Music is a peculiar thing. By creating a set of sounds with specific rhythms and pitches, it can evoke particular thoughts or emotions. In a universe where modern science claims randomness, why does this seemingly simple physical phenomenon possess such a specific ability to affect us?
In this journal entry, I want to ponder in this question.
What is EPJ? (you can skip this part if you already know what this series is about)
EPJ stands for Everyday Pilgrim Journal. If you’re new to this series, check out the first entry I wrote here. In short, I am here to explore the beauty inherent in everyday life, to understand the recurring theme of beauty through seeming foolishness. This is a theme exemplified by Christ, a “foolish” carpenter who claimed divinity and then faced brutal execution by crucifixion. Yet his followers insisted they witnessed his resurrection, and his influence remains too massive to ignore even until today.
This paradox of Christ, that he is considered the “ultimate beauty” and the “ultimate fool” is what many great people over the centuries have grappled with. Even as the modern world tries to silence or diminish this wonderful figure, I am compelled to show that it is impossible to do so. I want to look at the details of everyday life through the perspective of humility. This way I can uncover glimpses of the intuitive, mysterious beauty that Christ’s life and legacy continue to inspire.
With the internet and music streaming services, we have countless music choices. Music can help us cope with sadness or energize us during physical exercise. Even great thinkers of the past have noticed music’s unique ability to influence us.
Here are some relevant quotes to set the mood:
Rhythm and harmony permeate the inner part of the soul more than anything else, affecting it most strongly and bringing it grace, so that if someone is properly educated in music and poetry, it makes him graceful, but if not, then the opposite.
–Plato
Music charms us, although its beauty consists only in the agreement of numbers and in the counting, which we do not perceive but which the soul nevertheless continues to carry out, of the beats or vibrations of sounding bodies which coincide at certain intervals.
–Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Many of our passions have no particular cry associated with them, and yet music may express them.
–Michel-Paul Guy de Chabanon
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
–Victor Hugo
The music surged in my ears, truth seeped into my heart, and feelings of devotion overflowed.
–St. Augustine of Hippo
Multiple studies in neurology also agree that music has a ‘magical power’ to influence us deeply. Such as this 2023 research paper from Romania titled “Cognitive Crescendo: How Music Shapes the Brain’s Structure and Function” that says:
“…our brain’s reaction to music, whether in perception or production, is a symphony of neural activations across multiple regions, underpinning our rich emotional and cognitive experiences with melodies.”
But why? Again, music is just a set of arranged sounds that somehow sound good to our ear. Just picture this, even the most complicated music compositions are basically just arranging certain frequencies to be played in certain timing, with certain dynamics, loudness and color or accents. But these sounds somehow can inflict something upon us, they make us sad, happy, lost ourselves, or merely satisfy our boredom.
If you know a little bit about music theory, you’ll be amazed at how much pattern and seemingly designed proportions can be found in music.
I recommend you to watch this video briefly if you’re interested.
Music is the art which by the light of reason studies the harmony of all things that are in motion that is knowable by natural proportions.
–John Scotus Eriugene
At this point, it becomes clear that music is a sophisticated, calculated, and powerful tool, music is not merely a collection of sounds aimed at providing simple pleasure.
For instance, I’ve observed how some of my friends use certain genres of music as a form of social identity and label for their behaviors. My friends who listen to rap music may try to pretend and speak with some kind of “coolness” or “swagger,” while exclusive classical music enthusiasts can sometimes come across as elitist. Then there are friends who turn to generic pop tunes as a way to numb or avoid processing their deeper emotions, they may feel sad even when their situations are relatively stable.
These behaviors reveal how music can be used as a tool for ego, for escapism, or for creating false images. I’m not here to judge anyone’s musical tastes. But based on these observations, if you want to explore your true self, you may want to reflect on the kind of music you listen to.
Personally, I enjoy classical music not because I want to seem elite, but because in my experience, it has a unique ability to convey deeper, more nuanced emotions. That said, I also listen to other genres at times, just for the sheer enjoyment of it. But I always make sure to set aside dedicated time each day to listen to classical pieces. Perhaps in a future post, I’ll write about how to start exploring classical music. Science can explain the mechanics, but the deeper question of why music has such a profound impact on the human experience remains an enduring enigma.
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