music has transcendent power to heal

By: Kenzie Ryan

Elton John, Hall of Fame singer and composer, once said: “Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.”

John’s words are just as relevant today as they were when he spoke them into existence in 2006. 
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It is music’s ability to heal, to provide the power to bring people together, that makes the medium so beautiful.

During the summer of 2003, Dave Matthews Band had held a benefit concert to help fund New York City’s public education program. The concert was held at Central Park, which hosted over 120,000 people that night. The community came together and raised over $2 million. Almost 20 years later, Matthews and his band are still touring and raising money for the less fortunate. The city of New York struggled to provide for the youth, and the musical community came together to help them. 

Recently, music has proved to heal the Foo Fighters community of artists and fans. In March, Taylor Hawkins, drummer of the band, died due to a drug induced cardiac arrest. The concert was held in September and made headlines when the band brought out Hawkins’ son to play the drums for a song. This event was the perfect opportunity for the band, family, and followers to cope with the death of someone who had been a huge part of all of their lives.

Music has saved us all, whether we know it or not. Some people love the noise because of the catchy tone and recognizable rhythm, while some connect with the lyrics. As Elton John said,  the lyrics and rhythm have the ability to transport someone into a universe where their soul is listening, not just their ears. In the alternate universe, music makes it possible to let go of whatever is on someone's mind, or it gives the person who is feeling whichever emotion to dive deep and feel the comfort without needing to vocalize the situation.

A song can change someone's mood in a matter of three minutes. If I am having a bad day, the full-proof way of easing my mood is as simple as putting in my AirPods and finding a playlist. 

Through my own experiences on my own and with friends, I have realized that music helps us to connect with our inner selves and to those around us.  I can connect with lyrics when I can’t find words to express my feelings, and I can also connect with my friends by singing songs together. 
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Music is a universal language that has the power to bring people together through the connection that the artist or song may bring. The feeling when you are on aux in the car and you play a song that everyone in the car is enjoying and singing along to is one of the best memories that can be made. It’s transcendent.  If you have a memory of this experience that means that you have lived with the power of music. ​