When I was eight years old, my stepdad went with me ice skating and this was my first time on the ice. I could barely stand. I fell down many times. That was my first experience with that kind of movement. Back then I didn’t ride rollerblades either, so it was a moment in my life where I could learn something from scratch and after a hour or so, I was able to ride, it was very whacky and surely not graceful but I was happy with it. Boxes falling downstairs, would have been probably more graceful looking than me ice skating and I like that image in my mind.
On that day, me on the ice, I discovered something what would change my perception of music all together. There was music, playing on the icefield all the time, and then something amazing happend. I will never forget that moment. A song came up. That song had a poping’n’rocking tune to it. I can’t remember what song it was. The song had englisch lyrics and back the I did not understand that language. But what I remember, is the effect it had on me. All of the sudden it gave me like 200% more something which I can’t really describe, not even in my native language nevertheless I know what it made with me. Within a blink of an eye, my learning progress accelerated exponentially and I went form boxes falling downstairs to overtaking other ice skaters. All that progress happend in that one song. It was like gate and I went trough, not the learning ice skating process, but what effect music had on me. Since then I frequently use music exactly for those things and I’m still basically clueless what this makes possible. I suspect that there is connection between the state of mind, body, certain frequencies, the beat or even more and when they align just right, beautiful things are going to happen. A few of my best ideas and some of my biggest achievements happend in those something moments.
Between those letters, you’re reading right now and the last sentence passed about 24hours. Well guess what I discovered in that time… there is actually some neuroscience about that topic and there are some studies in existence about that. I still have to dive into those papers but after a quick flythrough on this article, my understanding of that phenomenon would wrap up in the following sentences.
It has to do with the mental image. Depending on your life experience, music can be helpful to put you in so called “mental states”. This can happen subconsciously, similar to certain smells or tastes which remind you instantly of past memories. I think, that a mind is partially a product of the surroundings and the experiences made within those. Take as example a movie where you are emotionally involved with a underdog character. In that movie is part, where the underdog builds up for something important and goes trough a change. That part is usually accompanied by a song, and every time you listen to that song afterwards, it reminds you of that part from the movie. If you felt involved with the character and the storyline, then chances are, that you’re just imagine yourself as that character going trough that change. In the end some movies are just, a compact and simplified life experience, seen trough a screen.
The last sentence was good. Not gonna lie, I’m proud of myself now, and feel like philosophy master, siting in a brown leather armchair, wearing a fancy turtleneck and shit. Expressing in a calm crackling voice: “In the end some movies are just, a compact and simplified life experience, seen trough a screen.”, and then starring with a pursuing expression into the camera lens. – Don’t take that serious, I have a blossoming fantasy and mental eye, mixed with a unique sense of humor.
That is just a part of the whole music thing. I think there are also frequencies, pitches and so on, which have an effect on our perception and state of mind. Who knows, maybe there will be a sequel to this article in the future with new insights.
Folks this is it for today. My hour is over. See Ya tomorrow. Aka I’ll try something new
Cheers.