Music and its abilities
Music is a central part of my life. Without music, the world would seem naked, cold, and quiet. Music can set the rhythm for a long day of work, the mood for a date, a party or even one’s entire life. It can comfort you when you feel nothing else can. It has the ability to make you dream bigger dreams then you have ever imagined. It can also remind you of the happiest moments in your life or the saddest. Music is a vehicle for expressing love, telling a story or showing happiness. My love for music has grown throughout the past few years and continues to do so today. Playing the violin for six years has deepened my appreciation for the sounds. However, I would consider the level of music I listen at is on the sensuous plane.
As Copland points out, the appeal of music on the sensuous plane is self-evident. I listen to music in the simplest way possible. I listen for the sheer pleasure of the musical sound itself. I am vaguely aware of the music because my mind wanders so much. I’m not saying that I don’t hear it and feel the beats, but I rarely concentrate on the details of songs. It is a kind of brainless state of mind that is engendered by the mere sound appeal of the music. It is the plane on which we hear music without thinking, without considering it in any way. I use music as a consolation or as an escape of reality.
My mood affects the type of music I listen to, and the type of music I listen to affects my awareness to it. For example, if I am listening to rap I am listening to it for the beat and the ability it has to pump me up. Chances are that I am not analyzing the song in any way. I am not listening to it for the lyrics; I am listening to it on a run to get myself mentally prepared. However, classical, folk, rock, country, or Broadway has a different affect. I am more in tune with the words and my level of awareness is higher. If the song is powerful, like Bui Doi from Miss Saigon, or Both Sides now by Joni Mitchell, I…