IS MUSIC SPIRITUAL? OR PHYSICAL? WHAT IS IT? Music is more than entertaining sound or noise, although a lot of it has been reduced to this by certain streams of the media. The claim that anybody can create music goes around these days, to draw people to digital software utilizing samples. Well, most of these samples were created by real musicians, cut into lego-block formats so anyone can use these to arrange them into songs. Its a lot of fun, and can give amazing results, in fact we hear a lot of this type of music on TV, Radio or online shows. You often hear it in elevators, or while being on hold on a telephone call. But how is it that we sometimes enter such noticeable emotional experiences while listening to certain music? Most of the music we connect with has been created out of passion, pain, hope, despair, joy - all human experiences on the journey of life which bring to light deep questions and answers other also identify with. Music has the power to carve a space within our spatial environment, as if opening a window, stepping in an experience that is beyond our ability to think in terms of words or mental concepts. There is a clear before and after awareness - before the music starts, and after the music starts playing. We use terms like entering, receiving, awakening, moving with, etc. All these terms point to a participatory response. Sound is a physical phenomenon, it is a set of vibrations traveling into space, and if we are in its vicinity it will touch our inner ear, yes, but also our whole body. If you direct sound to water, the water will move - its physical. If you are on a quiet lake and you speak, your voice will be carried to an incredible distance. Whales make sounds that travel for miles underwater. Water is a conductor for energy. If you increase its temperature, its molecules will start accelerating and become hot. Our bodies are also made of 98% of water, so they also respond to sound in various way. So when music that vibrates to a frequency that is effective in bringing peace, or incite dance, or release tears, these are not just a question of sound, but it depends on how those sounds have been weaved, the textures used and the story it tells, or suggests. Maybe we respond that way because we have similar stories that have or are unfolding in our lives. I have seen this happen with worship music, movie scores, story-telling songs, and even more so with instrumental music. To me, instrumental music offers the closest revealing experience we can have with the most intimate and inexpressible parts of ourselves. Everything we have experienced in life up to this point, will be called upon and vibrate with the music even if we have no immediate awareness of intricate details cascading through the moment. Its like having a soundtrack reveal some highlights of our own life story on the inner screen of our conscious self. It can be joyful, but it can also be quite painful. Its a sacred place/experience where the heart can walk barefoot, be totally real in that moment of revelation. It can even reveal emotional memories, inner dialogues we have always found intrusive or dark, and feared or have built walls around. I marvel at how music can have so much power over living things. Whether you believe in a spiritual dimension in the human experience, you cant help being drawn or repelled by some music or sounds. Something in us is seeking for that spark or splash of light that will dispel the inner shadows, mute the voices of inner bullies, bring an experience of peace and define a clearer path ahead. I love improvising on the piano, weaving chords and sounds intentionally, following surprisingly fresh melodies or emotional paintings that are being gradually revealed on the canvas of silence. It is a kind of unveiling, and I never know where its going to go ultimately, but I can always come back to it, as a painter would work on a painting over time. This is my story, a 42 years long acquaintance with music, one that has given me a grip on life when all I got hold of was just like teflon, escaping my need to find the solid ground of reality, whatever it looked like. Music has reflected to me my own soul, and given me a language to connect with reality, and have conversations with God, crowds or individuals - without the use of words, who often fail us when emotions are too intense. And if you are looking for such music that can accompany your journey, participate in your own journey or season, a help to calibrate your emotions, or tune your soul to a more rewarding and productive vibe, Im inviting you to visit my little music gallery at : barefootheartmusic. Blessings, Andre Lefebvre
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 01:38:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015