Thursday, September 3, 2009

Make time for music


One of my favourite pass times as a young lad was to listen to music. Those were the days when television was yet to be introduced in the country. So, the radio occupied a special place in the drawing room of every home. I remember switching on the radio soon after waking and listening to all kinds of music programs through the day. I would know by heart the timing of each program and which stations to tune in to at what time. Hindi film songs was my first love and soon carnatic / classical music also caught my fancy. As I grew up pop music came into my life and as I matured, devotional music became my addiction.

It is said that the faculty of hearing is the first to develop and last to die in any body. Perhaps that is the Creator's way of telling us the importance of music. People who have not found the time or the inclination to include music in their lives are missing something big. In my view, music is akin to love. It is necessary to live life fully and its beauty can only be understood by experiencing it.

There are all kinds of music in the world today. Creative people are constantly experimenting and coming up with newer sounds and styles. Not everything that is called music is musical today. Sometimes, in the name of music people do play strange numbers and act even more strangely while singing it. However, even today there are huge number of pure musicians who give us pure joy every time they sing or play their instruments. We are transported into a different world by their music.

It is quite well known that music (of the right kind) gives tremendous positive benefits. It can heal very serious ailments and can calm agitated minds. Music has been used successfully in the past to create fire, produce rains etc. More recently it has been proven that music can improve growth among plants and productivity of cattle. Music essentially brings peace and harmony into our lives. There is a tremendous power in music which can be harnessed for the welfare of the whole world. Even God can't stay away when the prayers are musical.

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninov

"Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul" - Plato

"If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it; that surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die." - William Shakespeare

5 comments:

KParthasarathi said...

Where words fail,music speaks.Saints have reached God through their music.The power of music on man is immeasurable and creates the desired mood.Life is incompltete without a taste for music

Anonymous said...

A beautiful melodious post..
Music is divine.Its God's gift to man.Music truly soothes the mind and rejenuvates the soul.One of the greatest gifts one can have through music is to truly be able to touch people with what you say and sing.
'Music is what feelings sound like'

Tyaagi

Dithi said...

Hello Vish!

First of all, the picture that you posted of Saraswati Maa is beautiful. The power of music and the science of it is undeniable. Also, musical 'riyaaz' as musicians need to do as a daily practice is a spiritual practice as well, it can have the power of a soulful prayer that can transport you to a different plane and state of mind.

When Arnab plays the sitar at home, the vibrations instantly change the energy of the home. Music is therapeutic and healing.

Subs said...

I agree, Music is Just Divine...I thinks devotional music is one simple & easy way to reach higher levels of consciousness.

One of the great advantages of being Indian is we are exposed to various kinds of music... we get to hear the filmi (hindi & other languages), classical (hindustani/carnatic), ghazal, folk, devotional...So much of variety !

ramesh sadasivam said...

"Music is a life giver!"