Day to Day happenings in my life

The power of music

Prompt for

FORUM

Welcome To My Reality Forum  (E) Prompts to help you blog about real life and more... #1967461 by Boo

Write a blog entry about music's effect on our feelings on sadness and happiness.

As a writer the lyrics are the most important part of music. I don’t like music purely for the sound, it’s always the words. It’s the same with dance, even though I appreciate ballet, I find watching it frustrating as I need the words of the story, not just that interpretation of the words. That probably means I’m shallow or unrefined, well I’m afraid that me then.

A local singer had a great idea for a show, locally. She went around the area to various groups for inspiration. She came to our writing group one day. She asked us to tell her about a memory attached to a certain song. It was amazing the songs and memories which came from the idea. Eventually she made a performance piece and invited those who’s memories inspired the songs she was performing. Mine was when I was sixteen my boyfriend cleaned a clubhouse after it was closed for the week, he did it for pocket money, he was saving to buy a motorbike. Anyway there was a microphone plugged in and I sang him songs popular at the time while he mopped the floor! Love Me Tender by Elvis, the song that I sang to him takes me back fifty or more years when I sang to my boyfriend now husband. Oh the power of music.
I like gospel songs sung by choirs, they always lift my spirits even though I’m not a church goer.
Songs from musicals are great. Maria from West Side Story takes me back to when the film first came out and I was about 17 years old.
So songs can take you back to places and times you have forgotten, or thought you had.
I laughed at my husband’s expression the other day when he heard someone say the f word in a song. “Did he sing what I thought he sang?” I’m afraid so. There is no reason I can think of for spoiling quite a good song with swearing, but when I told my 20 something grandson he laughed.
I guess we’re old fogeys now. But there’s no denying the power of music, it can make you laugh, cry, dance or be romantic. It’s quite extraordinary.