Music and the rest of the arts are an essential component of a
successful life. Experiencing the depth of emotion expressed in great
works of art and music enriches our life and strengthens our soul. The
fine arts have powerful effects upon the brain, helping integrate
knowledge between diverse subjects.
Music can be particularly
helpful when you are trying to learn a great deal of information. It can
help you learn faster and better if you occasionally take a break from
your studies, relax, and listen to some music. This process allows the
brain to find and make connections between the individual facts you are
studying. The result is a greater understanding of the subject, and
ultimately, a depth of knowledge and wisdom that you could not have
acquired any other way.
Listening to music, either on an iPod
or just singing something silently in your head, can help you perform
better physically. Take a look at the professional athletes as they are
preparing to compete. Frequently they will be listening to some music to
help them get mentally psyched up, and help their body get in the
rhythm of the sport.
Art and music also bring greater meaning to
your life. Any knowledge you gain needs to be applied wisely. This
requires that you develop not only your intellect, but also your spirit.
The arts are what help develop your soul, so you can become a person of
wisdom, help more people, and enjoy life more fully.
Does any
art accomplish this goal? No. To get the most from music, it is
important to listen to a wide range of styles. Listen to some pop music,
listen to rock, listen to Mozart.
A wide exposure to the masters of music will enrich your life, help you
enjoy life more, and help you get the most out of life.
My
personal music program consists of practice, performance, and listening.
I practice the piano to help develop my discipline, give my hands
flexibility, and to free my mind if only for a short time from its
day-to-day thoughts. I perform, even if only for myself, to help develop
and deepen my emotions. I try to get to the heart of the song, to
forget myself and get wrapped up in the music. This helps develop my
emotional strength and stability. It does not make me unemotional,
rather gives me emotional depth. Finally, I listen to a wide range of
music. For me, it is important to listen to the great symphonies and
classical masterpieces because their depth of beauty and emotion greatly
exceeds what can be experienced in the few minutes of a typical pop
song, yet I also enjoy contemporary pop, country, and rock music.
A
similar program can be established for the visual or literary arts. You
may prefer the culinary arts, or even physical art expressed through
sports or ballet. Sports such as the x-games go beyond the physical, and
can become great works of art. What is important is to experience the
beauty and the great emotion that art brings into your life. Life would
indeed be a drudgery without art. And life would be shallow and have
little meaning without experiencing the great works of art, whether it
be Shakespeare, Mozart, or Van Gogh.
Commit to practicing, performing, and experiencing art on a regular basis.
Perhaps
you are a software programmer. How can you make this an art? The people
at Wordpress have made their slogan "code is poetry." Can you view your
code this way? Practice the fundamentals of programming, write a
complete program or routine that expresses the poetry
(a performance), and finally, look in-depth at a wide variety of
programs, so you can experience the poetry written by other people. Look
for the beauty in the code, look beyond the numbers and beyond the
fundamentals and find the art in the programming.
Perhaps you
perform freestyle sports as art. Then practice the fundamentals. Put
together a routine and perform it, even if only for yourself. Finally,
look at what others are doing and don't just analyze their freestyle,
try to also experience the art, beauty, and joy behind their
performance.
Live to the fullest. Art helps you do this.
