Now, About Music – What Are You Opening Your Mind To?

Now, about music.

I think it’s safe to say that music is a fairly essential part of people’s lives.

If you’re not overly fond of music, then that’s alright – that’s you being you, but from what I’ve personally experienced and observed from others, music is quite important.

It’s important because it’s all around you. One could (and probably will) hear music on the road, in a mall, at a sporting event, at a coffee shop, etc. There’s the biggest chance you won’t get away from it, at least not forever.

One could also find that music can have a lasting impression. You could either love or hate (maybe have a love/hate relationship with) a song, and, chances are, you’ll remember the exact song and exactly why you love or hate it, even hearing it once while out doing some shopping. But you’ll remember it, so there it is: a lasting impression.

So easily, a song could be etched into our hearts for extended periods of time.

Think for a second.

You probably remember a song from when you were 5 years old (aside from Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star). Did you remember one? If something could stay with you for so long, it has to affect you in some way, right? Something I’ve had the opportunity to notice is how music can affect a person more than just making you happy or sad for a day. If one song could affect us for one quick moment on one random day, how much more does the music we actually choose to listen to affect us?

Something I’ve come to realize lately is that not all music has a beneficial effect on people. Yes, I enjoy listening to so many different types of songs, but some of them can be… negative, to some extent. Not always, but often, when I don’t think about it. I don’t mind it. But mindless listening does have an effect on you – the words woven together with a melody stick, even if you don’t make an effort to remember them. And, if I were being honest, I would rather have more of the positive things in my mind than the negative.

I’m not saying that listening to any kind of music should stop – no, not at all. I am saying that we should be more mindful of what we choose to put into our ears (ultimately, our hearts and minds). Music, in all its uniqueness, is meant to inspire something. The creativity that flows through a songwriter’s mind into a listener’s headphones is meant to have the listener feel something when listening to whatever was written. At least, I’d like to think so. It isn’t always easy to figure out how that feeling was meant to affect a listener, positively or negatively, but if you’re paying enough attention, it won’t be incredibly difficult to find out.

With the music in our society today, it’s really easy to listen to whatever, whenever, simply because it’s available, has a catchy beat, a nice melody, and makes whatever the song is talking about easy to ignore, basically because the sound is enjoyable.

The challenge is, make the effort to listen to songs that have depth. Music that doesn’t only scratch the surface of everyday thoughts and ideas, but music that opens minds and hearts to broader horizons, allowing one to see the world in a better light. Music that inspires the creative persons to be more creative, the kind souls to be kinder, and the brave ones to be braver. That’s the kind of music, I know now, that I want to listen to.

– image credit: Death To The Stock Photo