The Revelatory Properties of Music

[Cena's Little Helper]

What's up, WZBros? This thread might get a little abstract, but I'll try to explain myself as clearly as possible as this is a topic I really want to discuss. Hopefully LSN gets in on this as well since he's a trained psychologist whom I know has had at least some exposure to the psychological effects of art and thus music.

So, what I want to discuss with you are two effects that recent experiences with music have had on me. I'll term one effect "transcendence" and, while there is no word that I know of that perfectly describes the other effect, I'll describe it right now as a combination of feelings that I'll touch on in a little bit. Let's get to the first effect.

I recently asked our WZBros from Australia about Empire of the Sun, an electro-rock/-pop group that I only knew of through one song (Walking on a Dream). A co-worker pestered me into going with him to see them live after a lot of other people had refused, so I reluctantly agreed to go. Here's the opening song from their set at said concert at the 9:30 Club:

[YOUTUBE]j-rJyVoBDWg[/YOUTUBE]​

For about an hour of my life, I stood in one place, completely transfixed not from what I saw in front of me, but from what I heard. Aurally, Empire of the Sun elevated me to some sort of unembodied plane of existence. I was one with their sounds, completely unconscious of everything else, I was in a state that I can only describe as transcendence. I'd love to hear if any of you had had a similar experience as well as what music brought it about.

Music had another effect on my recently, one that is much more nebulous than that of the Empire of the Sun concert. A few days ago, doing some routine work, I went on to youtube and decided to listen to Genesis's Duke in its entirety. The most productive hour of work of my life I had while listening to Duke was offset by the 90 minutes I subsequently spent trying to precisely identify exactly what had just happened to me. Through all my jotting and scribbling, the only two morsels of writing that can even come close to partially describing what I felt were these:

1) All of my concerns and worries were completely, albeit temporarily, displaced by feelings of inspiration, daring, optimism, and hope.

2) A feeling of awe overtook every fiber of my being. This feeling arose from the realization of the limitless nature of musical exploration and artistic creativity.

Like transcendence, I'd like to know if anyone has had musical experiences similar to the one I just mentioned. I am very aware of the subjective nature of taste, so know that I will not judge you in the least for whatever you like. I want to know about your musical experiences; I only want to know your taste in music insofar as it leads me to knowing about your experiences.

 

[Slash-LN]

I'm usually like that at shows unless I just can't get into the band for whatever reason. An example of that would be when I saw My Morning Jacket, Wilco and Bob Dylan one night. None of them are my particular kind of music and one of the bands' front man just annoyed me. It was either Wilco or My Morning Jacket but he stopped the show and went on some rant about people trying to blind the band with their cellphones. It kind of took me out of the show.

Most times when I see bands though I just get fixated on them and the music and everything. Even more so when it's bands I'm really into like Bush, Blink 182, Foo Fighters and twice this year I have seen Slash and it was surreal because for a long period of time he was my hero and suddenly I was seeing him in person playing this amazing music. It's like the rest of the world doesn't exist for a few hours.

Also personally I'm the vocalist and guitarist in a band and whether it's practices or playing a show it's a total escape from everything. Usually when we're going to play a show I'm super nervous but when I get up there and we actually start playing I forget all about that.

I use music to cope with a lot of things in life and I know a lot of other people do to. It's kind of like people who read a lot and get lost in a book and they don't really notice what's going on around them.

I don't know if any of that is what you meant by your experiences but that's what music does for me. Just makes me forget about the world for awhile.

 

[LSN80]

s. Hopefully LSN gets in on this

I'm in.

A comparison I like making with people regarding transcendence is the similarities between an Episcopalian worship service, and that of a rock concert. Has anyone here ever attended a non-denominational church, and been there for the music? Many of these services incorporate bands not unlike those you may see in a local rock band, and it can be quite powerful. I grew up going to churches like these, and on a weekly basis witnessed people going through similar transformations. More times than one, I watched as people walked into church wearing faces of despair, only for the music being played at the service to change those looks to that of peace, joy, and radiance. Be it the words or some supernatural power, I'm unable to say. What I can say for certain is that music has the power to transcend thoughts and feelings, and sometimes, even places. The reason this happens? Music has the ability to completely change one's stream of consciousness, at times without them being aware it is doing so. More than any other sense, our hearing opens up these streams, allowing us to experience a myriad of emotions, or sometimes, our transfixiation is so great that we experience none at all.

