'Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.'
That quote is attributed to the Greek philosopher Plato (he lived from 427 to 347 BCE). Nothing much has changed in the sentiments he expressed. Music is soul, imagination, charm, life, fun.
I'm in a country rock band called 'Don Rae and the Cold Beers'. We practice here at my house, on the deck outside when the summer weather allows, and inevitably people passing on the street will stop to listen, cars will slow down, and my next door neighbour comes out on her deck rather than shutting her windows. This probably means that we aren't too bad, and can carry a tune pretty well.
Music was always there when we were growing up. Mom was a great piano player, loved to sing and dance, had a fine sense of rhythm and timing (as a drummer, I know I got this from her), and if she wasn't making music on the piano, the record player would be going with some jazz, maybe blues, or perhaps classical. My sister learned to play the piano and became a very accomplished classical musician, whle I learned the guitar and violin at school and sang in school choirs.
There is no doubt that music brings people together in a good way, and I know people are enjoying it when their feet start tapping. This is something I watch for as a drummer, and I do a fair bit of watching, sitting up the back behind the band as I do. From my perch I can see people smiling, dancing, getting into the music, and I can almost see the cares of the day lifting from shoulders.
Because music can do that. Whether you're listening or playing, music is a joyous distraction, a balm, a healer, good for what ails you. It makes you want to get up and move, to sing along, clap, want more.
Any form of artistic expression, whether that be writing, creating art, music, singing, is medicine for the soul, for our well-being, and our health, and these creative expressions can bring joy, interest, thought, exploration, entertainment to others.
Listening to our favourite music can stimulate our creativity too. Some writers I know like to have classical music playing in the background as they write, others prefer heavy metal (interesting ...), a bit of jazz, or maybe some tunes from the 40s, like Glen Miller.
And here's the thing: it's never too late to pick up a musical instrument and have a go. I took up drums in 2010 because a friend gave me a set of drumsticks and a practice pad, saying 'You've been talking about learning to play drums for ages, so now get onto it!'
Sometimes when I am lugging those drums around, I wish I'd taken up the flute, but I would not trade my drumming for anything. I look forward to the gigs I do, I love learning new beats, and music has opened up a world of new friendships, acquaintances, and interesting experiences (like sitting behind my drum kit on top of a pool table at a country music festival while a little old man persistently grabbed my ankles from behind as I played).
Take time out to listen to music, if you aren't already, every day if you can. It soothes, it evokes emotion, it can inspire us to create, to dance, to laugh and to move, so indulge yourself in the simple pleasures music can bring.