In today’s world of busy schedules, tight budgets, increasing pressure to juggle careers and kids, it’s easy to wonder on occasion why music, art, and other forms of entertainment are important. At first glance, these seem to be “extras” in our daily lives. We can’t reasonably live our lives without food, shelter, clothing, income, exercise, doctors, cars . . . the list goes on. But we can make it through a day, a week, months, and years, without the inclusion of art and music in the fabric of our schedules. This begs the question, what is the purpose of music then, other than pleasure and distraction, if we can live without it?
The answer is simply the health, well-being, growth, and advancement of our minds. It is our mind, after all, that sets us apart from other animals. It is our mind that gives us the competitive edge in the world’s food-chain. Our intelligence gives us the capability and creativity to survive, arguably, just about anything. Our intelligence is a powerful and potent tool, one which may very well be our salvation, at the same time that it poses the threat of destruction. How we use our minds, our intelligence, may determine what happens to our species, as well as those species with whom we share the earth.
If this intelligence is so vital, it seems we should foster it, nourish and develop it. We should give our minds those things which encourage creativity, happiness, and thoughtfulness. Music is the very manifestation of our thought and intellect, so we should pay close attention to it. In addition, the study of music serves to develop our intellect, and the appreciation and enjoyment of music and art serves to calm, enlighten, and inspire us. So whether you are the creator, the student, or the audience, music is vital to your mental and intellectual well-being. Music also help us to express our humanity, to communicate that which is beyond words and language. For many, it is cathartic, emotional salvation. Creating music, creating art, helps us psychologically to put order and meaning to our experiences. In this way, music and art cross over to the spiritual.
All of these benefits - expression, communication, intellectual development, creative development, inspiration, comfort, pleasure - have now been studied and observed in the scientific community. It has been shown time and again that music is a particularly potent form of mental, emotional, and intellectual stimulation. It is no longer just a hunch, a feeling, or a belief that music is important, but a documented scientific fact. And it’s also becoming clear through a variey of studies that music is vitally important at every age and stage of life. Early on, it increases intellectual, academic, and social development. Later on, it keeps us sharper longer, and can even be a potent tool in managing and treating illness and disease.
Because we now understand how music, and all forms of art, are integral to our mental and intellectual health and well-being, we must assume the responsibility to include it in our daily lives, to foster it’s support and growth within our communities, and treat it as core curriculum for our children. Without it, we may survive for a long time, but will our quality of life suffer as a result? Will our way of life continue? Will we have the tools to meet the future challenges which we cannot even imagine?
Now imagine a world where every person has the opportunity to master a musical instrument. Imagine a world where everyone has experienced at least one moment of genuine achievement, that feeling of “I did it!” Imagine a world where all children are more likely to play the piano in their free time than a video game. Imagine a world where young people are more likely to join a community chorus, band, or orchestra than a gang. This is a world that we can create.
The answer is simply the health, well-being, growth, and advancement of our minds. It is our mind, after all, that sets us apart from other animals. It is our mind that gives us the competitive edge in the world’s food-chain. Our intelligence gives us the capability and creativity to survive, arguably, just about anything. Our intelligence is a powerful and potent tool, one which may very well be our salvation, at the same time that it poses the threat of destruction. How we use our minds, our intelligence, may determine what happens to our species, as well as those species with whom we share the earth.
If this intelligence is so vital, it seems we should foster it, nourish and develop it. We should give our minds those things which encourage creativity, happiness, and thoughtfulness. Music is the very manifestation of our thought and intellect, so we should pay close attention to it. In addition, the study of music serves to develop our intellect, and the appreciation and enjoyment of music and art serves to calm, enlighten, and inspire us. So whether you are the creator, the student, or the audience, music is vital to your mental and intellectual well-being. Music also help us to express our humanity, to communicate that which is beyond words and language. For many, it is cathartic, emotional salvation. Creating music, creating art, helps us psychologically to put order and meaning to our experiences. In this way, music and art cross over to the spiritual.
All of these benefits - expression, communication, intellectual development, creative development, inspiration, comfort, pleasure - have now been studied and observed in the scientific community. It has been shown time and again that music is a particularly potent form of mental, emotional, and intellectual stimulation. It is no longer just a hunch, a feeling, or a belief that music is important, but a documented scientific fact. And it’s also becoming clear through a variey of studies that music is vitally important at every age and stage of life. Early on, it increases intellectual, academic, and social development. Later on, it keeps us sharper longer, and can even be a potent tool in managing and treating illness and disease.
Because we now understand how music, and all forms of art, are integral to our mental and intellectual health and well-being, we must assume the responsibility to include it in our daily lives, to foster it’s support and growth within our communities, and treat it as core curriculum for our children. Without it, we may survive for a long time, but will our quality of life suffer as a result? Will our way of life continue? Will we have the tools to meet the future challenges which we cannot even imagine?
Now imagine a world where every person has the opportunity to master a musical instrument. Imagine a world where everyone has experienced at least one moment of genuine achievement, that feeling of “I did it!” Imagine a world where all children are more likely to play the piano in their free time than a video game. Imagine a world where young people are more likely to join a community chorus, band, or orchestra than a gang. This is a world that we can create.
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