As well all know, this semester was primarily focused on art, dance, and music. Many of us appreciate music for a wide array of reasons and each one of us has a preference for the type of music we listen to. We all have different experiences associated with each genre and different emotions that result from our favorite songs. Music can make us happy or sad. It can inspire us or relax us. Music can cause a sense of connection between those of a culture. It can be used for ceremonies and holidays. Lyrical music, particularly, can make people realize that they are not the only ones that feel the way they do and that others have gone through the challenges that they are facing. Music can affect our moods drastically and it can offer a temporary escape from reality. Music is truly a beautiful thing.
However, emotions are not the only aspects of an individual that music can affect. Data collected from music therapy clients shows that music can affect us physically. Music can shift states of consciousness, it can enable communication between the left and right brain hemispheres, and it can create brain waves associated with creativity. Music can also improve long-term memory and help with learning. This can explain why people can remember the lyrics of a song they like instantly but have trouble remembering other facts. Music can help a person heal, focus, and essentially improve their well-being. So, go listen to your favorite tracks and appreciate what music can do for you!
http://www.livestrong.com/article/157461-how-music-affects-the-human-brain/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/157875-the-effects-of-music-on-the-human-brain/
A friend of mine is interested in going into art therapy. She is a very talented individual artistically, but she is concerned about her future as a regular artist. As we briefly discussed in class, much of the artistic community is quite unstable (and I’m not just talking about drug abuse.) Although there is money in art, there isn’t a very clear method by which it is distributed, and consequently, it is hard for someone to rely on a career in art to support their family.
Despite this, I have attempted to dissuade my friend from pursuing ‘art therapy.’ In my humble opinion, not everything is art just because someone intended it to be so. A bunch of guys in Bellevue smearing the paint around aren’t artists, and they aren’t making a meaningful contribution to humanity, even if it does make them feel better.
I was actually discussing art with a friend of mine as well. We were arguing whether artists should focus solely on their art careers or create back up plans. I argued that they should create back up plans. They should work part time in a different field in order to support themselves while they are in the process of creating their art. However, I had to step back and think. What if artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Picasso decided to work part time instead of throwing themselves into their work?Maybe the pressure of making it big in the art world, of becoming someone, inspires artists to do their best work. Maybe without that motivation and drive they wouldn’t be as great as they are now. If you focus on your passion, you’re sure to do your best because it’s what you want to do. I suppose it is up to the individual themselves. Do they want to take the risk? Do they want all or nothing?
This blog post reminds me of a New York Times article I blogged about. It talks about an artist (Leironica Hawkins) who has Asperger’s Syndrome and was put into a shelter due to her inability to support herself. She rediscovered her ability to draw, and used it to draw a comic book based on her real life experiences with Asperger’s. The comic made it into an art exhibit at one of the New York Public Library branches. The shelter that she lived in was in poor condition and very miserable. She therefore left as early as possible in the morning and came back for the 10 pm curfew. She used to walk around the city going to different museums and art venues, while at night she would work diligently on her comic book.
It is clear from here that all art forms, not just music, can be therapeutic, relaxing, and do wonders for people. It is also an excellent way to escape life for a little bit. As I said on my blog, whenever we went to interesting art venues, I would temporarily forget about the outside world and concentrate only on the art at hand. Art is truly a powerful force.
I took several violin classes because I used to feel sensitive and emotional and I thought music will comfort me, especially the sound that violin creates. However, I am not on that level to play the violin skillfully and fluently in order to play any song that can comfort me. However, listening to music that is not created by myself still have great influence on me in terms of releasing my emotion and making me calm.
Besides what you mention above about the benefit of listening to music, I also heard that listening to classical music is good for the pregnant women. According to what I have read before, listening to classic music positively affect the developing infant.
How cool is music! Even though it is invisible and we cannot feel its touch on our body, it just affects our body, especially brain in so many ways.
Now, after taking this class, I have discovered so many arts and have been exposed to art so often, I will see how it is going to affect me insidiously in the future.