Music is a Forgotten Source of Energy

Music with a great beat, whether it is gospel, rock, rap, classical, or jazz, invigorates the soul and makes the body want to move. Music enters the heart and brings joy to the spirit, so we find our legs and arms ready to dance and energize our bodies. In every culture I have visited around the world, music is there. It is a cultural universal, meaning that in every culture, music exists to describe or exhibit emotions, joys, sorrows, and desires.

When the darkness of depression descends on me, I find that escaping the silence that contributes to weird or unwanted thoughts with music helps me to find the light in my soul that dispels the darkness. Last week, it was a song by Vickie Winans called Shake Yourself Loose that helped me to get out of my head and up and dancing. I found the energy to move my body to the beat and the words reminded me that I am not alone in the struggles of life. As a Christian, God is my helper and I can shake off the things that seek to bind my heart and mind in negative ways.

My favorite music is Jazz, especially trumpets, saxophones, and pianos. I can sit back and listen for hours. Suddenly, laughter comes up from my soul and I feel one with the music. My whole body gets energized as I air play invisible instruments attempting to join in the fun of making music. I hear myself start to talk back to the music, stating, “Get down, my brothers or get down, my sisters! I find peace and joy once again, and the darkness cannot defeat me.

Music is the forgotten source of energy. People all over the world know the medicinal power of music, and there is no culture where music is absent. From flamingo in Spain and fado in Portugal, ragged in the Caribbean, to wonderful hula music in Hawaii, people use the energy-producing sounds of music to get their bodies up and moving, so that joy floods their souls and spirits. In this way, darkness is dispelled and joy wins.