Responding

Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.

- Maria Von Trapp

Music without response is just sonics—sound waves and vibrations.  One of the primary functions of any artistic expression is to elicit a response from the viewer/listener. Music is an essential part of the aesthetics of humanity; it incorporates our sense of sound and natural rhythms to help express who we are individually and culturally.  Music is an important part of being human because it contains elements that are capable of evoking emotional responses that engage us.  These musical elements are often responsible for connecting music to special memories and influential people in our lives.

Here's a great exercise that uses music technology tools to help you curate music that conveys EMOTION. Click on the image above to access the lesson plan.

Here are a few of my favorite things... These videos are examples of people responding to music in some pretty remarkable ways.

Paul Simon – Sound of Silence (9-11 Ceremony – NYC)

RUSH – YYZ (Live in Rio)

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir – Now I’m On My Way

Whitney Houston – The Star-Spangled Banner Super Bowl XXV 1991 just after the onset of the Persian Gulf War