La-Di-Da

So, I am sitting awake in my bed, not sleeping for the past few hours, but listening to that kid's rendition of "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" (from the previous post, a few hours ago). Do you want to know what I think is so amazing? The way people express themselves through music.

For some, it's creating music. The lyrics and the music come from someone's thoughts and feelings. The emotion that is put into the music I listen to just astounds me.

For some, it's sharing music. Whether you are this kid who uses another artist's music to express himself, or whether you are a person who produces music or distributes it, you must believe in it at least a little to share it with the world.

For some, like me, it's listening to it. I don't know about you, but there is music I listen to that corresponds with my mood. I have music that I listen to when I am happy--it's the upbeat, fist-pumping type music. It's the kind you just can't help but dance to. On the other end of the spectrum, there is music I listen to when I am sad. There is also music I listen to to calm down, or music that says exactly what I can't say.

Music is such a universal language. I can listen to something foreign and love it as much as I love my usual music. I was talking to a friend who wants to go to Brazil to play his music. He was telling me how much Brazilians love American music, even if they don't understand what it is saying. That's pretty awesome.

Music creates experiences that can be both personal, and communal. Portable music devices made music a personal experience. Groups, such as choirs, make music a shared effort. Niches, groups of people that share a common interest, are formed based on music preferences, like when people gather at concerts. It can be shared with friends, or be kept special for yourself. I like to share my favorite music with the people I care about most.

I never really realized how special music is to me until these past few days when someone asked me if I know any really awesome music, and I thought twice about sharing it. That may sound a little selfish, but when something is so special to me, I like to be sure it will be appreciated by those whom I share it with.

Music is so amazing. It is truly one of the Lord's gifts to His children. I am just so grateful that talented friends and family will share it with me.