While talking to some of my friends about music, they said that they just couldn't relate to ‘western’ classical music; it just didn't get to them; they couldn't access the music though they had tried to, and they had failed to understand or appreciate it. Others whom I spoke to, and who listen mainly to pop or Indian film music, or rock, or country and western music, just couldn't get into Indian classical music or jazz, let alone western classical music.
Music lovers know about the positive power of music; that it brings people together and unites and strengthens bonds in every culture; that music makes people one; that it is a cooperative and shared enjoyment which transcends language and culture. Music is indeed a gift we human beings have given ourselves. People sing and dance together at various times to celebrate, to commemorate, and to remember. Music makes us love life more despite our difficulties.
Explaining that music is a universal language and that all music has essentially the same basics, to those to whom music is not important, is easier said than done, and it is a more or less fruitless exercise.
It became apparent to me, after trying, that one cannot explain the wonder of music, any music – firstly: without demonstrating what goes into the making of music. And secondly, that unless music is an important part of ones life, it is difficult to make people want to open their minds to listen, really listen, to music, or, to know what they are listening to, or, know what goes into making music, because acceptance of music depends on how one listens and keeps an open mind to music.
There are many levels of interest in music, and many levels of disinterest in music. There are many levels of casual listeners. Most people do not listen to music with any understanding or involvement, and the music they are familiar with is usually what they hear when they see movies or watch TV, or, over the radio, because it is on!
Music listeners who listen to music as an end-in-itself are rare. Therefore, there are few who are open to listening-to and understanding what we are listening to.
Some, who are open to music, do not want to know more about the music they listen to, because they feel that knowing more about what goes into making music would reduce their enjoyment of the music, because their listening would become controlled and methodical and they would miss out on the heart and soul of the music.
To those to whom music is not an integral part of their lives, music is an ephemeral and perhaps an accidental pleasure in the background of their daily lives. Others, who are a step higher in level in their keenness to music, pay attention to the songs they hear and register the tune and words, and they like to sing along with the music.
Another level registers the rhythm first - the recurring, regular and measured beat that is mentally noted for its suitability to dance... and they take to the rhythms more than the simple melody that accompanies the rhythm.
There is another level of music listeners who love music (there are musicians amongst them), they listen to rock and pop, and Indian-pop and film songs, but find classical music, ‘Western’, and both the schools of Indian classical music, ‘Carnatic’ and ‘Hindustani’, and even ‘Jazz’, dull and uninteresting! They cannot listen to any of these ‘involving music’ for more than a few seconds before becoming intolerant, impatient and tormented (this is true!) by the music.
There are also music lovers who like western classical music and choral music, but cannot access Jazz, Carnatic & Hindustani classical music.
There are lovers of Hindustani classical music, who cannot take Carnatic music, and Carnatic music aficionado’s who do not care for Hindustani classical music.
And there are music chauvinists amongst all of them who feel that the music they listen to, or play, is superior to all other music and they therefore are not open to any other music.
There are musicians who love music, but cannot access and do not care for any other music other than what they can play. This is a strange group, they are good musicians, but with closed minds towards music that they cannot play. If it is beyond their capability to play a type of music as musicians, they do not like it!
A friend, with whom I have attended a Carnatic classical concert, and who appeared to be an informed listener and had listened to the music with visible enjoyment, surprised me with the announcement that music is not an important part of his life and that he could manage very well without music thank you.
There are some of us who do not care for music, and there a many homes where music is never played and never heard. To those of us to whom music is a very important, the idea of not having music in our lives is unimaginable.
Music lovers, put music first, and conversation while music is on, is an absolute NO! Whereas to the casual listener, conversation comes first, and music is just about tolerated, and if there has to be music during the conversation, it should be soft and innocuous, otherwise it disturbs these talkers (conversation lovers) from receiving the full attention they feel they deserve while they dispense important information to their captive audience - in person, or over the phone.
Some of us are fortunate to love music. All types of music! We are deeply affected by the power of music - the energy and fun of music which enhances our lives, feeds our souls, and moves and raises our spirits. We are also affected by the inexplicable comfort and joy that music brings to our lives during times of both celebration and stress.
For those of us who love music and to whom music is important, music resonates within us intensely, evoking memories of the familiar, and on occasion..., the unfamiliar! And we are often transported by the sheer beauty of music which makes us feel transcendent and at peace within. We listen to music because we need it, because it stirs us and it induces within us all sorts of feelings, moods and states of mind. And yet, sometimes, while listening to music, we find ourselves in tears and we do not know whether the tears are of joy or sadness. But, take it from me, though music can make you cry, it cannot make you sad. Music can never make you sad - music just brings out the ‘Joy Inside The Tears’ (Thanks Stevie Wonder, for that ‘Wonder’ful song!)
There is no such thing as bad music. All music is good. Though some music is more involving than others. I have written about this involving music on ‘Jazz Is a Four Letter Word’. http://highnotesdance.blogspot.in/2016/07/jazz-not-four-letter-word.html http://pratapantony.blogspot.in/2011/07/jazz.html
Music is so universal that it does not recognize any culture. It touches music lovers wherever they are in the world, even if they do not understand the language. For example, a song that caught on India and was heard everywhere, and was in the repertoire of every wedding-procession brass band, was the Algerian ‘Rai’ song ‘Didi’, by Khaled, the song ‘Didi’ was a super-hit in India in 1992 and ’93, and was played at every wedding and public occasion; this song was at the top of the charts in France and Europe too. Before ‘Didi’, there was a song called ‘Come September’ from a Hollywood movie of the sixties. Every one in India knew the song, it was heard everywhere, and till today, is part of the repertoire of the brass bands that play during the Indian wedding processions.
While thinking about how much music means to me..., all music...! And from talking to and observing friends, I realised how much a non-listener, or casual listener misses from not being drawn-in by music; and how good it would be if everyone could experience music more fully and deeply. I feel like a messenger of music! I would love more people to enjoy music and enjoy the benefits of music. Music helps us heal ourselves and relax in these stressful times. So, I am sharing these thoughts about music because, I would like all of us to get the same pleasure from music that the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev so lyrically describes in ‘Home of the Gentry’. "The sweet, passionate melody captivated his heart from the first note; it was full of radiance, full of the tender throbbing of inspiration and happiness and beauty, continually growing and melting away; it rumoured of everything on earth that is dear and secret and sacred to mankind; it breathed of immortal sadness and it departed from the earth to die in the heavens."
My next piece about the magic of music will share and communicate a little musical knowledge for the casual listener to have a better understanding of the basics of music; about what to pay attention to while listening to music, so that the casual listener who usually hears music played in the background while working or doing household chores, could actively listen to the music and know how listening, really listening to music, truly expands our musical experience and expresses, arouses and induces emotions.
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