The Therapeutic Value of Music

It was a dreary day today, and a very long evening. Overall,I did not feel well physically due to congestion and some lingering pains. To top it off, I had a lot of noise in my head because I am in the process of making a lot of changes for the good. Changes are an amazing thing, but I am afraid of change, and the work required to make them is not easy. I was backstage before we started to rehearse act four of Bizet's Carmen, and told my friend Lourin that I was going to listen to the Verdi Requiem recording conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, that I had not listened to in ages. I had tried to listen to it while driving on I-95 south on the way to Philly. However, my mind kept running, and I could not focus on the power of this music. Music in general is very therapeutic. I am citing the Verdi Requiem as an example. So, I decided to listen to this again on the way home. It started playing, and my mind got quiet. The beginning of this exquisite work reminds me of being high up in the Swiss Alps a few months a go. The peacefulness of sitting on a bench up there and seeing the breathtaking view is hard to even put into words. When I got in the car and started to listen to the Introit of the Verdi Requiem, all the pains and fatigue disappeared, and my breathing got deeper and slower. For me, music is the ultimate tool for quieting my mind. If I am agitated, upset, or scared, all I have to do is think of a piece of music that I love, and tranquility comes into my being. I am alive, singing, healthy for the most part, I have friends and family who care about me, and I have beautiful music like the Verdi Requiem. Music creates various emotions in me such as hope, fear, happiness, tranquility and sadness. The beginning of the Verdi Requiem tells me that everything is just fine, and is going to be just fine. There is just this great deal of serenity and reassurance in it, which creates a good feeling inside of me. If anyone out there is in pain, stressed, upset, angry or whatever, listen to music you love. It is an awesome healing tool that I highly recommend.