnipresent source of rhythm and something completely steady. There is music in the way peoples' voices blend together when you're in a crowded place, and whether it shows up in melodies and harmonies, or dissonance, it's there.

And then there's actual music. It is so personal for every person. There are so many different styles and feelings. Music evokes emotions, it can set a mood, or change the mood you are in at the time. It can help you release your anger or your sadness, it can help you celebrate when you're excited, and it definitely can help motivate you when you're working out (I'm assuming this, I wouldn't actually know...) or when you need to clean. Music can energize you or calm you, comfort you or take you to a different place completely. All of this from a few notes strung together. Isn't that amazing? I could go on and on, but I think that gives you an idea.

Finally, there's playing music yourself. I myself don't play that many instruments, I've only really played 3 with any sort of commitment. I took piano for 10 years, and flute for 4. I've just started cello this year, and I played clarinet for about a month last year just for fun. Each of these instruments has a different effect on me. Piano I always resented because of the way I had to learn, and having to practice. I haven't actually played in a while because of that very reason. Flute I don't always like admitting to because it is seen as a very girly instrument and that's not me. It also has the potential to be very high pitched and squeaky which is not too pleasing to the ear, let me tell you. But I actually love the flute. It can be so pretty at times, especially in the lower register. Clarinet was fun, but it was a lot different than flute. I didn't really commit to clarinet, but if I had the chance to play it again, I would. And then there's cello. I find cello to be an absolutely beautiful instrument. It has such a deep timbre, and everything about playing it is so intimate. There is something very human about the cello, and as new and different as it is to me, I have fallen in love with it completely. I feel so much playing music. I get completely lost in it, and there is nothing that compares to it. You have the power to create something or at least recreate something, putting yourself into it completely. There is so much freedom and beauty in playing music. Again, very difficult for me to explain it in a way that does it justice. Unless you actually play music, you don't know what it's like.

This has been a very different blog post from those previous, and I hope I didn't freak you out too much with all of this. But I honestly do believe that music is one of the most important parts of life, and I hope you do too. I'm sure I will revisit this topic a few times in the future, so if you connected with any of this, there will be more! And now comes the audience participation section! What instruments do you guys play? What kind of music do you listen to? Should I stop talking about how music makes me feel and just get some cats or something? Leave me comments to read please! Mariah is gone and I need something to keep me occupied until she gets back!!