The Power of Music

I’m hoping that I don’t have to spend a lot of time telling you about how powerful music is. One of the oldest stories of humanity tells of how Odysseus, while traveling home from war, ordered his men to lash him to the mast of his ship so that he could listen to the beguiling music of the Sirens. The music would draw men to their doom by luring them away with untold beauty. So Odysseus likewise had his men stop up their own ears so that they could not themselves be drawn to their destruction by the Sirens’ song.

Music doesn’t have to be laced with magic for it to be powerful. While I’m seldom lured away by women singing by the roadside, I can certainly tell you that music makes me sing and shake while I’m driving down the road. In fact, I would say that if some kind of music doesn’t affect you like this, why do you listen?

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

Victor Hugo

Music has been very powerful in my life. And unlike a lot of people I know, I enjoy a wide variety of musical styles. I would like to say my tastes are eclectic, but I will just say it — I’m weird. Abby Normal. But that’s okay with me. Music has played a central place in my life. Like a river, it has carried me along. Sometimes wholly under its own power, sometimes it has been shallow and only urged me along. But it’s always been there in one way or another.

One of the most critical times music worked in my life was in my teenage years and into my twenties. I was dealing with depression on a regular basis. This was when I found music had a wonderful ability for identification, compassion, and feeling. I can’t tell you how many times I listened to The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes,” Eric Clapton’s “Worried Life Blues,” or B.B. King’s “Going Down Slow.” But I didn’t just listen to music when I was feeling blue. Music was how I expressed happiness and joy, too. My quintessential “happy” song is the Electric Light Orchestra’s (ELO’s) “Mr. Blue Sky.” If you can’t be happy listening to that song, you’re not human! And this without even having to think of Baby Groot dancing around in front of the wreckless mayhem of the Guardians of the Galaxy (Volume 2, specifically). Second to that (just barely) is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Opus 125. How can you NOT be moved to tears by this music?

Transforming emotions is just one power of music. The ability to transfix the body is yet another. There are so many songs that start my body moving. Songs from a wide variety of styles. The first couple to spring to mind are some dubstep tunes — Oikli’s “Groove,” Apashe’s “Lacrimosa,” and Skrillex featuring Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley performing “Make it Bun Dem.” And that’s just one musical style. I can throw out so many others. Rap (Beastie Boys – Sabotage, DJ Kool – Let Me Clear My Throat), Big Band (Seatbelts – Tank!, Christina Aguilera – Candyman), Funk (George Clinton – Atomic Dog, Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music), Heavy Metal (Korn – Never Never, The Pretty Reckless – Going to Hell), and Alternative (Black Keys – Tighten Up, Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me with Science). And that’s without getting into sub-genres like East Coast and West Coast Rap or the wide variedc styles of Alternative. I could list tune after tune after tune that just gets me moving. Like Stephen Rogers (Captain America) says, “I could do this all day!”

So I just wanted to take a moment of yours to share my love for music. At least some small part of it. Maybe you could let me know about yours. What are some of your favorites?

Special Note: So I just finished making blog post about what I am listening to lately and then I remembered writing this piece (above). So I figured I would dig it up and post it all for you. A little blast from the past. I hope you enjoy it.