Joy of music

Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,
To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
I've read, that things inanimate have mov'd,
And, as with living Souls, have been inform'd,
By Magick Numbers and persuasive Sound.
       -- William Congreve, the mourning bride, 1697

Joy is my favorite emotion. Too often, the little trials and tribulations of daily life keep joy on the back burner. I’m convinced that joy is in me all of the time, but it’s easy to lose touch – sometimes for protracted periods.

But joy comes quickly, easily and often to toddlers.

Because so much is new to them they experience the joy of discovery almost constantly. And because their lives are uncomplicated by overtones and hidden meanings, positive reactions are rarely affected by external factors. To a three-year-old an ice cream cone is just an ice cream cone; no thought is given to calories, prices, potential impacts on future appetite or other variable that tend to take some of the joy out of ice cream for adults.

These days, most of the joy in my life seems to come from the reflection on past joys – or from piggybacking on the current joy of others.

Watching that three-year-old enjoy ice cream, for example, allows me to connect to pure joy – at least vicariously. Nothing else in the world exists at that moment for that child, just the treat. It will be years before he or she begins to distinguish between brands, so the moment is “perfect.” For as long as it takes to eat the cone, joy abounds.

Watching the toddler spread the joy from ear to ear, I am no doubt, touching base with the time I did the same, and with the time I watched as my own children repeated the experience.

Ice cream is an effective joy-prompter; but the retro-joy experience is never more powerful than when it’s triggered by music.

By luck of the draw, I enjoyed a live concert last night in Saskatoon and another this afternoon in Moose Jaw. Both shows featured lots of oldies that triggered many memories.

Last night’s program included a mix of solos and sing-alongs. As is often my practice, I took a seat where I could easily observe both the performers and the audience. It was obvious that many of the numbers affected listeners.

Years ago I was surprised by how often song lyrics seemed to have been written with my current life situation in mind. It was as if the writers and performers knew me and used their skills to help me get in touch with myself.

Well, I guess this is yet another example of my naïveté; as I have become older I apparently actually have become wiser, too. I’ve finally figured out that everything we take in first passes through our personal filter – and only those parts we can manage and relate to penetrate that screen.

Then the input either gets added to the body of knowledge or it resonates with something already in our minds – or both.

If I’m right, that means song lyrics that seem to have been written about me are merely being adapted by my mind to fit me.

OK. It’s not rocket science; but it’s helping me to recognize that songs don’t often generate joy inside me – they activate joy that’s already there.

This doesn’t diminish my love of music; far from it. I feel empowered by the knowledge that I can access emotions, at least second-hand, through music even though it’s not possible to return to the past.

Music can’t bring back people, places or things that are no longer in the world; but it can help recapture the feelings they engendered. Including joy

Just an old fashioned love song
One I'm sure they wrote for you and me
Just an old-fashioned love song
Comin' down in three-part harmony

Just an old-fashioned love song
Playing on the radio
And wrapped around the music
Is the sound of someone promising they'll never go
       -- Paul Williams, 1971