" Your life is a musical."

"Music melts all the separate parts of our bodies together."- Anais Nin, essayist

             Mother's Day reminds me of the music my mother loved. Music is tied to our memories in an intensely primal way. Think about it. There are songs that recall every moment and major life event. Imagine birthday celebrations, graduations, weddings, holidays, television shows, movies or sporting events without music. Life without music is the outline of a drawing without color. As children there are soothing lullabies and nursery rhymes we equate with motherhood.  As adults we create nostalgia by listening or performing dance songs and love ballads of the past. Our music should grow with us until we die. The very expression of our lives is punctuated with harmony and melody.
      Neurological studies performed on the brain indicate human beings are hardwired to interpret and physically react to music. Music stimulates numerous parts of the entire frontal and temporal lobes when sounds are processed. Songs that make us feel happy activate the same reward/pleasure centers in our brains releasing dopamine. Similar stimulation arises when we have great sex, ingest certain drugs or devour a delicious slice of decadent chocolate cake. Music arouses our emotions. When our emotions are stimulated we may perceive joy, sadness or even anger but we are feeling something. This is why music holds such incredible power. Being aware of our feelings allows us to identify and gain more control over them. According to music therapy researchers individuals who allow themselves to feel intense emotional release seem to have a greater capacity for empathy. Cognitive empathy is strongly associated with understanding others.and music is a universal bonding experience. In fact, every culture on the planet creates music. When we shed tears or feel overwhelmed by musical composition we are deeply engaged in our emotional experience. We are sharing our humanity at the highest level. We are alive with the sound of music




Sources: Live Science http://www.livescience.com/
Journal of Music Therapy http://www.musictherapy.org/research/pubs/


Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful sister's, our families & all mother's around the world.