Life without Music?  Impossible!

In a recent article for this magazine, my friend and colleague Curtis Jefferson remarked: "Music has power over us more than anything else on this earth." I agree. That's why I thought I had a winner when I came up with Vienna Online's current poll question of "Your ultimate listening experience." But the response was pitiful - about 50 out of 10,000 readers bothered participating in our poll to date. Are most people taking the constant presence of music in their lives simply for granted?

Once in a while, try to think about all the music in your life. You'll be amazed. Music doesn't just mean melodic sounds. It all starts with noises and many different rhythms. Many of our daily activities are running at a certain pace and rhythm, just take walking, skipping and jumping. And those activities are all a part of dancing as well. Finally, for millennia music is actually used to make hard work more enjoyable: marching soldiers and workers in the fields are easing their hard work through singing . "Hei, ho, hei ho, it's off to work we go..."

Even if you're one of those people who deny having any musical talent, you can't really escape music (not that you would want to anyway). Don't own a radio or a TV (yeah, right)? You'll still hear background music everywhere you go: in the mall, in the dentist's office, in the restaurant. Your friend might actually bring his guitar to the mountain cabin... Music is highly addictive. For the listener as much as for the performer. So what do many people do? After waking up to a friendly tune from your radio clock, they sing a refreshing aria in the shower and listen the car radio all the way to work or to the walkman on their morning workout (for housewives).

The next (logical) step is taking the initiative: teenagers go to rock concerts, and the parents have to be seen at the opera house once a month... But besides those useful stereo types (pun intended) that go in many different directions, we can't imagine a movie without music, a Christmas season without carols, or a pro baseball game without an organ.
And all that's good and healthy, because the entertainment value of music is incredibly relaxing, which helps us to live a longer and happier life!

After we start enjoying the participation in regular musical events, we notice that we incorporate the tangibles into our lives: we develop a liking for certain performance styles and the performers themselves. After that we start humming specific tunes while walking in the park. And many couples remember the first song they ever danced to.

Finally, music has taken on the same importance as sports within the family circle. Many parents rightfully believe, that their kids' education is not complete without diving into music. So the kids join school choirs and learn to play an instrument. That leads to participation in Community Theatre productions and recitals besides house music concerts.
I mean everyone at least likes to sing sometime as long as someone sings with him! Even the monks in Tibet do.

OK, so we can't help it: music plays a BIG part in everyone's life as I've easily proven to you. But more importantly, we should ask ourselves WHY music has such a profound effect on us. In my analysis, the magic of music is twofold: like in other parts of life, we're drawn to the celebrity status of those passionate professional musicians (like myself ;o) who are capable of enhancing our lives in such wonderous ways. And second, music can intensify many of our emotions and carry us to a different level in life that creates those divine moments we all long for.

Back to our poll - if you haven't participated yet, please make a conscious effort to give the music in your life the attention it deserves. Try to figure out which kind of musical experience is enhancing YOUR life the most, and tell me about it. Thanks. See you at my next performance.

Reader's Poll - Your ultimate listening experience: An evening at the opera A live rock concert Soft background music Canned music, any kind Other: Results

Special Invitation: Did any musical experience ever changed your life? Please come and smell the Vienna coffee in our Konzerthaus Café where we editors of Vienna Online hang out every day! On this message board you can voice your opinions and concerns. Don't hold back. Let us know everything. After all, you, the reader, are the boss. What would we do without you? Join in, or just come for the pastry!