MUSIC - A Language Like No Other | Play Music & Move Your Soul

But why? Why is music so important to people and what does music actually do when you hear it, play it, sing it, move to it, dance to it? The answer is actually simple; music "moves your inner soul" and allows you to express yourself on a deep, emotional level. It can help you make lasting memories and can also instantly bring back memories.

Music brings people together like no other form of commination. You can grow up and live in a variety of countries and cultures and speak different languages. But once someone or a group of people are playing, dancing to, and/or singing their favorite music, those activities are the ultimate source of expressive happiness for themselves and the people around them. You can instantly appreciate that music even if you don't understand the words and speak the language. There's just something about music that can bring you together with other people you don't even know.

Music also brings family members together, both young and old. It's a way of developing relationships that go deeper than just the surface. Music touches you like nothing else can, especially if you have a child or grandchild or brother or sister who can play music and express themselves in that way. You listen to them and watch them and feel so blessed that they are learning to play or already play music on an instrument. Music expands your knowledge and horizons and can later encourage you or comfort you as you go along in life.

I personally love almost all styles and types of music from around the world.It's amazing how many styles and forms of music there are such as music from various countries in South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Scandinavia, and the list goes on. I can know virtually nothing about a culture or country outside my experience, but when I hear their music it's like instantly speaking their language and also an immediate way of understanding them and communicating with them on a different level than anything else.

Music will also make you "smarter." There have been numerous studies over the years that prove kids will be smarter overall and have a higher IQ if you get them involved in playing a musical instrument, no matter what it is. A piano will really get those brain waves flowing because you are learning and playing both melody and harmony along with rhythm and those things take more brain power and finger dexterity. Kids who might be a bit socially awkward or shy respond much better if they know how to play an instrument or sing. I know it can be a sacrifice in money and time to get your kids involved in that way, but it's worth it and aan investment in their future. "Music is magic!"

Everyone seems to like music, from 1 years old to 100 years old. Even if they don't have a natural feel or ability to play, sing, or dance/move to it, they like it. Music is essentially rhythm combined with melodies and harmonies. Rhythm is the basis of pretty much all music. Without rhythm, as human beings we would not walk correctly because to walk correctly you need to move in rhythm and have timing. Timing is when jump at the right time, throw the ball at the right time, swing at the right time, and pretty much do anything. Timing is built in to our minds and our bodies respond. 

Birds also have rhythm and timing or they could not fly. Do you think it's just a coincidence that birds don't run into each other when they fly closely together? They need to have precise timing or they cannot do that. They can't put together a flight plan and watch that they don't crash into each other all the time. They need to have some "mechanism" built into their brain and consciousness to fly and move their wings correctly and make it to their destination. Ocean waves have rhythm as they go in and out from the shore. Dolphins have rhythm and timing when they jump and swim. Nature is thriving with rhythm and timing...it is everywhere. Rhythm and timing is an integral part of music and life.

Musicians have good timing and the more aware of rhythm and timing they are, the better musicians they can become. There are so many rhythmic time movements such as 3/4 time, 4/4 time. 5/4 time. 6/8 time, and so on. Many people can just "feel" the rhythm they hear in the music and even though they may not know what that time signature is called, they can feel it perfectly. Some people cannot feel the music because they don't quite have that "gift." But it is rare to find someone who does not like some form of music. 

Music can help push you towards being a positive, expressive person or it can also pull you into being a negative, repressive person. This is because music has "power." It is that power that can and does move emotions and bring those emotions out in either positive ways or negative ways. Music is not neutral...it is "force of nature" that lives inside of us and can out in a variety of ways as I have already mentioned. My goal is for music to always be a good, positive force in the lives of people. The music needs to be uplifting emotionally along with words (lyrics) being also positive and uplifting and this is especially true and necessary for kids.

Melody and harmony are the other 2 parts of music. Melody is the main lead/singing part and harmony is accompaniment and/or blending notes with the melody. There are many people who can quickly tell when melody and harmony are not in tune with each other such as when two voices are singing together, or a person is playing multiple notes on a piano, or when two or more instruments are playing together. 

When notes (music) are "out of tune," the brain and the ears don't like that...it's just not pleasurable. It's interesting to note that music and being in tune is very mathematical. Yes, math is involved when it comes to musical tones and whether those tones sound good or not. Whether it is a stringed instrument like a piano, guitar, harp, or violin, those strings need to be a certain length, a certain distance from each other, and a certain thickness for those strings to not only sound good, but to also be "in tune."

There are some people who literally cannot tell when a stringed instrument is out of tune. They just don't hear it. As we say "they just don't have the ear for it." But other people cringe when they hear voices and/or instruments that are out of tune with each other or by themselves. That's why there are piano tuners who tune acoustic pianos and also electronic tuners to help people tune their own guitars, harps, violins, etc. Playing an instrument that is "out of tune" is not fun and not enjoyable, especially for me. I also play other instruments including guitar and I always seem to be tuning my guitar strings to get them in good tune.

Here's another way to explain it: the secret to musical harmony and good sounding music really is simple math ratios: the simpler the ratio, the more pleasing or consonant those two notes will sound together. The more complex the ratio, the more dissonant they will sound. And it's this interplay between tension and release, or consonance and dissonance, that makes what we call "music." There is rhythm and harmony in the cosmos...it is literally everywhere. 

We see music, feel music, hear music, and can be deeply affected by music on an emotional level that can instantly bring tears to our eyes or joy to our hearts, or both simultaneously. Music is amazing and can get way down into your soul like nothing else can. In my opinion you owe it to your family, to your kids, and to yourself to get involved with music on a personal level.

Learn to play it on an instrument, learn to sing it, to dance to it, and get it into your life and/or the lives of your children. Music can be with you until the day you die and if you learn to play piano, especially on a digital piano, you will be amazing what it will do for you for years to come. Good digital pianos do not go out of tune, can be played quietly or loudly, can be played silently by wearing headphones, and you can record what you are doing and also use Bluetooth wireless technology on many models to play along with your favorite songs. Be sure to thank a music teacher if you see one or know one. Without those great, hard working music teachers out there helping and teaching their students, we would definitely not be musically at the level that we are now as a society in a variety of ways. 

At this point I want to give you a samples of  the music that moves me by watching and listening to the videos below. I believe you will enjoy many of them and likely have not seen or heard them before. For me it's an incredible honor to have known and currently know some incredible musicians who "move me" musically in an emotional way because of their love of music combined with their impressive ability playing and singing with rhythm, melody, and harmony. These people/musicians in the various videos "feel the music & the love" when they play their music and no doubt want you to feel it, appreciate it, and have it inspire you as well, just as I do. Music is Life. Music is Passion. 👍🎹

* Oh...one more thing. Check out my report on Dementia and Music (after you see the videos on this page) and what music can do for older folks who have dementia but had played piano and/or listened or danced to their favorite music when they were young, before having dementia. You'll see some incredible videos in my report that just may bring some tears to your eyes. Dementia & Music Report