In our society that values practicality, music appears to be superfluous and unnecessary. At first glance, music has no utilitarian purpose. The song itself cannot harvest grain or cook a chicken or anything like that. Using our pragmatic school system as a barometer, our society places very little importance on the value of music. Our budget cuts have declared an education in the arts to be all but expendable. Yes, there is math and science and language in music. But the human experience illustrates the importance of music better than the equations.
In this world of uncertainty we find ourselves looking for conclusions: trying to find the chorus in the chaos. Searching for order and patterns: we’re are all on the same quest – the scientist, the mathematician, the composer, and you. We’re caught up in the mysterious symphony of life: listening for the hook, looking for the melodious phrases that might somehow bring meaning to the dissonance and the blue notes of our lives. In this endeavor, music is a priceless vehicle to go places where the test tube cannot. The song helps to navigate the spaces outside of our control: the majestic, terrifying slopes of wonder.
The song or the silence: This will always be our choice. Will you raise your voice and sing or will you look the other way? All around us, beauty and pain are exploding into being. The song of humanity is bursting into life, tension and resolution, full of dissonance and harmony. The decision is yours and mine: Will we dive in? Will we enter into the song of wonder or remain silent? The symphony of mystery is all around us, music lessons that are available to us at any age- a musical education beyond than the walls of any school. Don’t be afraid to play it by ear. Come, raise your voice with mine. And let us choose to sing, to enjoy the wonder of the song while it lasts. Let us sing before our time runs out