Appreciating the Gift of Music
Thou remember’st
Since once I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid on a dolphin’s back
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath,
That the rude sea grew civil at her song,
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres
To hear the sea-maid’s music.
( Shakespeare-A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2.1.153-9)
Today we pour our love and gratitude to the Goddess of Music, Beloved Melody, the Music of the Higher Spheres and reflect upon what magical gifts music brings into our lives. Music can soothe, calm, motivate, improve concentration, help heal emotions, and stimulate the brain. Music is known as the “Universal Language”, as it brings people together. During the worst of the pandemic in Italy, when people were confined to their apartments, some would take their instruments out on their balconies and play and sing to their neighbors providing much comfort and easing loneliness.
Listening to Mozart before studying improves student’s test scores. Listening to emotional and moving songs can be cathartic and help us get in touch and release covered over emotions needing expressing.
Music accompanies us on every major occasion in life. So let’s commit to singing and dancing more. Why not take that dusty instrument sitting in a closet that hasn’t been used for a long while, and start playing it again, or perhaps start learning to play an instrument for the first time, or taking those vocal classes you have always wanted to try?
Find some favorite songs from childhood and let your inner child dance to them again. Rock out to your favorite band from your teens, or play soft, dulcet tones and increase relaxation. From Classical to Country; from Disney songs to Rock ‘n Roll, from Motown to Opera, or Jazz to Broadway Musicals, whichever genre of music you love, play on!