Last night I watched an 80-year-old woman transform into the 30-year-old version of herself.
The magic elixir that made it all happen was music. Music from the past obviously meant something to the woman. But then, the music meant something to me, too.
My mother-in-law, Nancy, was in town and suggested we attend a Friday night concert. That’s one of the benefits of living in Las Vegas. There’s always a show to go see.
We bought tickets for a Carpenters tribute band, performing in a small venue. My wife had plans with a girlfriend that night and told us to have fun.
I grew up listening to the Carpenters and was always moved by Karen Carpenters’ angelic yet slightly melancholic voice. Now, whenever I hear a Carpenters song, it seems to transport me back to my youth.
A magic beyond all we do here
Seated inside the theater, I studied the crowd around me (a habit from my law enforcement days). The audience was mostly an older crowd of retired folks.
An elegantly dressed woman in the front row caught my eye. She was flanked on both sides by a considerably younger man and woman (no doubt her children).
The woman sat motionless, appearing somewhat stiff and reserved. Her white hair, humped back, and frail-looking hands revealed her advanced years.
Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here! — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I returned my gaze to the stage just as the lights began to dim. The performers emerged, dressed in outfits from a different era. Before long we were all transported to those lovely songs of yesteryear.
The performer channeling Karen Carpenter broke into the popular song “Close to You” and I looked over at the woman in the front row. She was swaying from side to side, hands waving energetically to the chorus, singing along. She had become her 30-year-old self.
That’s the power of music.
It takes us back in time. Helps us remember. Empowers and inspires us. And sometimes, it saddens us.
Music has always been a matter of energy to me
I studied classical piano as a boy and later was a keyboardist and singer in two rock bands. Music has always been a big part of my life.
One of the more difficult things I had to do was donate my aging baby-grand piano when our family moved from California to Nevada.
Our new home had more square footage than our last, but the layout wasn’t ideal for a large piano. And so my piano was enthusiastically accepted by a small school as a gift.
Me playing my old baby grand piano. Photo: Nicole Weiss
Music plays regularly in my art studio/office. Even now, I am listening to the atmospheric piano piece Gymnopédie №1by Erik Satie.
Pianists like Ludovico Einaudi and cinematic composers like Max Richter fuel my creative juices. They set a reflective mood that helps me find deeper emotional currents to inform my art and writing.
Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. — Hunter S. Thompson
What it’s like to be the universe
What about you? What music fuels your spirit and inspires your soul?
Whatever it is, don’t neglect it. Make time for your music, and you will be rewarded.
Style and genre of music differ with taste, yet something universal often remains. Human beings relate to music because it taps something deep within us. Maybe a bit of divinity?
Beethoven tells you what it’s like to be Beethoven and Mozart tells you what it’s like to be human. Bach tells you what it’s like to be the universe. — Douglas Adams
My wife is partial to more contemporary artists like the Imagine Dragons, so I play those old Carpenters songs in the solitude of my art studio.
I may not be waving my hands to the chorus as I paint or type on the keyboard, but just like that woman in the theater, my spirit soars, and fond memories lift me.
That’s the power of music.
It rekindles the past, empowers the present, and gives us hope for the future.
Before you go
I’m John P. Weiss. I draw cartoons, paint, shoot black & white photos, and write elegant essays about life. Check out my Saturday Letter here.
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This post was previously published on Medium.com.
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