Music and you

I want to share a perspective about music. In my humble opinion music is an ancient form of communication. It is also the most natural and universal way of communication. With music the musician tells the listeners his/her message that is embedded in the arrangement of the melody, rhythm and the bit of the tempo. Any sound is a piece of music. When people talk they punctuate their conversation with certain intonation which is a form of music. Same goes to animal.

The birds have their jamming session every morning. The monkeys thrashing their hearts out together in the jungle. Some of the musical composition can be understood by certain listeners and other composition can be understood by larger listeners. Sometimes I feel I can understand what my cat is ranting about when I got back home late, simply from the rhythm and the melody of its voice. Even ancient people communicate their messages from village to village by blowing shell trumpet. Language of men is a recent tool of communication compared to the long history of music as the means of communication.

We would find modern songs nowadays either instrumental or comes with lyric sung by a singer. But both forms are essentially a music and carry messages to its listeners. Yes there is a MESSAGE in every piece of music. Even if the song has no lyric it definitely carries its messages in the composition of rhythm, melody and bit of tempo. An experienced listener can capture the messages in music. You can tell if the song is a happy song, sad song or angry song even without a lyric. Try listen to an instrumental zapin or joget song and you may find your body will gesture some form of dance movement. The message of dance is being communicated to you and your body is replying to it.

Music is a very powerful tool of communication too. We could see dangdut music moved the political scene in Indonesia. Blues music of the African people inspired the successful entertainment industry of the USA. Soldiers go to battlefield accompanied by war songs. There is no barrier for music to communicate between human. Music is capable of penetrating our soul and evoke our emotions.

A lay listener may not be able to hear which instruments are playing or what pitches are used. Yet he or she may have no problem of appreciating the music as a whole. As a music performer I try to get the listeners to get involved in the emotions inherited in the music played by my band. It is also in my opinion that when one listens to a piece of music he or she must be in a state of emotional. Because only then the emotion of music can be converged with the emotion of the listener and recreate a new emotion. The listener will enjoy an intense pleasure with the newly recreated emotion passed by the music.

So feel the power of music. Open your heart and try to interpret the messages in the music being played to you. Listen to the melody, rhythm and lyric in a song. And find yourself a story is being told to or shared with you.

"Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought."
E.Y Harburg, American songwriter (1896-1981)