Music

"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy."
-Psalm 33:3
      I've been meaning to write this a while ago but I have been a bit burdened by school. Music is a very interesting thing to think about, because it is such a diverse thing. People probably hear music almost everyday, whether it be through an Ipod, computer, a movie, church, school, or maybe even from themselves. Music has always been a huge part of human existence, even though it changes throughout the years. I have no idea how music was discovered, but it has been a part of our lives for a long time.
      I find many things interesting about music, one being that it can almost change the way we feel. In many movies, music is used to set the tone and emotion of the scenes. Every good movie should have good music, because the music adds so much to the overall experience. Imagine watching a movie that had no soundtrack. The movie would feel empty and not very emotional. One great example of how music affects a movie is the movie series "Rocky". "Gonna Fly Now" is a great song written by Bill Conti that really inspires the audience of the movie. As Rocky is training and the song is playing, I really feel pumped up and excited.
      Music sets the tone for many movies, not just feel good movies like Rocky. Sad movies have sad music, scary movies have scary music, etc. The interesting thing to me is the question of how the music changes our emotion. A happy song generally has major chords, while sad songs generally have minor chords. The amazing thing is that the difference between a major and minor chord is very small. Only one note is changed and it's only changed very slightly. Despite only the small change, the sound of a major and minor chord is very different. This is just a small example of how intricate and amazing music is, and I would encourage you to learn about music and play an instrument if you can.
      I don't know the answer to the question of how music changes our emotions, but I have a theory. I believe that music has both physical and spiritual elements to it. Music is used in many different religions, cultures, and groups of people. Music is a powerful way to bring people together and bring people closer to God. I don't know how it works, but God works in mysterious ways. I believe God gave us music to bridge the gap between the spiritual and the physical. While people discovered and play music, God created music. Imagine being God for a quick second; why would you create music? Along with being a way to get closer to God, music is a beautiful gift that God gave to us. Music has no super-practical use, but it is a great thing for us to have and experience.
-Smart