Music To Soothe The Savage Soul

Men profess to be lovers of music, but for the most part they give no evidence in their opinions and lives that they have heard it.

--Henry David Thoreau

There seem to be two distinct types of people in this world. Those who hear music, and those who do not. There are no words to describe the feelings and transcendence caused by hearing or playing music to someone who cannot hear it. It can be a source of inspiration, it can tear down the walls and bring people together, and it can indeed change the world.

As with most things, however, music can also be used by those with ulterior motives. Digusting and pathetic (albeit successful) attempts by corporate interests harnessing the profit making power of music have caused the music industry to become a vast wasteland of pre-fab garbage to be regurgitated and fed to gleefully willing consumers. Top 40 radio, along with 'Music Television' (mTV), have numbed the senses of these sheep, who will buy whatever rehashed crap is in fashion this week. It can be extremely difficult for independent musicians to create something truly unique, and keep from having it copied ad-naseum.

Religions have also long relied on the power of music to lull their followers into a state of acceptance. Within Christianity, religious services revolve almost entirely around music, whether performed by choirs, recited by the congregation, or as background music. Piano as well as electric and pipe organs are the primary traditional instruments, however some churches have attempted to appeal to younger generations through the use of non-traditional instruments and 'praise bands'. For years, I have been amazed at the way people allow themselves to be entranced by music while at church. It is definitely effective in creating the mood and evoking specific feelings that allow the believer to have a "religious" experience. To the believer, the music is an expression of their faith, and it opens up their heart. To a cynical bystander, it is simply part of an elaborate attempt on the part of the church to provide the believer with their weekly fix of feel-good.

Governments, political movements, and hate groups throughout history have also seen the effectiveness of music in instilling feelings of "patriotism" and to convince their followers that their actions are noble. Dictatorships and Democracies alike have had their share of national songs that supposedly capture the heart and soul of their movement. The truth is that most are carefully written, again, to evoke specific feelings.

Radio and Television advertisements caught on early to the idea of using musical 'jingles' to stick in the heads of unwitting listeners. Popular music, or stupid refrains (hard to differentiate between the two sometimes) are commonly used to enhance the image of an otherwise boring or useless product.

The underlying agendas for all of these groups are very similar, so it isn't too surprising to see the recurring themes regarding the use of music to accomplish their ends. It requires the individual to discern carefully the motives of the people force feeding them information. To the person who truly hears music, it is almost immediately apparent when a song is manufactured, or anything other than 100% honest and legitimate.

As I have said, music can be an incredible source of inspiration, and it can be very life affirming. To the performer, there is no greater feeling than being able to play music, and see the effect it has on people. To the listener, there is a vast amount of all varieties of music to give them endless enjoyment. There are many feelings to be felt, and experiences to have, but make sure that you aren't sacrificing your individuality and independence by falling into the snares that have been placed by those who seek to profit from your gullibility.

Next Time: Limitations--Self Imposed and Otherwise...