The Magic of Music – September 12, 1999
Perhaps we’ll never fully understand why good music is such a source of comfort and peace. Most of us have experienced music working its magic in our lives. We’ve felt good music easing our worries and disappointments, lifting clouds of discouragement, and soothing our fears.
A woman who was struggling with depression found that, if she sang happy tunes when dark thoughts first began to fill her mind, the darkness fled. She even discoveredthat, when she was in a situation where she couldn’t sing aloud, she could think the music and it worked just as well.
A man going through an extremely stressful situation found that, when humming or singing, he received strength to go on. In addition, he noticed that while singing he often received new insights and directions that allowed him to better deal with the situation.
Another man, without extraordinary pressures or problems, loved to raise his rich tenor voice in song as he hiked in the mountains. He found that by so doing he was invigorated and strengthened to return to the routine of life and meet the challenges of normal living.
But singing and humming notes found on a musical scale are not the only ways to participate in the magic of music. The magic can also happen when we listen for music in the ordinary sounds around us. Giggles from a happy child, the sighing of a breeze through leafy trees, or the faraway whistle of a train are just some of the many sounds that contain rhythms and melodies that can fill our hearts with music. If we take the time to pause and listen, what we hear resonates with memories of sounds from other times and places. Together, these sounds from the past and the present form a harmony that is deeply rich and satisfying.
Indeed, “the hills are alive with the sound of music,”1 and so are cities and towns, streets and homes. As we sing or listen, we can be uplifted and encouraged by the rhythms and melodies all around us. We can let the magic of music bring harmony and joy into our lives.
Program #3656
1. Oscar Hammerstein II, “The Sound of Music,” The Sound of Music (1959).