Music and Healing: The Power of Meaningful Words and Music

We All Have a Favorite Piece of Music that Moves Us to a Special Place in Our Hearts. A Conversion About the Music We Love and How It Colors Our Lives.

JUSTIN:
My favorite piece of music, depends on the mood, jazz is music for all moods. My favorite jazz piece would be - as a sax player - My Favorite Things by Coltrane, or anything by Thelonios Monk. Soft lighting, Kalhua and milk and company always suits Monk or vice versa.

Driving is made for music so anything by crowded house makes a trip to anywhere (even work) worth it. How can a song sound so simplistic yet be difficult to play. what does Neil do?

but my favorite piece would be from the shine soundtrack, a piece called "Nulla in mundo pax" by Vivaldi, which I am listening to now.

IMELDA:
Every piece of music represents the expression of the composer of that music. The piece of music that I like the most is the piano instrumental music because it does not say in words as other kind of music. The person who listens to the instrumental music has to try to understand what messages the composer is trying to tell through the piece of music. It is challenging in finding the meaning. Furthermore, when I listen to the instrumental music, such as "A Maiden's Prayer" by T. Badarzewska, I believe that this piece is messaging us to surrender to God. If I got chance, I'd love to play my favorite pieces.

KEN: This is old stuff to those who know me, but I am a huge James Taylor Nut. And my favorite song is 'The Water is Wide' If MP3s are legal I will put it up on this site. But I will have to check first.

Every time I hear it, I feel transformed to a different place, where everything is pensive, and people walk in the streets heartbroken, but with the hope that life will be kind to them again. It leaves me with a lump in my throat each time. There is something comforting in the song that leaves me appeased and convinced that whatever trial I'm facing, someone's faced it before, and someone's overcome it before.

That's what music should do. The song and the artist both inspire me endlessly. It inspires me in a way I hope that I can inspire people.

Listen to it if you can find it --Ken

JENNY:
Many times, when I just close my eyes and listen to music I escape to this other level. It does something to appease me, as you put it feeding my soul I guess. I appreciate music very much, which to me is as much art as creating it. Music is a part of everyone's life, and everyone is connected to it in someway. For me it keeps me going when I'm down, or just makes me happy when I'm happy. I have music for all occasions. All in all, I'd be a very unhappy girl if music were suddenly taken away.

JILLIAN:
At the end of a busy day.. I love listening to music. I did dancing and singing lessons when I was a child but never learnt to play an instrument. This year, at the ripe old age of 40, I decided to learn to read music and play the keyboard. It is all part of having a balanced life, setting goals and taking time for me to do the things that I enjoy.

My nine year old son and I now have lessons at home each week and are encouraging each other to practice and enjoy our music. It is something we are doing together and I hope that my son continues to enjoy music and continue playing as he grows up. I love listening and now playing music to "switch off" and relax at the end of a busy day. I have only had a few lessons so far and play poorly, but I am enjoying it and improving week by week. My son is doing the same and we, as a family, are enjoying playing music, listening and singing along with our simple tunes. I consider the keyboard as my "best buy of the year 2000" so far!

ED:
Divinity..
Music embodies life. A physical and emotional manifestation of divinity, music is an integral part of the loving bond that has fulfilled us and strengthened us, and brought harmony to individuals, societies and nations around the world throughout time.

LINDA:
Without Words..
Music is an expression of what is going on inside a persons' mind/heart. You don't need to concentrate to realise its power. I think the most moving music is music performed by an artist who is playing with a passion, who feels precisely, or deeply empathizes with, the meaning and feelings conveyed in the song.

I play the piano by ear. That is, I can listen to music and once the music has made an impression on me , I can more often than not, play back what I heard. I have always played the piano this way (since I was 4) and I wouldn't have it any other way because its made me sensitive to music - the melody, the beats, the volume and pace of songs.

The most wonderful thing I believe music can bring to a person is when a person can sit down with their instrument and play (and/or sing) whatever feelings they would otherwise keep bottled up inside them - the kind of feelings you just wouldn't be able to tell another person, the kind of feelings that only music can really bring comfort to.

Many times, when I just close my eyes and listen to music I escape to this other level. It does something to appease me, as you put it feeding my soul I guess. I appreciate music very much, which to me is as much art as creating it. Music is a part of everyone's life, and everyone is connected to it in someway. For me it keeps me going when I'm down, or just makes me happy when I'm happy. I have music for all occasions. All in all, I'd be a very unhappy girl if music were suddenly taken away.

Jenny and Me:
Okay.. If I don't play my guitar, Jenny, at least once a day, I get withdrawal. I'm deadly serious here. Its like you forgot something and you left a part of you somewhere... where?? where?? where.. Almost like losing your keys. Music has been part of my life since I was 5, when I was forced to learn piano. Luckily I loved it. Music is like a parent. My muse is that thing which makes me make music. Like the entity "music" herself or himself. I don't write really.. Its "it" which speaks through me. People deal with pain, and hurt in different ways. When I have finished blaming myself =)

I talk to jenny and she seems to make it all seem very trivial. and I say thanks jenny.. Sometimes she is moody. People give me strange looks when I say she talks to me. But I believe instruments acquire a soul when they are created. Spirits inhabit them, and they generate karma. Music feeds my soul in ways I can't even begin to explain. If you know what I mean, then you are truly blessed too.

Linda:
The most important things..
Music keeps me in touch with life, real life. It reminds me of the basics and the most important things. While we are all rushing around from day to day it is too easy to get wrapped up in 'getting it all' done and we forget to get in touch with ourselves and with each other often enough. Music takes us away and provides the ultimate escape for the soul - a renewal, and its free for the taking. We all need to take advantage of what it offers on a daily basis to stay in touch with 'life'. Have a good day - and take some time out today to be embraced by music!!

Elaine:
How Music Moves Me
(Apart from the obvious way in wanting to get up and dance around!) Music moves me in many ways but the most memorable experience I have had was (eyes closed, sitting in an armchair) listening to a particular piece of Mahler's. At one point the string section builds up to a high note which is so exquisitely haunting and sad that tears streamed down my face. I'm not sure if I knew at the time, but I now know that he wrote this music about the death of his child and I find it amazing that this emotion could be conveyed so clearly.

Most of the time music makes me glad to be alive, but I suppose this experience was more memorable because the emotion was so powerful.

Created by: Ken Chan & Kent Logie of Curtin's Music Community: Edited & Presented by: Michael Alan

Michael Alan is a published songwriter, with album & movie credits, who has lived and toured in the US and Europe. Website: http://www.MichaelAlanMusic.com

Visit his site to hear original songs of the heart & soul. Free mp3 downloads.