The Power of Music

Music.

We all enjoy it to some extent, do we not? There are so many different kinds, and so many different tastes.  Some like only one or two genres, others enjoy a wide variety.  Some believe certain styles to be sinful, others believe anything is fine.

One thing is certain: Music is powerful.

It can make us cry, or at least make us sad.  It can make us happy, but more than than, different sorts of happy or sad.  You have noticed there is more than one kind of happy or sad, I presume.

There is hyper, calm, content, bittersweet, determined, restless, depressed, despairing... The list goes on, and music assists in all of these.  Listen to a bouncy, uplifting songs, and chances are, your state of mind will change to match it.  I can think of no better example of this sort of song than Caramelldansen--Which doesn't have particularly intelligent lyrics, but reminds one of an insane hound dog hyped up on coffee.

At the moment I am listening to "Phos Hilaron"  by the David Crowder Band.  One of my favorite bands, and this song has a mysterious, empowering feel about it that I love.  We could all use some more empowerment I believe.

Another song I admire is "You Won't Relent"  by Misty Edwards.  I can't say I love much of her stuff, but this song gave me shivers the first time I heard it.  It also has a mysterious sound to it, and a feeling of almost melancholy.  And, determination.

These two songs I will listen to over and over, because I love the feeling I get from them, and I love the sound.  And, though I love the lyrics also, they are not what caught my attention at first for these songs.

I hope you relate to this sensitivity to music, or else you won't get the point of this post...

If music is this powerful, should we not be careful what we listen to?

If you like a song, what do you do?  Listen to it over and over.  If you listen to a song over and over, what does it do?  It effects you, whether you know or admit it, or not.  You're hearing the same words every time you listen to the song, your mind is becoming used to them.  If you listen to songs with cussing, or negative elements such as suicide or murder or drunkenness, yet claim it makes no difference, explain to me how you can be uneffected by it.  If anything, it is desensitizing you to, in many cases, serious issues.

Not only are lyrics to worry about, but the mood of a song.  If you listen to depressing songs all the time, what do you expect to be but depressed?  If you listen to angry songs all the time, what do you expect to be but angry?

Now, don't go thinking I'm telling everyone that you should never listen to songs that have a minor key to them, or are loud and full of attitude.  That is not what I'm saying.  What I am saying is this, that songs of those sort should be listened to in moderation.  As for songs with language or negative elements, they could all disappear off the face of the planet without me caring a blade of grass.

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi

~MDS