Music Is Power--Shane

We’ve all heard it at some point in our lives. Some of us have hundreds, even thousands of it at our disposal. Some of us have even forged our own. In one way or another, we have all heard music. However, I believe that someone who has heard is not necessarily someone who has listened. Hearing is nothing more than just our perception of sound, but listening takes a conscious effort -- it’s a decision -- a resolve -- an expression. Music is power. 

So what is music? What is this power that mankind has the ability to wield? Literally, music is defined as “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity.” (Merriam-Webster) In other words, a collection of sounds -- a bunch of notes. Sure, from a literal standpoint that makes sense, but it doesn’t make much sense for merely a bunch of notes to have such a strong influence on every culture, every people, and every soul since the dawn of time. 

How can a bunch of notes bring great joy, sadness, anger, confusion, and love to so many? When I began to first learn how to play piano, I was always told by my teachers to play the instrument, and not let the instrument play me. The reason why simply a series of notes can pluck the strings of our hearts has nothing to do with the physical sound, but everything to with who is behind that sound. The power of music lies in one’s identity. When we listen to music, we are taking a glimpse at someone’s walk in life. We witness someone’s struggle, or success, or pride, or misfortune, or joy, all in a matter of minutes. For some of us, it's the only way we know how to express ourselves -- myself included. 

I grew up playing music pretty much my whole life. I’ve been playing piano for about ten years now. I’ve been playing piano for my church for the last five years. I’m what some would call a church boy. One thing I’ve learned about music is how much it can affect people emotionally and spiritually. Playing the piano in church, I had the responsibility of allowing people to connect with God through worship; I’ve personally seen how music can move people and set an atmosphere. Music provides healing. Often times, we take for granted how powerful music is in our lives. Many people use music merely as a stepping stool for success without any

real substance. Sometimes the atmosphere people set is one of no value; people sacrifice being
genuine for short-lived success. Negativity and false perceptions have been pushed to the front lines of our playlists, all over a catchy beat. You know what I’m talking about. 

So what is my point? Why should you care? My point is that music is a power that can bring both light and darkness into our world. As a musician myself, I try to do whatever I can to push out positivity in every scale that I play, every chord that I strum, every drum that I hit, and every note that I sing. Music is one of the few ways we can express ourselves without any filter. It’s an outlet for listeners and creators alike to confide in. Music has the power to bring people together from all walks of life. We can’t let this power be abused any longer. We should protect this power at all costs, not for our own satisfaction, but because music can be used to heal others. Let’s express ourselves unapologetically. Let’s put the power into our hands. Let’s heal the world.