As for the experience of transcendence itself, I've experienced it at least once. I was a senior in high school, and friends of mine were opening for a more established local band here in the Pittsburgh area. I was there for my friends, but had heard great things about the headliners. They were fronted by a 'cutish' girl whom I knew from sight, as she had graduated from my high school two years prior. For the life of me, I remember not the name of the band, the girl, or the other songs that were played that night. But even 15 years later, the song It's Not For Me To Know Now remains etched within my memory. Every hook, lyric, and even the sound on the young woman's voice remain in my brain to this day, and it's an experience I've yet to relive, unfortunately. I've been in places where I've been close Friends still tease me to this day, as two had apparently attempted to talk to me during the song, and to this day, I have no memory of any of it. The only thing I was experiencing during that moment was the song, the awe I felt hearing it, and the feeling that nothing else in the world mattered for those 6-7 minutes.

1) All of my concerns and worries were completely, albeit temporarily, displaced by feelings of inspiration, daring, optimism, and hope.

2) A feeling of awe overtook every fiber of my being. This feeling arose from the realization of the limitless nature of musical exploration and artistic creativity.

What it sounds like is that you were experiencing a complete change in your stream of consciousness. The reason music is able to do this because of the multiple things one is experiencing at the time. Not only is the brain processing the words being expressed, but more importantly, it's processing the actual music itself. The first experience described, while seeing Empire of The Sun, sounds indeed like transcendence, on multiple levels. The second, while listening to Genesis was more of a stream-of-consciousness experience, which happened when the worries and concerns of the world were replaced by something else. In essence, the inner monologue being experienced was changed, as I imagine that not only the feelings at the time changed, but the thought process as well.

Music is one of the most powerfl mediums through which emotion is expressed, so it should come as no surprise that music is also just as powerful at drawing out emotion. There's an exercise I use in both my therapy practice and with myself, and while it's slightly more complex than this, I use my in-office set-up with especially frustrated clients to help them zero on on the exact emotions they're feeling. I'll play some red herrings, or songs that don't relate to them, then gradually move closer until they identify the song that most fits their feelings. One more than one occasion, I've had clients identify with a song, than ask for it to be replayed 2, 3 and even 4 times.

It's incredible to see the change in the person upon doing so, as they seemingly(I can't say for sure) become lost in the music. While it's not a strategy or therapeutic technique I've yet to see endorsed by the American Psychological Association, it's pretty powerful stuff to experience.

For me? The closest thing that I know of that's rendered my stream of consciousness changed has been Live's Live at The Paradiso. I've seen them in concert on at least three occasions, but this particular CD has had an impact on me I've not experienced with others, or even seeing the now-defunct band live. The first time I heard the CD, and in particular, They Stood Up For Love, The River, Overcome, Forever, Operation Spirit and Dance With You, in that order, I was taken to a place close to what I had experienced all those years ago in high school. It's not to say songs over the years haven't impacted me in such ways, but none for that sustained period of time.

It's a transforming feeling, however fleeting.

 

[jameyt2003]

I have never been to a live concert. But what you described I have felt on nights alone out on the farm. Here, we listen to a lot of country to wake us up, motivate, and then relax us as we drink some brews and get all cathartic about our feelings. It happens everywhere. From farms, bars, and salons. The music makes the matter more meaningful.

When I first heard "Time is Love" by Josh Turner, as catchy and cliché as it is, I began to contemplate my time out here on the farm. I enjoy the work and the culture, but sometimes we get so tied up in making ends meet that we forget the value of love and never get to understand its full potential.

When I have that time to relax and vent, either by myself or with colleagues, I am thinking on a different plane than I was that morning when all I could think about was getting the days work needed complete. Then, after all labor is through, I get to transform into this "intellectual" being and it is the music (country) that aids that. Music is the catalyst of escape from my surroundings, and in doing so, I continue to thrive in my surroundings. The revelation I receive isn't life changing, but when we give it the time and allow the power is possesses to overcome us, then we begin to see life beyond our circumstances. If only for a while. Perhaps there is no permanent solution that most music can provide, but it sure lights that fire inside.