Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Melodious imaginings

Isn’t it just amazing how music can make imagery or video come to life?! What would movies be without it?

A few days ago a friend send me this video clip and saying that she knows that I will enjoy the imagery of the planes because of my interest in photography. She was SO accurate in her judgment.

H5 – WWII Bombers over Arizona Landscape

However, she is probably less aware of my passion for music. I think that it is such a powerful medium. For example some research shows that if you listen to fast paced music when you drive (especially louder as well) it actually causes you to drive faster. I’ve caught myself a few times doing that. It is as if you're matching the pace with speed on a subconscious level.

When I have a difficult time I avoid slow ballads or love songs as they intensify my sadness, depression or self pity. Believe me - those are not moments that you want to get stuck in like a broken record.

Music can make you laugh, put you in a romantic mood or stir up such turmoil in you that you simply can’t put into words. It can calm a stressed/ anxious or angry person and it can inspire you to think deeply about the issues of life. It can make you fall asleep. It can stir up a sense of adventure or cause a tsunami of memories of a particular time/event in your life. It can bring a nation together with a sense of pride and belonging.

Do you use music for a specific purpose in your life?

I feel music. It conjures images in my mind when I listen to it. Music that comes to life in that way are often my favorite songs/pieces.

When I listen to the music in this video clip I feel such an overwhelming sense of heroism, a sense of “proud to be associated with”. It awakens in me such a sense of patriotism and believe me, I am not patriotic AT ALL. I imagine people inside. Maybe they’ve fought in some battle of some kind for survival for days, weeks or even months. They are bruised and bloodied but they’ve made it, they’ve survived, they’ve won! I imagine the relief on their faces and a new appreciation for life, their loved ones and the simple treasures of their life and their home, the small everyday things. I imagine a sense of gratefulness that it is finally over and that they’ve been rescued, even a new camaraderie amongst those who battled together.

Maybe it was a war, maybe it was survival in some wild, distant jungle. Maybe they fought against man, and maybe against beast. Maybe they took a life for the first time ever, and the experience of sadness and relief for having been the one to walk away alive. All that matters now is that they made it out and they’re going home...

What do you feel when you watch / listen to this video clip?

It’s obviously stirring up an overwhelming sense of peacefulness for Baloo (dog) who is stretched out on his back and snoring for the A Team haha

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