LFP 051 | The Effects Music Has On Us All

Welcome to episode number fifty one! I’m Rebecca Fuller the flute expert at Learn Flute Online, and today we’re going to take a closer look at the effect music has on us all. And I mean you, and me both. I think you’re gonna like this- so stick around- be right back.

Hello and welcome back to another audio episode of the Learn Flute Podcast. When I started creating these audios I did it because there’s just so much more I wanted to share and tell my online students and others of you flute learners out there so you could really sink into this idea and make it part of your life in not only an educational way, but in such a positive way that it impacts you, your family and friends and you’ll want to keep it around forever and ever. Nuf said. Basically, I really want to help you succeed.

We’ll have to see how many of these I decide to release- I honestly don’t think I’ll ever run out of things to talk about. Haha I’m kind of a motor mouth that way. Guess I’m in the perfect profession, eh?

Anyway, today I was pondering on some important life details and realized that music has really had an impact on my life. In fact, I thought about it for a few more minutes and realize that music has had an impact on everyone’s lives- on the whole planet! I mean it. I feel that music is probably one of the most tangible yet intangible ‘things’ that has influenced society.

So, what are the effects music has on us all? Let’s explore:

Well first of all music makes us FEEL a certain way. Think about it. Music sets moods and creates the perfect atmospheres in any situation- especially the movies and in theatre. Have you ever watched a scary video with the sound turned off? It’s honestly not the same at all- not even sort of scary. You may see the boogie man sneaking around the corner or peering through the darkness into the trees, and without the actual appropriate audio, you’d just think to yourself- “huh, there’s a dude right there. I wonder what he’s doing?” As opposed to watching with the most perfect low, rhythmic, string section giving your heart a chill as it goes faster and faster and growing louder and louder in anticipation of what’s to come. It honestly gives you a physical response – doesn’t it? It does. The same way a romantic love story just saps all of the emotions right to the surface of your skin to the point where you want to either leap out of your seat or start sobbing with either joy or sorrow. Sometimes you get goosebumps. It’s just crazy that something so intangible can do that to you, right?

We humans are super intune to how we feel. That’s why many of us use music for motivation- for example when I have a large cleaning job ahead of me here at home, I know exactly which tracks or station to put on to pump me up to do the job. What about mood music in front of the fireplace at night on a date with your beau? Haha, I think you get the idea. Right?

I grew up on a farm. I don’t know if I ever told you that. Well, actually I should say it differently to be more accurate. I grew up on a hobby-horse farm with a real working sheep farm and dairy on one side and a honey house on the other. Interesting? Well I think so. I grew up with my first remembrances of music being the trucking songs my dad would play as we vacationed to Yellowstone National Park in our truck and camper. I can still sing all of the words to those songs. Well, what I was going to tell you is that because we’ve always had such a great barn, we, as a family have put on a big huge barn dance for the community and friends – every year since I was young. It’s a real event and so much fun! Well, let me tell you that I LOVE being in charge of the music at this dance- because it’s kind of a rare thing that people can put together the right stuff to help a family audience of all ages want to leap to their feet and join in on the dancing. I love it. It is so powerful what music can do. It can bring so many people together for one cause. If you don’t believe me think of all the sold-out concert halls in this world of every genre and style. It really is incredible.

Another thing music has the power of is that it has the clear potential to change and completely alter mood. Think of it as a shift in atmosphere or something that causes you to have a complete change in behavior. I heard once that an average American listens to hours of music each day- like four hours sometimes. That’s kind of a lot of influence if you ask me! Just imagine what kind of an impact the type of music is having on someone when being exposed to that music each day. Whether we realize it or not, our emotions change depending on what we hear. I know that I personally have a track on my devices that is titled ‘calm down’ – haha you probably don’t think of me as someone who is really that high strung, but sometimes I get frustrated or am just way too wound up to relax, so I have a small set of tunes that I put on and by the end of the fourth one, I’m as loose as butter. I’m so relaxed after that. For me, I have to hear instrumental soundtracks to get this way. Something with lyrics doesn’t do it for me because I tend to try and focus on the words and what is being said too much. I like to just let the music and the melody speak for itself.

Think about it for a minute. Either the next time or think of the last time you listened to any particular music. What did it do for you?

Let me flash back again to when I was really young. I think I was probably about eight or nine years old when my older brother taught me how to use our record player. Yes, Yes, I know- I’m old. But that makes this story even more beautiful. Maybe some of you can relate. For me, we had a John Phillips Sousa black vinyl record that I played literally over and over and over every day one summer. My dad had it set up with big speakers in the corners of our basement room, and I used to put it on and march around with my baton. I would either twirl it or use it as a conductor of the orchestra would waving it around. I wanted to feel every emotion of that music — and during the stars and stripes forever tune I would even duck when I heard the jets flying overhead. I had it all choreographed. It was seriously one of my best memories of what I would do with myself and my time when I was young.  Haha, my pulse is racing even as I say this now.

We have the privilege of living in the day and age where so much music is at our fingertips. Literally, we have home computers, ipads, tablets, mp3 players, ipods of all sorts, earphones and earbuds of all shapes and sizes, as well as watches right on our wrists that will play our favorite tunes. It’s cool, and I hope you take advantage of whatever you can get your hands on to experiment with what type of music speaks to your body and soul. Focus on what happens as you listen and internalize the beat and feel the mood of that piece. The neat thing is that someone created that particular music for you and was specifically trying to promote your emotions to awaken. A real human being who is or was so creative that they couldn’t keep it to themselves. They just had to put it down, record it, and share. Whew- It’s really cool to think about!

What were your first memories of music that made you feel? Can you remember? Search back a ways and remember for me. It’s fun to think about. You’re becoming a creative artist yourself by taking the lessons here at Learn Flute Online, and by going through your own skill set and striving to learn more and more.

I’m so glad we could have this chat today- this was fun!

Let me know what you remember, I’d love to continue this conversation and keep it going!

See you next time!