300 Words

300 words

The Symphony of Life! 

I first wrote a version of this reflection for a different occasion, and some found it helpful. I hope that you might too.

What is it about music that stirs us so? How does it move us, excite us and make us slightly gooey around the edges?

For one thing, music speaks to the whole smorgasbord of human emotion. Some pieces are sweet, poignant and voluptuous. There is music that makes us want to dance, even if we are dorky and gawky in the shaking of our bodies. There is music that stirs us, is triumphant and makes us feel that we could do almost anything.

This, in part, is what we celebrate about music.

Any ‘muso’ would say that the poignant, tragic bits are not diminished in any way by the gutsy, stirring symphonies. Both have their place, both should be played, listened to and enjoyed. Both are appropriate and right. No one is somehow ‘better’ than the other.

Another thing that may be helpful is that music takes us to another place, another dimension. You will not find this location on Google Maps, Google Earth or Google Anything else for that matter. But it is all the more real, authentic and lovely because of that. The means of transportation to this place is not a vehicle of any description. The music itself is your mode of transportation. The notes are the signposts. At some level ,we all understand this.

As people of death and resurrection, we know how swiftly music can flow from joy to grief, to surprise and wonderment.

Whatever mood, whatever occasion, whatever piece of music, allow the music to stir you, to excite you and to take you into that other dimension where tears of joy and grief are the perfect enhancement of your symphony of life.