This is for those of you who don’t know much about music.
Or who would like to know more about it than you do now.
Let’s start off by having some fun. Have you seen a Virtual Keyboard?
Even if you have never played an instrument, you can experience making music yourself with this wonderful invention (click here).
Time for a confession from Lynne:
Josh plays the violin as if it’s an extension of his body and soul.
I play the piano…badly.
Josh can quickly identify almost any piece of music and can usually name the conductor and performer after listening to a few bars of it.
I have a terrible memory for instrumental music, especially when it’s “classical.”
For years we have played a car game sort of like Twenty Questions. As we drive along and are listening to music–especially classical instrumental music–on the radio, he will ask if I want to guess who wrote it.
I’m happy to tell you that I’m getting a little better at guessing the right century and sometimes even the right country of origin. If I’m feeling really daring, I may even try for the first initial of the composer’s name.
Now, if you want lyrics to every song in the American Songbook, I’m your gal. And songs from my parents’ generation? I can sing the verses and choruses of songs most people have never heard of, the result of spending a lot of my childhood on long car trips.
The point of my confession is this:
You don’t need to be a musical savant to be part of our tribe. You just have to be interested enough in music to read our posts. We want you to feel very comfortable responding with your own comments and asking questions. That’s how we all learn and grow.
Here are some good reasons for sticking with us.
Music listening, playing, and study stimulate all sorts of cognitive processes.
When you listen to unfamiliar music you are challenging yourself to swim in a sea of novel patterns and sounds. This nourishes brain growth just the way adapting to any new environment does. Facing the unknown becomes even more valuable when you are guided to understand how to listen and make sense of what you’re hearing. Then you get an Aha! experience as a bonus.
Familiar music is challenging as well, when you learn how to recognize its musical structure and unique genius. It’s like swimming in warm Caribbean waters, diving below the surface where you usually stay, deep down to where unexpected, hidden beauties lie. Another powerful Aha! experience.
Our job is to give you insights that pique your curiosity and sense of wonder so that your dives are exciting–and easier than they would be without our guidance.
As Josh and I continue to explore the wide world of music that we feel represents humanity at its best, I hope you will be our companions in discovering music that
- moves you strongly, not necessarily always in a positive way (!)
- provokes your thinking
- arouses your desire to listen and learn more
- puts you in touch with that mysterious spirit residing in each of us that resonates to the greatest forms of human expression and experience…
Even if–like me–you still can’t, for the life of you, name that tune.