The Bigger Picture of Music

While the healing aspect to music such as its effect on the mental health, on the recovery illness process, and its meditative response on upon the listener cannot be denied, as a life-long musician having performed on stages all over the world, I have found that there is an underlining component to the reason why this is so, as at its core, music is something that is bigger than you and I, and is an integral element in keeping society well and connected.

We all experienced how important music became during the pandemic, and how we all missed and craved to be out at a live concert with others, and the proliferation of live streamed concerts via the internet and many other similar platforms that were used to bring us all together as we made our way through lock downs and whatnot. It also showed the importance of music on mental health. Music and its lyrical subject matter, can also provoke much food for thought, causing us to question the most fundamentals of life’s existence, challenge us to think beyond our selfimposed beliefs, and force us to see beyond the everyday view.

As a musician, there have been multiple occasions when I have been performing onstage where I have experienced a total loosing of myself into the moment, or what American psychologist Abraham H. Maslow called a ‘peak experience’, a subject he discussed in-depth in his book, ‘Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences’ (1964). It is a deeply inner experience that transcends the usual everyday moments of being. It’s difficult to describe or put into words. Those in the creative arts such as musicians tend to be more open to these types of experiences and more frequently as do those in sports and religion, but they can also be experienced by any individual at any time in their lives depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. Observing a painting can induce a peak experience in someone if that person connects with something in that painting on a deeper level and is open to the experience.

While each stage performance is subject to the conditions at the time, for example, some nights, the nervous system may be more tense than it is on other nights, depending on the feel of the room and the audience you’re about to face. Or the adrenaline rush is at such a heightened state, it propels the performance itself. It doesn’t mean the performance is any less meaningful, or you’re any less connected to the performance or audience, it’s just that the conditions aren’t as conducive to creating this state of unconditional ‘oneness’ with the music, with the instrument, with the audience where you are totally at ease and at your most comfortable in your own skin. You’re no longer thinking about your performance, it’s happening as if you’re no longer the one playing, but rather it’s playing you. For want of a better word, you’re flying. Soaring. That’s how it feels to me. It’s as if you’re in some kind of time warp, where the boundaries of time don’t exist anymore, except the present moment. You may only experience it in a flash of the moment, but the effect is long lasting and unforgettable.

During a recent interview I conducted with guitarist Andy Powell from British rock group Wishbone Ash, the above point was brought home.

“I think when you’re playing music and if you’re playing it well, you transcend time and space, you’re just in the zone” he said. “Music is the gift that keeps on giving, and there’s no ageism in music. If you look at orchestras, you might see a 70-year-old lady playing a violin next to a 33-year-old man. It’s an incredible thing playing music because it does keep you having a very young approach to life.” Touché.

JOE MATERA