THE PUNK ROCK EDITORIAL
Feel-good essay of the year! Here's a great big "warm-fuzzy" for you
guys. I was just bummed that Slayer and Morbid Angel weren't
mentioned...
Music: Appreciation Without End
It's grade four and you're in music class. You're not interested in
learning about rhythm and keeping time. Instead you and a friend are
engaged in a lengthy debate about Batman and Spiderman. The concept of
rhythm quickly takes a backseat to the importance of Batman's utility
belt. It's unfortunate how music receives so little attention when, in
reality, it is important in all aspects of our lives, even to the grade
four student. The first notion as to music's value may seem of no great
concern, but after a long day at school, there's no greater feeling than
coming home, putting on your favorite CD and just letting the music take
you away. It doesn't matter where you drift off to, or which sounds end
up carrying you away. I guess some might find obnoxious screaming as
relaxing as one of Handel's sonatas. The important thing is to be
released from everyday stress and just letting your mind rest. I can
think of no better escape than to fly away with the melody or soar upon
the wings of harmony.
Besides being a key player in relaxation, music can also be used to
alter or enhance mood. Film directors make good use of this property.
Eerie music is often used in horror movies to build suspense. Soothing
sounds give us a sense of tranquility, which can increase our
appreciation of a love scene. But we can also use music to enhance the
mood in our everyday lives. How often do we listen to quiet, romantic
music when we're visiting with a good friend? It was Shakespeare who
said:
" If music be the food of love, play on;"
When I've had a bad day, listening to music can brighten my spirits and
help me forget my problems. I don't know what I would do on bad days
without my guitar. It's my stress ball. I can vent all my anger by
hitting the strings. Without this release, I'd be bottling up all my
emotions. Before long, I'd be a complete grouch. Just ask my mom.
Music can also be credited for assisting in learning. CAT scans have
shown that the same area of the brain is used for both musical and
spatial reasoning. So, by learning to read music and how to count the
beats in a measure, you're also enhancing the portion of the brain,
which controls your grasp of mathematics.
This fact has been supported by a study carried out at the University of
California. A group of kindergarten kids participated in both singing
and keyboard lessons for eight weeks. Spatial reasoning tests were then
conducted. When comparing tests results, this group of kids scored much
better than another group, which had received no musical stimulation.
Now just imagine how convenient and painless it would be to improve our
knack for math by just listening to music while we study. I gladly
accept this method of enriching my mathematics brainpower with open
arms. Another inquiry gathered similar results. At a medium-size
university, 7 500 student with music or music education majors had
higher reading scores than even the chemistry, mathematics, biology and
English students. Once again, the idea of using music to heighten my
intelligence seems incredibly alluring.
To further emphasize its charm, music has taught me an important lesson,
relevant in every aspect of life: TEAMWORK. I play bass in a band, and
being the only girl, I sometimes find it difficult to maintain constant
cooperation between myself and three guys. Arguments about who messed
up the ending or who forgot half the song are quite common. But as we
strive as one towards perfection, we begin to sound half decent and the
hard work suddenly seems to pay off. But it's truly our mutual love for
music that equips us with the determination to keep going and teaches us
the significance of working as a team. Without music, I may not have
had the chance to learn how to overcome this type of challenge or to
have made such awesome friends. Nevertheless, there are those who think
music is wicked. I'm sure you've heard stories about how music contains
hidden messages, which are corrupting the youth of today. Some people
go as far to say that, if played backwards, Led Zeppelin records contain
talk about worshipping the devil. Music has also been blamed for such
tragedies as the Columbine shooting. It's been said that the teens
involved were listening and therefore being influence by musicians like
Marilyn Manson. Musicians are often accused of filling our minds with
immoral thoughts. But we don't have concrete evidence linking music to
crime. We don't know what goes on in the minds of teenagers while
listening to music, and we have no idea what might persuade someone to
commit a crime. Music is simply a form of expression and it certainly
has no intention of corrupting our way of thinking. Finally and most
importantly, music has no restrictions. You don't have to be of a
certain height or age to benefit from it. You don't have to understand
music to enjoy it. You don't need training or a high IQ level to
experience it. You don't have to live in a certain area to have access
to it. You don't need a lot of materials to make it and there is no
assembly required. Music needs only to be enjoyed. So forget about
Batman and his flashy cape. Make time for music, and appreciate the
magic it can work on your life. *J*