If you Google the word "music" you'll see search results such as music videos, music lyrics, music downloads, free music, etc. But what is music? If you ask 10 different people separately, you will get 10 different responses. Music means something different to every person. Some people just simply aren't moved by music. Possibly they are moved by art, nature, poetry, etc. I am definitely not one of those people. I get chill bumps at the sound of a beautiful voice, a good three part harmony, powerful lyrics or simply the tickling of the ivories. Sometimes I get chill bumps even after I've heard a song hundreds of times. For some reason, it just hits me harder in one moment compared to all the previous moments.
Friday night I sat in my bed bawling my eyes out because of a song. We've all heard it more times than we can count. "Stand By Me" Originally sang by Ben E. King in 1960. Written by legendary song writers Leiber and Stoller with some help of King.
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
And the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me
And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me
Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah
Coming back to you now? Well I wasn't listening to the original version or any of the versions by John Lennon, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Ronnie Milsap, Seal or U2. (Just to name a few.) I was listening to a version created by an organization called Playing For Change. Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. My mom had sent me the link because she thought I would like it. Kudos for my momma knowing what I like! I had received it a few months ago on a bad day so of course it cheered me up. Friday was kind of a rough day for reasons I won't go into. Regardless, I was seeking any type of music to get me out of the funk. I was going through my emails and found this. I listened to it repeatedly! It worked again. Renewed my spirit and allowed me to finish the day.
I was ready for bed, sitting there with my journal, a book and my Bible. I was trying to find so many answers and couldn't find it (or maybe I just wasn't listening). I thought hey why not see if you can get that link on You Tube. Who would have thought that it would be there with so many more songs!!! I started listening to it and chills went up and down my body. Then the water works came. If you know anything about me at all, you know that I am not a cryer. I HATE crying in front of people. I really don't even like to do it in private. If I do, it lasts a few minutes and I'm over it. I just kept crying and crying sitting in my bed all by myself. How totally random is that. I kept listening to the song over and over, eventually transitioning to the other songs created by Playing For Change.
I know I've got you sitting on pins and needles so here is the link to their You Tube site. http://www.youtube.com/user/PlayingForChange
Please, please start with "Stand By Me." Listen to the rest of their songs. Check out their website. Pass on this to other people!!
But back to the original paragraph... What is music to me?? Music is such a powerful and amazing blessing. It has the ability to change my mood at the drop of a hat. I can be in the deepest depression and with the strum of a chord or whisper of a voice, I am at peace. I can also be having a ho hum day and a song with a great beat comes on. I'm energized. Sometimes it isn't the lyrics of the songs, it is the instruments, the melodies, the silence... Music is a breath of life straight from God!
Leave me your thoughts on music. Love it. Hate it. Let me know!
“Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul.”
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