The whole world is full of unworked joy mines. Everywhere we go we find all sorts of happiness-producing material, if we only know how to extract it.” -Orison Swett Marsden
Continuing on with the series of posts about the arts and our hearts.
Next up is Music.
By music, I don’t just mean any and all music. I am referring specifically to good and beautiful music. Music that uplifts, inspires, and elevates.
I have experienced the power of good music many, many times in my life. I often turn to music when I need a boost, or when I want to express something that I am feeling but don’t know how to articulate – whether this be positive (joy, gratitude, love, peace, faith, etc.) or negative (sadness, frustration, disappointment, fear, etc.) emotions.
“Music is the universal language. It has been referred to as the ‘quickening art’ as it stirs our emotions and carries messages to a place deep within our hearts that words alone cannot reach. Throughout history, music has been used as a great healer. It’s only in our modern day that it has become purely a means of entertainment.” (Marlene Peterson)
“Sweet harmonious sounds give exquisite joy to human beings capable of appreciating music.” (Brigham Young)
“Music makes people more gentle and meek, more modest and understanding.” (Martin Luther)
“Harmony has the power to draw Heaven downwards to the earth. It inspires men to love the good, and to do their duty. If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music shall furnish forth the answers.” (Confucius)
I’ve never considered myself to be a very musically talented person but over the past couple of years, I have been trying to throw that thought out the window and instead just harness the power and enjoyment of music, no matter my talent level. I’ve been playing the piano more, singing more, and finding more opportunities to add music to whatever we are doing – meal times, nature journaling time, while I’m cooking, while I’m cleaning, etc. Usually, this is some sort of instrumental (often classical) music.
I don’t think I’ve ever had anything against classical music, but I wouldn’t necessarily pick to listen to it either. I just didn’t feel much connection towards it. That’s different now though. I have intentionally and more consistently exposed myself to more classical music over the past couple years and I can honestly say that I have developed a taste for classical music and come to love it …well, most of it…there are definitely still styles that I am drawn to more than others.
The more my kids are exposed to it, the more they come to love it too.
In thinking about music, here are some ideas that I try to incorporate into our home:
Listening to good and beautiful music (live and recorded)
Playing/making music
Singing (both formally and spontaneously)
Learning the stories behind hymns and other beautiful music
Dancing to good and beautiful music
And here are a few of the experiences that we have had with music recently:
A couple months ago, I introduced the kids to The Sound of Music. We loved watching the musical together and we enjoy listening to and singing the songs.
The kids sang the song, I Will Go and Do, at Porter’s baptism in February.
In June, I decided to compose a song on the piano. I have pretty basic/intermediate piano skills so it’s nothing fancy, but I really like it. I like the feeling that it invokes in my soul when I play it. I’ve actually added onto it, but haven’t recorded myself playing it with the new addition, so here’s the version I recorded in June.
A need that I see (most strongly in myself and in my oldest), is the need to allow ourselves let go of the outside world and open up the door to our hearts and just feel and be free to express those feelings, rather than holding back because of embarrassment or worrying about what other people might think.
A few years ago, I had someone paint a picture for me of a “heart house” to remind me to open up the door even though it feels scary and vulnerable sometimes.
I had an experience a few weeks ago where I was having some strong feelings about what feels like an unsolvable problem. I decided to listen to my “speaks to my soul” playlist, which I often listen to when I need to feel connected to God. I had headphones in (noise cancelling headphones, to be exact) and this time I was feeling the feelings so strongly that I just decided to sing out loud even though no one else (including my husband who was working from home) could hear the music but me… which usually would feel embarrassing and too vulnerable to me. I was singing my heart out and I felt so free.
Fast forward to the next morning… I decided to give my kids the opportunity to have an experience with this. We each took turns wearing noise cancelling headphones and individually singing a song of our choosing. Everyone else was in the same room, but the rest of us couldn’t hear the music… only the person with the headphones could.
For my two youngest, this was no problem at all. They love to sing anyway and are still at the age where they usually keep their hearts wide open, especially at home. My second oldest is starting to hold back with opening his heart in general more than he used to when he was younger, but he didn’t hold back during this little experience. He sang his heart out.
My oldest was hesitant to try it out, but he finally decided to. At first, he was more shaky and reserved in his singing, but I could see him relax more and more as the song went on and he began to sing with more feeling. I could see something in him change for good, ever so slightly, in that moment.
Afterward I just asked everyone to take a minute to lean into the feeling that they had… the sense of freedom that they just got a taste of. Freedom from caring what others think. Freedom to feel and to express those feelings. Freedom even from our own thoughts and judgments of how we sound, if we are a “good” singer or not …because with the noise cancelling headphones we could hardly even hear ourselves, we just knew that we were singing, but couldn’t actually hear it… we were just feeling the music and letting that come out, not caring (or even knowing) if we were actually on key or not.
I think we’re going to incorporate this exercise/experience more regularly.
I found this cute video from last October of Jershon and the girls. 🙂
Sometimes (often) I find my kids (the girls especially) making up random songs while they play.
I thought I’d share two of my most listened to playlists – Elevate and Speaks to My Soul.
For even more about Music for warming the heart, this is a great resource.
