Samantha Beard

Music; the True Language of Nature   

            Have you ever looked out your window and wondered how the stars keep shining? It is music. Have you ever looked at an algebraic expression and marveled at the sheer mystery of the numbers? It’s nature’s music. Everything around us is imbued with music and affected by it. Music is the only true language of nature. It has the power to connect ages, souls, countries, ideas, and people. People define themselves through the music they choose to listen to. Music is meant to be an emotional and poetic journey, even though modern trends, like rap, have degraded and mutilated its purpose. It is a medium through which all people can come together and simply be human.

            My life would be meaningless without music, and I think it is very important. I have always been surrounded by music since I was very young. I cannot imagine having to live without it. Whenever I am bored or just procrastinating, I like to listen to the music in the streets, and in the trees, etc. If I listen closely enough I can hear a song, it’s not a masterpiece it’s just life passing me by. The music of life is rarely a masterpiece, more of an orchestra of frying pans, a freeform jazz solo of the mind.

            There really is music everywhere. Many people say that they do not see the beauty in math that they can not tolerate the numbers, but if you really delve into mathematics deep enough you find magic and you find mystery. The chords used by famous composers correlate to different ratios that are thought to govern the very fabric of time and space! That ratio is known as the Golden Ratio, or the Divine Proportion. 1.6180339887…and so on into infinity. Math and music really do have a lot in common; the sad part is that many people do not take the time to realize it; they can’t open their eyes and their minds to the beauty all around them. It’s always there they just can not see it. They have the tickets, but refuse to attend nature’s concert.  

            Another reason that music is so important to me is that it allows me to truly connect with myself. One of my own personal “rituals” consists of playing whatever I am in the mood for as loudly as possible just to block out the fact that I have a reality to deal with. I guess you could call it my own personal religion. It’s liberating for me in the times when I just can’t turn to anything or anyone else, I know I will always have my music. To me listening to music is a spiritual action in itself, simple as that. It doesn’t have to be religious music to have a spiritual effect on the person listening. Music is its own form of religion, one that all people can agree on. Music allows all members of the entire human race to connect and relate to each other.  

            The types of music I listen to really depend on what mood I am in, and I’m sure that is true for most people. I do listen to rock, primarily groups like Breaking Benjamin, Crossfade, Armor For Sleep, and Tokyo Rose. Of course I also have my days when I want to listen to groups like Metallica all the time. I guess I listen to some “R&B”, but I don’t really know what to call it. If I had things my way music wouldn’t have to be categorized into genres, it would just be good music. I also really like ska music, Reel Big Fish is my favorite ska group.

            One more thing about music that I truly love is going to concerts. I have been told that concerts bring out the best in me. I think it’s because it’s a dangerous environment but I’m able to forget about all of that and just live in the sounds. I Love to be close enough to the stage and the speakers that I can feel the beat from the bass in my stomach. Concerts are really one place where I connect to the music and just let go.

One last thing about music is that I don’t think rap should be put in the same category with other artists who actually make music, not noise. Rap has never been inspiring to me and I think it is all completely ridiculous and nonsensical.  You can never understand what the “artists” are saying so I don’t see how you can gain any inspiration from it.  I can’t stand to listen to it because I feel it is obnoxious and degrading. I do know one rap song however…White and Nerdy by Weird Al…story of my life.