Many many thanks for sharing this expose on Music. I really like the way that music is described and this is totally what our Boss does with music. He reaches our inner being with his extraordinary talents.
Niven --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "ichord" <purev...@...> wrote: > > Rahmaniacs, > > Listening to Couple's Retreat sends me on one of the most richest emotional > and intellectual experiences I can remember having from just one soundtrack. > There are so many emotions in this soundtrack, but all pure and sincere, all > within the brilliance of a mind boggling musical score. I'd like to share > with you an article written by one of our own...an Indian musician from > Chennai! Reading this article about the relationship between music, thought, > communication, and emotions affirmed my rich analytical and emotional journey > when listening to an album like Couple's Retreat, which is one of the most > beautifully colorful and intelligent albums I have ever heard from anyone, > anywhere. My favorite quote from this article is the concluding statement, > "Music prepares the soul for something higher....." > > http://www.hinduonnet.com/folio/fo0012/00120420.htm > > The power of music > Bombay Jayashri Ramnath > > The writer is a Carnatic musician based in Chennai. > > Music has the power to cause emotions to well up within us. These feelings > are gripping - often irresistible - and seem to emerge from nowhere. These > feelings colour our moods, affect our perceptions and generate a behavioural > pattern. The indisputable fact about music is its power to evoke emotions. Is > there anyone, for whom, music is completely emotional - neutral? Music has > the ability to inevitably tap the still, mysterious deep well of our emotions. > > However, music can produce various emotional responses in different > individuals and even different responses in the same person at different > times. Music may produce expressions of various emotions - peaceful, > relaxing, exciting, festive, boring, unsettling, unstimulating, invigorating > ... and so on. > > Music is an extremely versatile medium of communication. It is capable of > exploring all the features that are used in verbal communication. Moreover, > it does so in an explicit and structured way, which makes it an interesting > and useful window into human communication, in general. > > The repetition of a line as in a lullaby, the regular beating of a drum - > they produce a feeling of physical ease and lull the child to sleep. The > rhythmic sound of the train, of waves breaking on the shore, the song of a > cricket at night - why, even the electric fan is able to produce a soothing > physical quiet. But good music does not stop there. It touches our emotions. > True music really far deeper and touches our very soul and leaves its imprint > on us. It may not be possible to explain or describe this reaction in > ordinary language. It can only be felt. It is one of those mystic > experiences, which baffle analytical explanation. > > Music is known to endow the listener with aesthetic or intellectual pleasure. > It can be simple, complex, subtle, overt - and these features may reside in > one of the different aspects of the music e.g. rhythm, melody. Some of the > greatness of music however, lies in its holistic nature that all the elements > form a unique wholeness which may not be understood by studying the parts > separately. However complex, music is readily appreciated by the mind without > the need for formal knowledge. > > The lay listener may not be able to hear which instruments are playing, or > which pitches are used. Yet, he or she may have no problem appreciating the > music as a whole. An experienced listener, on the other hand, may be able to > transcribe every note, but might still be at a loss to understand why the > music is so pleasing to listen to even for the time! > > As a performer, I believe that music can recreate emotions and get the > listeners involved with my emotions. Any particular music has an inherent > emotion. And, there is the emotion that one feels while rendering. Besides, > the listener is in an emotional state while listening to that music - which > is also important because it could be possible that this will now be linked > to the emotional state of the listener. So he or she can use the song to > recreate this emotion. Very often we hear people say "This is my song" and > feel that special emotion again. > > Rhythm and melody are two facets of music that lend themselves to enjoyment > in their individual capacities. The experience of beat and rhythm has a > simple relation with joy, well-being and even excitement. Babies > spontaneously start to rock and move when they hear music with a pronounced > beat in a medium or fast tempo. By changing rhythm, we can change the > aesthetic appeal of a piece of music. Even a change of tempo can cause > variations in the aesthetic appeal. > > Similarly, melody, which is the soul of music, can create different types of > feelings in listeners. Some melodies bring soulfulness, some sadness, some > bring jubilance or tranquility. > > Music is created from the heart and moulded by emotion. As musicians, we are > inherently creative - so people say - and we have the ability to derive > intense pleasure from a particular piece of music, which we listen to or > produce. Here, I am referring to an aesthetic experience, which everybody > must have felt. Tears of joy, a tug at the heart, goose pimples... True art > always comes as an irresistible inner urge. We hear a song of Thyagaraja and > are enthralled just as we gaze at a majestic temple or an ancient sculpture > with wonder. All such works of art are the result of an inner urge. That is > why it is something inherently beautiful. > > ... And there can be no enjoyment more impersonal and sublimating than what > it offers. It prepares the very soul for something higher. >
