December 4, 2009

Music Moves

A few days ago I was sitting in a coffee shop, reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, when I caught a—what is the word for an audible glimpse?—of a faint voice, rising from the speakers over the subdued hum of hissing espresso machines and friendly chatter.

You know those moments when a sound byte of a song—it needn’t be more than half a second in length—travels instantly from the speakers to your ears to your brain to your soul and transports you to another place? If you do, then the news that music is particularly effective at moving Alzheimer’s patients to move, dance, and sing along, comes as no surprise. That day, I was thrown from McCarthy’s ash-covered postapocalyptic world into a pristine summer evening in the hills of Southern Vermont, an evening of rustling leaves, screen windows, and soft light. This movement was so sudden, the contrast so powerful, that I held back tears as I hurriedly closed my book, gathered up my things, and walked out into the gray November day.

Such is the power of music. And, fortunately, I don’t think that this power diminishes with time, regardless of how we discover, acquire, and listen to music. Now that is something I can give thanks for.

Van Morrison - Sweet Thing (YSI) (filesavr)
The Kinks - Village Green Preservation Society (YSI) (filesavr)
Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice, it's Alright (YSI) (filesavr)

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1 comments:

doubldip said...

you're not alone, great post. my roommate's reading that book too, and he's loving it. the movie looks tight too.

also, great bob dylan song choice, its my fave

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