MUSIC: THE ABILITY TO TRANSCEND US

Music is the most abstract of all art forms. With the ability to embody various emotional states despite its elusive, intangible form, it still yet retains the power to 'touch', move and transcend us; spiritually, emotionally, culturally to new heights. Music transcends time and space and even other dimensions; it enables people to transport themselves psychologically into a sacred, nurturing space when we desire to go inward, away from an outward-facing world imbued with a cacophony of distractions and tribulations.

But not all music is created of the same temperament. Sometimes what we, as individuals, consider ‘peaceful’ can be mellow or even melancholic, yet still emit raw beauty; like Tony Anderson's 'Ember', or The Middle East’s ‘Blood’, sitting comfortably alongside thematically ‘sweeter’ or lyrically ‘lighter’ songs that can be equally uplifting to the soul; cue Porter Robinson’s ‘Sea of Voices’, Susie Suh with Robert Koch’s ‘Here With Me’, or the powerfully atmospheric and euphoric tempos of Icelandic band, Sigur Ros, even within the simply orchestrated, repetitive hum of ‘Meo Blodnasir’. Thinking in terms of zen or the ‘state of flow’, music can truly help us to focus by putting us in the zone, while we mentally zone out; just try listening to ‘One Perfect Sunrise’ by Orbital, or 'Near Light' by Olafur Arnalds, where one gets the distinct sense of these songs and hence our attuned mood or mindset, of having no beginning and no end. Only pure bliss.

Being in such a state of flow is actually technically a form of dissociation (the positive kind on the spectrum), which is where you become completely immersed in your chosen activity, whilst disconnected from your surroundings and the passage of time. It's the same reason why I and we collectively, choose to listen to music when on long drives (or in fact any drive), cleaning our homes, or commuting to and from work with our headphones in. When I was enrolled at a creative arts school I recall listening to music intuitively, instinctively whilst painting or drawing. At certain points as I was working away I was dissociating, or essentially overtaken with the feeling of being right there ‘in the zone’. Not always but every now and then – so deeply, to the point that I’d end up hitting a 'high note'; as the finished artwork could now stand on its own and ‘sing’ with vitality.

Just like our other more tactile senses of sight, taste, smell, and touch, we often associate certain songs with key memorable experiences across our entire lifespan, such as the carefully curated playlist for the funeral commemorating a loved one (in my case, the featured highlight 'Il tuo nome' by Nuovi Orizzonti, for my Italian grandparents) or Enigma’s ‘Return to Innocence’ which always makes me reminisce about them.

Music has the ability to heal. Whether it’s recovering from heartbreak, covering long distances to connect to loved ones, or music therapy being utilised in mental health. It takes one to know it; I myself spent a long time in psychiatric hospitals. Being contained within four walls doesn’t often improve your state of health, but having discovered Porter Robinson during my first visit, I felt I was transported to another place and time entirely. The album ‘Worlds’ made me feel instantly elated and inspired, despite not doing very much at all apart from simply appreciating the music. Whilst I had tapped into my own zen in the most unlikely of places, I inadvertently disrupted the zen of others; as my repetitive soundtrack had triggered one patient to breaking point, as he proceeded to almost smash apart the cd player. And so you see, we all have our own ways of living and experiencing zen. Maybe it simply wasn’t his playlist.

Music even has the ability to promote growth; there are vineyards in Italy where classical music is played to encourage the growth and sweetness of the grapevines. How poetic. Do you remember seeing articles and YouTube clips of Europeans singing to each other across their balconies, during the COVID-19 pandemic? It is quintessentially the beauty and power of music that connects us, even when things seem to be crashing down. This power extends beyond humans as well; for instance in the Australian film ‘One Perfect Day’ [2004] directed by Paul Currie, we are introduced to lead actor Tommy Matisse. A gifted musician who rebels against the traditions of classical music, he sets out in search of ambient sounds stemming from more unusual sources. In one particular scene, Tommy decides to capture the sounds produced from crickets chirping - but far removed from the natural assumption coming from that of a human ear; instead we are presented with the actual sound that the crickets hear. One could then say that the sound presented is truly as it is, in its purest form. As the audience, we face an enticing invitation to become completely mesmerised by the angelic, heavenly symphony laid bare before us:

On the other end of the musical score, termites have been shown to eat wood faster when exposed to heavy metal music, as sound vibration and sound frequency impact their behaviour, and water crystals form differently when exposed to classical music compared to rock music. So you see, sound is all around us and it affects not only humans but every living being on our planet including our metaphysical surroundings. It is a part of us and our world at large, vibing on a constant yet varied rhythm, pitch, pace, and vibration. It’s as if sound itself is forever streaming live, on one colourful piece of woven fabric on a magic carpet ride. {Insert Aladdin soundtrack}

Within this carefully curated, eclectic playlist crafted specially for you, I considered a few key words that sum up the common ties that effectively interweave these songs from different genres, into a cohesive whole. Atmospheric. Embodied emotion. Crescendos and instrumentals. Light/ soft yet powerful. Immersive. Slow-paced ‘hum’. Melodic euphoria. Memory-laden and the ability to pass down stories. Other worlds, distance to bear. Ethereal.

Philosophers throughout the ages have delved into the value and purpose of music in society, such as Plato who regarded ‘good’ music as important for a young person’s education in his ideal republic, with the inspiring belief that “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything”. For Nietzsche, music fundamentally served a purpose, stating “Without music, life would be a mistake.” There are many people- still to this day, who would attune themselves to such bold statements. Where would we simply be without music in our lives? And on that final note, it’s time to keep it short and sweet to allow yourself to zone out and tune in to some sweet, sweet vibes. Let’s vibe together. Right now…

Images sourced from Ecosia, Unsplash and Instagram @ artist Vanessa Stockard