by Poulami Mukherjee

A unique sight to realise the rhythmic benevolence of nature is the instance when leaves and petals dance to the falling drops of rain. In my view, ‘Music’ is the mother of Nature. The idea of culture has unfathomable roots that find their origin in the mysteries of mother nature and in turn have evolved into ideas that have nurtured human civilization. The diverse ways of culture and biology interact to form societies, norms, rituals, and other representations of culture. Music is the universal language of the spirit.

Sound experiences are by their very nature transitory. Sound is an indicator of presence.

Creation is said to have begun from the sound. It must somehow ‘reflect’ or ‘represent’ the spirit of humanity as a whole. Music manifests itself as an inseparable part of religious and spiritual practices. The different ways in which music proliferates materially give people different identities.

Music constructs our sense of identity through the direct realization of the body, time, and experiences which enable us to place ourselves in imaginative cultural narratives. Leo Tolstoy once said, ‘Music is the shorthand of emotion.’ As an admirer and practitioner of Dance, I feel music to be one of the unassailable ways of expressing one’s inner emotion and sensation. It can be understood as an approach to delineate the rhythm of life.

Technically, music may be defined as an amalgamation of vocal or instrumental sounds aiming at a disciplined structure to create a sensation of pleasure, beauty, rhythm, melody, harmony, and thus appeal to the feelings that lie in the core of our consciousness.

Music is an art, entertainment, pleasure, meditation and may also serve as a medicine for the soul and the body. All the cultures and the people exhibit unique responses to it. Proper composition of tone, rhythm, timbre, and texture sound sweet to human ears.The noise and disharmony cause disturbance in the spirit. There is no doubt that music has a healing touch on our senses. As music strikes the strings of feelings and emotions, it may be used in healing practices, psychotherapy, and above all to impart happiness to a depressed soul.

Music involves the use of the whole brain. It has an indissoluble relation with human senses and intellect. Certain notes of music ramp up the mood, intelligence, motivation, and concentration. Music also improves the quality of life and aids in physical, emotional, and social needs. Also, instrumental music helps in increasing learning and memory retention.

Music has therapeutic properties. The patients who listen to music during and after open-heart surgery seem to get magical relief. Music therapy is being effectively used to motivate an optimistic attitude to life. This is done by including music in day-to-day activities such as studying, games, exercises, and so on. It is felt by most of us that music fights stress. Hence the chances of illness get reduced.

Music affects one’s emotions. The different styles of music appeal to a person’s mood in different ways and therefore inculcate a whole range of emotions starting from happiness to excitement, as well as composure, grief, and pensiveness. Upbeat songs with fast-paced rhythms tend to make us excited and pumped up. In this way, music may affect one’s life in multiple ways.

Wordsworth, the great Romantic poet says, ‘And then my heart with pleasure fills, / And dances with the daffodils. The rhythm of life beats with its own music towards eternity.

About the Author:

Poulami Mukherjee is an Indian Classical Dancer who takes a special interest in all areas related to Dance as a discipline.