Remember to keep music in your life. What?
What makes Humans as created higher than all other biological kingdoms on Earth is our ability of intelligence; chiefly, exponential & transcendent creativity. Chief amongst those is our ability to make music; especially that meant for divine worship.
During such present times of global war, strife, stress, turmoil & upheavals (this is not a "political" post), what keeps us as risen above the dumb brutes is our sensitivity to beauty; especially as we find in our music; as such music is found within our civil societies.
Certainly, to borrow someone else's phrase, music "soothes the savage beast." The therapeutic value of music is well known. We celebrate its ability to speak to us even if we don't understand the language of its composer or player. Music, through love, above all, enables us to tare down the barriers that separate us humans.
While I am not suggesting music is a miracle worker of sorts, it does raise our collective consciousness, or perhaps, is it the other way around? Music can express our common humanity. And, in such times of distress, saving our humanity is of the utmost importance! The purposeful practice of music can soothe the parts of our human souls subject to becoming harsh, brutal & insensitive to our neighbors' suffering during times of agony. In beautiful music, we remember who we are as fellow humans to each other.
Thus, I recommend we remember our music; especially in times of darkness & deception. That we don't forget to play our music. That we remember to give our love to humanity through our music. Don't let the often dismal failures of human governments around the world enslave us to their often inhumane, criminal actions against our humanity, against us as fellow citizens to each other in this world.
One of the first things lost in war, after truth, is so often a culture's artful expression. As a Scottish Highland Bagpipe player & an Irish Uilleann Pipe player, I am too keenly aware of how these marvelous instruments & their sweet music was banned for a long time due to war & petty political conflicts. What a tragedy! Even the Irish Harp was banned! (I said this is not a political post. It is not. But, we can't remove our history so easily & shouldn't. Let's learn well by it.)
So, keep on creating your music. Keep playing your music. Keep on even in the face of terrible opposition & destruction to our humanity & towards this globe we all share. This music is all we've got. That is, the current traditions & those remnants of past centuries we've saved from the ashes. Let's not lose it all this time around, even if we have to lock it safely away for a short while.
Only, remember when the all-clear is sounded, let's bring our music back out; even in amongst the rubble of despair. The warning here is if we lose our music today, humanity's music of yesterday would also be lost, maybe even permanently. That would be a massive tragedy humanity could never afford. As a musician yourself, you more than likely know what I mean.
Finally, recall, even in the darkest prison, music, even if internalized only, can free the soul. Music can help us to remember what has been previously forgotten during times of pain & suffering. Thus, remember to keep music in your life, come "Hell or High Water." Resist & play free!
Thanks for your consideration & for your music.
Blessings & Love to Y'all,
- Davy