The Magic of Music

As I sat listening to the sweet music drift over my head, a thought struck me. All the worries, sadness, and remorse I felt when I entered the performance hall had silently and breathlessly left my body, leaving me numb and satiated with simple and pure melody. I was fourteen at the time, just a young girl attending a classical music concert, yet the depth and intensity I felt at that moment was anything but the naïve and innocent appearance I portrayed. Throughout our lives, we often come across challenges or the effects of previously made bad decisions and our sense of balance and ease is thrown off course. I was fortunate enough to have music as an escape from my demons. I believe that music can heal the soul. Even if just for a few fleeting moments, when you are caught up in the rise and fall of the harmonies, when the gradual and sensitive cadence slowly drifts you into that trance-like state where you feel nothing but sound. From eggs in the womb hearing the sharp and vibrant sounds of Mozart, to the middle aged widow sitting home alone on Christmas Eve listening to the low and humming voice of the cello playing “silent night”, it is my belief that music is essential. Moving away from home to attend music school for two years was anything but easy. Hearing my sister’s sad and lonely voice every day on the other side of the phone made the situation almost unbearable for myself and my mother who accompanied me on my adventure. We wouldn’t have been able to persevere through the abrasive Chicago winter if it had not been for the music. Day and night it filled our tiny apartment with reassurance and life. It soothed and warmed us when we felt our bodies and hearts turning numb. Eventually, we made our way home again to the sister and father we left behind, but the music played on. Not for comfort anymore, this time it was to remind us what we fought and struggled for, and how delicious it was to be able to drift away on a melody into a world not touched by sadness. As I hear the opening line of the Beethoven Violin Concerto resonating through my thoughts and soul, haunting me with its profound beauty, I am once again reminded that I truly believe in the magic of music.