If you don’t know then music has been that
agent like men in black unconsciously transforming and shaping your life and
that’s the power of music. I will explain. So I’ve heard them say ‘If music is
the food of life, play on’ (Shakespeare) and rightfully so, you must enjoy your
music, even though we can debate as to what is good music but that’s a topic
for another day. I doubt there is or I am yet to find a person who does not
find music somewhat an essential part of life. I know we have abnormalities in
life like people who have completely differing views from ourselves and sit
right at the opposite end of the spectrum and yet we hold those abnormalities
acceptable to a certain extent of course. However to not be connected to music
is a kind of abnormality I would place under the ‘what the heck, in what world’
category, even that seems pretty standard for a shock category. So just in case
you might disagree, I argue that everybody, no matter the race, body size,
nationality, language, political views, fetish or thinking capacity among so
many other facets to this endless list, is influenced by music, full stop.
I have found that music is the gateway to
the soul (some could argue it’s not but I am the one writing this piece) and that’s the reason why you could listen to a song and then find
that it triggers all kinds of emotions. Music is so powerful that it can break
down all defensive mechanisms in a person without asking for permission. More
often than not, I come across a song that just doesn’t go with my belief system
and vow that I shall never utter the lyrics again, like forever ever? Yeah,
like forever ever (Outkast). Then it always happens that when I go to the
shops, the shop DJ just has to have that song playing and without thinking
twice about it, I find myself singing along, humming that tune like there’s no
tomorrow, I might even throw in a one-two step while I throw things in the
shopping cart (For a Christian, it could even be a Lady Gaga song if we have to
go to the extreme in illustrating this point).
Music is so powerful that it has been
encoded or encrypted as part of our memory system. There are some songs that as
soon as they start playing, remind me of some ass-whooping my parents done gave
me in the past. It just so happens that as they were whipping me with that belt
or uniquely selected piece of bamboo, a particular song was playing (lol, one
might wonder how troublesome a child I was to deserve that bamboo or was it?…).
So unfortunately and fortunately music is that powerful to get in into our
lives whether we are willing or unwilling to let it, and it frequently take us
back in time to a place of happiness or sadness, depending on the memories that
music has been associated with our life’s events. I still laugh at the fact
that music reminds me of moments such as my ass-whooping days, of moments when
I played the wrong song for the wrong occasion, perhaps a first spark of love
(Hmmm), graduation celebration and the like. At the same time music reminds me
of painful moments, moments that even as a man, could let a few tears loose but
I am grateful that there’s that flexibility to allow and make the song cry
(Jay-Z) and then we are exempted from such even though emotions sometimes may
get the best of us.
However the flip side to this coin is, you can
and you personally do choose what music to influence you. I’m sure that in the
past few days you have spent at least one to two hours organising a play list
that you will play/have been playing during a particular time, perhaps even
during your boring lectures to escape to a preferential world of carefully
woven metaphors to a mind-blowing instrumental or it could simply be for your
time alone to reflect on what it is that you want to do with your life reasons
vary. I wouldn’t be surprised though that some people and may be even yourself have
a romantic/loving making playlist specially prepared for those moments we all
seem to gravitate towards (The story of our lives, lol). Others have an angry
playlist and that’s when people are pushed to the limit or an inspiration
playlist which when tuned into, one feels motivated to accomplish anything in
life and for my inspiration, these I have plenty.
I work as a project’s engineer for a
Building Automation Management company and my days comprise of going to site to
install the automation systems as well as programming the smart devices for
access control, surveillance, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition). I
would have lost my head a long time ago if every day, all day, I worked at the
sound of drilling machines, chatter in the background, doors slamming every now
and then, a toilet flush so often, the verbal frustrations of my colleagues
screaming at their computers etc. For this reason I can’t do without my iPod
touch (Thank God for Steve Jobs and may his soul rest in peace). It’s a must to
have that iPod with me and that allows me to say I enjoy what I do on the job because
I work at the beat of that African drum, the rhythm, yes you guessed it, that
melody too. The sounds all seem to put a pace at my work, every now and then,
head-bobbing and more frequently than not, I just want to get out of my chair
and dance to it. Yeah, music is supposed to excite you, move you and I believe
it does.
If I were to inaugurate music, I would
stand tall at the podium and praise music for all the different areas of the human
life it affects. I would say I am grateful for every person blessed with
musical ability. I am grateful for each chord, especially the G, D and
A-majors. I am grateful for every guitar strumming especially the good ones. I
am grateful for those artists that have made it in the music industry because
far more than voicing out their thoughts that sometimes we don’t really care
about as much as the beat, they give hope to the masses and inspire ‘wanna-BEs’
to reach a like position in life. I am grateful for the African drums, I
believe its sound has been loud enough that those across seas from the African
continent have followed suit to recycle the art to the different forms or
genres of music. I am grateful that music like a drug, gives us a certain high,
helps us to escape certain realities, moves us to dance regardless of our dancing
skills, and throw our hands in the air regardless of the people around.
Furthermore I am grateful that even when the music fades and the musical high
wares off and we return to that reality, for that period when we are plugged in
the musical highness, we seize to forget, especially those unpleasant situations.
In addition I have found that the musical highness allows us to connect with
other people with a like mind or perhaps expressing like emotions and then we
know that we are not alone after all.
For many centuries, music has single handed
been able to imitate every human emotion we could possibly have, so great a
force, it could be the death of us. Music has allowed us to get in touch with
our spirituality and as a Christian I often feel I have missed out the
essential part of the service if I miss the praise and worship. Music is all
around us that even nature sings it too. This you shall agree with if you
listen carefully to the birds or the whistles made by the wind as it blows
through the trees. Music shall continue to influence us so we might as well
embrace it. However, it remains important to know that only you are the master
of what music you accept to shape your character. I couldn’t live without it
and I hope the same holds true for you. Otherwise you are just that abnormality
and we shall never connect. Music is indeed the food of life and thus far, we
must play on. Ladies and gentlemen, a standing ovation for one of the greatest
forces in our lives, **MUUUUUUUUUUUUUSIC**!!!
https://twitter.com/#!/ChimzyBeats
