The sound of music

Continuing with my theme of powerful forces, music is another unappreciated one. We are often unaware as to how powerful and influential music can be. Allow me to illustrate.

We consciously or unconsciously associate music with aspects of our lives, with a particular boyfriend, a sporting event, a tragedy. Sometimes you can hear a song and remember exactly where you were and what you were doing the first time you heard it.

Many couples have "their song", which is a powerful effect and can carry over for many years after they split up. One guy I know chose this as his song for his girlfriend (warning: explicit lyrics and not very nice ones either. Needless to say they are no longer together!).

If we take a minute to stop and examine the words of most contemporary songs, we'd agree that they aren't necessarily the most instructive or appropriate things to have running through your head (running through your head). Do the girls really want to visit Fitty's candyshop? Or Avril going down is perfect to be humming during chazaras hashatz. I'm not advocating Jewish music per se, nor a reductionist isolationist view of the world, rather an awareness of the powers that surround us.

Let's open our eyes and see what influences us, what insiduously works its devilish way into our brain and hearts, affecting our feelings and thoughts. Let's understand the power of the niggun in chassidut, Rebbe Nachman's thought, telling us how music touches our soul and connects us with the upper worlds.

TRK