During the past couple of months - there have been a lot of topics that have come to mind, some of which have been apt for a blog post.
Primarily because these topics might be controversial. Also because I personally feel I wouldn't be qualified/experienced enough to give a good, unbiased opinion of them.
So after much contemplation (Heh, no), rather - a sudden thought this morning, the topic for today's post is (Did you get a hint from the title?) - Music.
What is it about music that makes it irresistible to humans? What is it about the rhythm, rhyme and those lyrics that draw the human mind deep into its confines?
Growing up, my entire life has been filled with music - music from different ages, music from before I was born, during my parents' childhood, and everything before and since then.
A whole range of genres - from rock, metal, pop, classical, house, hip hop, jazz, blues, alternative - it keeps going on. Do I have a favourite genre? I'm afraid I don't - primarily because a different genre appeals to me at different times.
That's another thing about music - it's ability to influence an individual's mood. You could have the worst possible day, Murphy's law could be having a field day with you - but the minute you turn up the volume of a track and hear the first few bars, the rhythm and words form a cocoon around you - a little world, a paracosm of sorts. That mystical place, that state of mind where reality can't hurt you, where your problems seem to vanish. For that one moment, there's no kryptonite that can bring you down, no chink in your armour. Your social anxieties melt away and the heaviness of the day levitate instead of gravitating towards you.
Though, is it possible for music to inherently be a particular emotion? Is 'sad music' actually sad? Or do we just make it so?
PBS Idea Channel's Mike has a good video out on the topic:
Whatever your opinion may be on the matter, there's no denying that the right music is better than no music at all, especially when it comes to possibly improving tasks - ASAP Science has a recent video out concerning the relation between music and an athlete's performance at the Sochi Winter Olympics:
Though, lets dip our toes into the sea of musical theory for a bit - there are only so many notes that exist - a finite number of combinations in which one can arrange them to form a composition. This begs the question - if a finite number does indeed exist, will we ever run out of new music? VSauce's Michael tackles this issue in his usual manner:
Learning an instrument is truly a wonderful experience - when done right. If you've ever got the opportunity to learn an instrument, I suggest you take it. Dive right into it.
Another dimension of music that I adore is the way lines rhyme. Anyone who knows me knows of my love for poetry. Any songs I've written flows a particular - hence, I take an immediate liking to lyrics that have a rhyme, flow and allegorical aspect to them.
This lead to my latest interest in raps. Let's see where this goes...
Go on, discover a couple of new genres
Take Coldplay's word for it.
So why haven't I been writing?
Primarily because these topics might be controversial. Also because I personally feel I wouldn't be qualified/experienced enough to give a good, unbiased opinion of them.
So after much contemplation (Heh, no), rather - a sudden thought this morning, the topic for today's post is (Did you get a hint from the title?) - Music.
Music. It sustains me.
What is it about music that makes it irresistible to humans? What is it about the rhythm, rhyme and those lyrics that draw the human mind deep into its confines?
Growing up, my entire life has been filled with music - music from different ages, music from before I was born, during my parents' childhood, and everything before and since then.
A whole range of genres - from rock, metal, pop, classical, house, hip hop, jazz, blues, alternative - it keeps going on. Do I have a favourite genre? I'm afraid I don't - primarily because a different genre appeals to me at different times.
That's another thing about music - it's ability to influence an individual's mood. You could have the worst possible day, Murphy's law could be having a field day with you - but the minute you turn up the volume of a track and hear the first few bars, the rhythm and words form a cocoon around you - a little world, a paracosm of sorts. That mystical place, that state of mind where reality can't hurt you, where your problems seem to vanish. For that one moment, there's no kryptonite that can bring you down, no chink in your armour. Your social anxieties melt away and the heaviness of the day levitate instead of gravitating towards you.
"Music is a safe kind of high" - Jimi Hendrix
Though, is it possible for music to inherently be a particular emotion? Is 'sad music' actually sad? Or do we just make it so?
PBS Idea Channel's Mike has a good video out on the topic:
Whatever your opinion may be on the matter, there's no denying that the right music is better than no music at all, especially when it comes to possibly improving tasks - ASAP Science has a recent video out concerning the relation between music and an athlete's performance at the Sochi Winter Olympics:
Though, lets dip our toes into the sea of musical theory for a bit - there are only so many notes that exist - a finite number of combinations in which one can arrange them to form a composition. This begs the question - if a finite number does indeed exist, will we ever run out of new music? VSauce's Michael tackles this issue in his usual manner:
Learning an instrument is truly a wonderful experience - when done right. If you've ever got the opportunity to learn an instrument, I suggest you take it. Dive right into it.
Another dimension of music that I adore is the way lines rhyme. Anyone who knows me knows of my love for poetry. Any songs I've written flows a particular - hence, I take an immediate liking to lyrics that have a rhyme, flow and allegorical aspect to them.
This lead to my latest interest in raps. Let's see where this goes...
Go on, discover a couple of new genres
Take Coldplay's word for it.
