I am hoping this newsletter finds you all settling into your autumn routines. Life has become much more hectic for me, but I am still savoring the time I spent last weekend in music and nature with wonderful friends. I was not the only one who traveled to North Carolina from far, someone flew in from Florida, and others drove or flew from Pennsylvania and Virginia. There is a very special bond that we all share, and it’s created through music improvisation.
Daniel Levitin, a renowned neuroscientist and musician explores the connection between music and human emotions, evolution, and social bonding. He has just released a new book “I Heard There Was a Secret Chord - Music as Medicine”. His years of research reveals the effects that music has on our being. For example, playing music with somebody that you have never met before for just 20 minutes causes you to feel empathy for them. If they are feeling pain, you will feel their pain. Music making creates a bond between people. When you listen to music you like, your brain releases opioids, natural pain relievers which can reduce your feelings of pain. Listening to, or playing music you love can boost your immune system. Brain scans show that music activates parts of the brain that make you feel pleasure. Levitin goes back to the questions of Aristotle and other philosophers who pondered the power of music, and why music reminds us that we have a soul, and that there is something powerful that connects us all. Brain imaging makes all this tangible.
Levitin also makes a compelling argument that we are all wired for music and that we can all learn to play music if we choose, and at all stages of life. I love witnessing the wonderment an adult novice experiences when they tap into their musical instincts. Pleasure from music making can come from the seemingly simplest combinations of sounds. A steady beat makes us feel grounded, a lyrical melody can calm the spirit, a driving beat can feel like an energizing reboot, an old song can transport us right back to our youth, and so on.
Today, I am off to the Center of Musicians of the World to facilitate improvisation - Music for Everyone. I also will have the opportunity to gather with members of the Music for People community from Montreal and Oregon, and improvise with some new people. In creative play we get to connect with others, laugh, and experience wonderment. Last weekend I had the stunning revelation that I had not laughed out loud in months - it felt so good to laugh! That is a topic for a future newsletter!
Notice what kind of music you might play or listen to. We will always instinctively choose what we need at that particular moment.
Comments