Empowering Ourselves Through Music

Life is made up of many different artforms. It's taken me a while to realize that everything we look at, think about, read about, and involve ourselves in is some form of art. From the food we eat, to the buildings we walk through, to the websites we visit, we're immersed in art the moment we wake up in morning. So what makes music any different?

Music isn't any different in that it is, of course, an art form. But it's different as and artform in that it involves the creation of sound. Music is a specific formation of sound waves used to create a work as opposed to creating something that we're able to see with our eyes, or taste with our mouths. This makes music different. We can use it to move our Spirit, or we can use it to relax. We can use it to laugh. We can use it to create a mood.

Certainly you've listened to a piece of music and been moved in some way. Try to think of a time when that happened. How did you feel? What was the piece, and why did it make you feel that way? Did it remind you of something specific? A person, or a time in your life? Or was the feeling that you got from it more elusive, something you experienced without really knowing the specifics as to why?

Music can evoke many different reactions from people. This is where musical taste comes into play. The music that you listen to is a direct reflection of the reaction that you're trying to evoke from the music. In my teens and twenties, I used to listen to a lot of Heavy Metal. I had a lot of angst, and the music helped me to relate to that angst. But even then, I liked to listen to classical music as well. It was calming to me, and varied in it's many different styles.

Today, I look for music to empower me. I think that many people do. But how can I empower myself through music? Listening to music that has a beautiful, powerful melody, or a sound big enough to fill Notre Dame-that's empowering to me. If I'm listening to music with lyrics, the words should be inspiring, hopeful, have a positive and meaningful message. That, to me, is empowering. Songs that address the injustices of the world and offer a solution, or simply say to us "wake up, it's not all about you" are, in a humbling way, empowering.

Music is capable of moving mountains and mindsets alike, but we have to be willing to allow it to. Want to move some mountains? Would you like to change your thinking to change your life? If so, then I put this question to you: What empowers you? Think this question over in an honest way. It's not a question that you'll be able to answer overnight, but over time. And you'll be delighted to discover that, should you find it, the answer to that question will set you free.

Donovan Johnson is a New Age pianist.
Win a free CD! Check out his website at:
www.donovanjohnson.net
Or his online radio station at
www.enlightenedpiano.com