MUSIC: MORE THAN MELODY

Ever found yourself lost in a song? Maybe the lyrics, or the composition, or the vibe, or the beats, or the voice of the artist? Well, that’s the power of music. The power of music is beyond languages; the way a few songs just resonate with the listeners’ personalities and gain love and popularity from all across the globe is proof enough. Good music can be a therapy, a stress reliever, entertainment, happiness, a way to communicate and can even lead to development of different emotions. 

Now, there are thousands of genres and styles of music. And the music taste differs from person to person. And a lot of times, one could like multiple genres. One day you could wake up listening to Selena Gomez and on your way home from college or work you may be listening to Shankar Mahadevan. But from Pop to Hindustani Classical, from K-Pop to Country music, from Rock to Carnatic Classical music, one thing that is common is how it brings people together and gives them the comfort that they very much need. 

It’s beautiful how sound can just affect us so much. And by us, I don’t just mean humans. Studies by different institutes and national research organizations, like University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Veterinary Medicine, The Scottish SPCA, University of California, Colorado State University, etc. concluded that in case of dogs, music reduced stress and barking, and in case of cows, calming music led to decreased stress and improved milk production; whereas in case of rats, there was calming effect on the rats, reducing stress-related behaviors such as aggression and repetitive movements observed. 

“Music touches us emotionally, where words alone can’t.” ~  Johnny Depp’s words, not mine(though I couldn’t agree more). Music is the life of the party at weddings and gatherings, the shoulder to cry on during heartbreaks, and the motivational coach when you need a push. It is absolutely amazing how using music that you have listened to during a certain time can trigger a memory back to that time. And not only that but I also observed how the perception of the same music may change when you again listen to it for a long time and how now it gets associated with a new time period and how it will be a different memory when you listen to it again in the future. 

As easy as it may look, making music from scratch is no easy feat. It involves a complex journey of seeking inspiration, composing melodies, writing lyrics, layering beats and instrumentation and singing, all to end with music that promotes the maker’s thoughts and ideas and may be even interpreted as something different by the listener. If any musician is reading this, then lots of gratitude from a music lover to the music maker for all that you do, because, "Without music the world will still turn, but it won't rock." ~ Fran Drescher.