Music is a powerful thing. I fully believe it has to be considered a major part of the human experience. I never met anyone who did not like music in some form or another, which is a good thing. Music is something that resonates on something much deeper than just the flesh.
I fully believe music is an example of people having souls. I went into the human soul in the post The Weight of the Soul, but only in so far as I brought up the debate. I mentioned music, but only briefly. In all honesty, I think that music just about settles that debate.
To make music, you must ‘feel’ it, but how can you without a soul. And for it to ‘touch’ someone, it has to be ‘felt’ to be made. And there is an amazing amount of music that has touched me. I love just sitting back in a dark room, and letting it wash over me, and letting my mind simply run. The places that can take me...just simply wow.
Personally I enjoy almost all kinds of music. Modern country, and the majority of rap is normally where I draw the line. Pop music has its limits as well. The Smoking Popes are tied for my favorite band, because I love their amazing mix of quick punk style playing and a melodic singer resonating over all of it. Their song Need You Around, is a beautifully made and inspired song.
I honestly believe Metal Music has its roots more in classical than most people would give it credit for. There’s lulls and crescendos and amazing feelings strewn throughout. Honestly, listen to Orion by Metallica and try to argue with me that it doesn’t fit into a classical music vibe. By the way, I’m actually kind of sad to bring up Metallica, they aren’t my favorite band, by a long shot, but Orion is one of my favorite songs of all time....
I always love when a piece of music is inspired by nature. That kind of song always turns into something truly relaxing and brings one to their center. Canon by Pachelbel is definitely one of those pieces. You can just picture the waves crashing against the shore the whole song, and the piece and serenity of the world around you being so methodical and wonderous.
Music is beautiful, music is amazing, music is truly powerful. Music proves that other people have souls, no matter what the inspiration. Take Trent Reznor’s Hurt, even as song by Johnny Cash. It was first written as a song about coping with a heroine addiction. Cash turned it into a song about a man looking back at his long life, and all the mistakes he made. When I first heard it, it made me think about all the friends that had migrated in and out of my life, and all the struggles they had shared with me. I could not help but draw the parallels between my friends coming to me for advice, and me telling them what the needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear. And how no matter how hard I tried to hold on, they still left to follow their own course in life, which was away from me....
These are but a few examples of music and what it means to me. What does music mean to you? Do you think that music is the best example of another human soul existing besides your own? Heck, even list your favorite songs! Any way you do it, I’d like to see comments!
–Dan
