The Power of Music

Unlike Gene Hunt, I am not ashamed to admit to having an appreciation of Roger Whittaker’s music.  In his book about the period (Things Ain’t What They Used to Be) Philip Glenister talked about the significance of the choice of music in the series Life on Mars, but none of the songs have a bigger effect on me than Roger Whittaker’s “I Don‘t Believe in If Anymore”.  There is no wonder that the Life on Mars team thought long and hard about which music to use.  It is the music that transports you back in time, that draws you in and fuels your understanding of impossible events.  I wasn’t around in the seventies, but one of the great things about the internet is how easy it is to get hold of old music.  I’m a signed up member of Spotify which has virtually every song you could hope for and is running 90% of the time.  There is no quiet in this house!

I suppose it is a little like taking work home with me.

In his rather extravagant and self-indulgent opening to Twelfth Night, Shakespeare made one very powerful observation.  I’m not a Shakespeare fan.  I am notoriously bad at reading what I’m told, or even recommended, so having had his plays forced down my throat - not literally! - at school I have never been interested in reading any more of them.  But I really like his analogy of  music as being the food of love.

I’m certain that most of you who read this will know that music is my job.  I know, although I’d be lying if I said I understood, the power that music can have on people.  As I confessed in an earlier blog, I don’t cry at films.  I remember my first trip to the cinema to watch The Land Before Time (which dates me!) and sitting between Mum and Lydia.  They were crying and I don't know now whether I was watching the film or them.  Since then I’m not sure how often I’ve been unwilling more than unable to cry at films but - to reel back in from this enormous tangent! - I can hear a piece of music and just sit and weep.  It’s peculiar the affect it has on me, especially as they are very often pieces of music that I have scarcely any connection with at all.  Roger Whittaker's "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" is one such song, though I don't cry at it, it certainly transports me back to another time and place

There are certain things that open doors into the soul, to things that are so personal that we don’t understand them ourselves and I really believe that music is one such thing.  I think that is why so many people - in fact I’d stake my (limited!) wages on saying all people - love music.  It is no wonder that musicians for centuries have used their compositions as ways to reach and appeal to the masses.  Live Aid is the best example of that.  People unite behind music because it is one of the few things that all people share.  I have come across musicians of all ages, experience and ability, but there is one thing that they all share.  Each one knows that performing music is a two way understanding.  You give to the music and the music will definitely give back to you.

This blog is not meant to be an advertising push.  It all started because I got a song stuck in my head, sang it for two days and realised that I wasn’t singing it to make it sound nice, I was singing it because it made me think about special times.  I am thankful to have a job that can open people’s eyes, ears and minds to music and, in turn, music gives them a mirror to see themselves in.

Whatever your profession, and it may have nothing to do with music, there will be some way in your job that you can help a person.  It’s worth doing.  Because compassion, generosity and charity are - like music - doorways to the soul.  And, like those songs that can transport us to different times and stir up long buried emotions, when you touch a soul it will last forever.