Music can reach the very soul, when mere words fall flat.
Even the least musically inclined person can be moved by music. This is why movies have sound tracks. This is why the simple concept of a person’s right to play a song is one of the core bases of the idea of freedom of the internet.
Music is power.
Music is directly responsible for many a social revolution. Music has changed the world. We can even get an idea of the social climate of a given age just by listening to the music of that time.
This phenomenon can be witness directly. I contend that absolutely NOTHING brings a disparate group of people together more strongly than a shared song. Don’t believe me? Go to a concert. Go to a revival meeting. Go to a sporting event when they play the national anthem. Whatever your tastes; whatever your religious beliefs; whatever your take on patriotism, it is impossible not to be moved by the sheer immensity of many different people joined in song.
What brought this odd chain of thoughts on?
I just got back from the 17th Annual New England Parrot Head Convention. Well technically, I just started recovering from it. For those scratching their heads right now, a Parrot Head is not just the cranial region of a colorful bird, but it also refers to a unique class of individual … a human who embraces the lifestyle and music of one Jimmy Buffett. I first encountered this phenomenon last year, (incidentally producing my most popular blog post ever), and it is quickly going to become a staple of my yearly diet for life.
For some being a Parrot Head is all about the music, but in reality it is an organization devoted to embracing life while at the same time doing good things with it. The music is just the spark. The flame is the people themselves. The weekend is basically one long party, but one that has a purpose. While drinks may flow a plenty, (or they would if the hotel lets it happen) and laughter and song and joy and boundless energy of simple pleasure is to be found everywhere, it is all for a purpose. So what is this vaunted purpose?
It is actually very simple. These people of various ages; various backgrounds; various lives all recognize the importance of simply helping another. These events raise money for charities (which charities is determined by the clubs involved). These are people who simply want to help someone who could use an extra hand, and do it with joy in their hearts. Are they changing the world? Maybe not wholesale. But one person at a time is really the only way it can be done anyway.
All of this because of a man and his songs.
There is a lesson to be learned here methinks.
Music is power.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]