Music Matters

God lent us His creativity for a reason. Art brings life to...well...life. Art speaks when we struggle to find words, art sparks conversation, and, obviously, art gives us something to admire. However, I find music to be an especially fascinating medium.

Unlike most other art forms, music is intangible, yet it still exists and affects us. Music is more than something we observe; it literally gets into our heads. I suppose the same can be said for all sounds, but that is beside the point. Like most works of art, music can serve as a conversation piece or a composition of beauty. Furthermore, music has the power to physically move us, to unify us as we hum or sing a familiar tune, to not just display an idea but implant it into our own heads. Technically, music does have a form in soundwaves, but as far as my understanding goes, it still has no matter and therefore is immaterial. Even music sheets and recordings are not the art itself, but vessels for the art to be recreated. I am fascinated by the idea of immaterial art.

I have heard that in musicals, the characters are prompted to sing as their emotions become too strong for words. I know this is a strategy for the musicals’ writers to naturally segue into the music, but I feel there is some truth to this in real life. Music can make art out of emotion. Sometimes I listen to or sing songs to find beauty when I’m struggling. Other times I just want to be infected by the melody’s passion. Personally, I really want to write music because some feelings are so intense, I just need to sing them. I believe this is one of the reasons God gave us song. Of course, that does not mean every piece honors Him, but music is still a gift. For goodness' sake, there are 150 Psalms of people putting their grievances, needs, and praise into song.

I want to celebrate the musicians of our world or even just the act of humming, whistling, tapping or snapping a beat. I have a lot of admiration, if not a little envy, for the musically inclined. If you are looking to study music at Huntington University, you can learn more about this intangible and beautiful art form at huntington.edu/Music.