Gratitude Attitude: Reflecting on the Gift of Music and Sharing It with Others!
by Robert Fisher, The Catoctin School of Music
As we charge towards the end of Autumn into Thanksgiving and the holiday season, it’s easy to begin to lose sight of the many blessings and benefits music brings us in the midst of the hustle. The stresses and exceptional tasks faced by all and those particularly within the music/arts community, present unusually daunting challenges for both the professional and amateur musician alike. It’s easy to be discouraged as performers finding a landscape of closed performance halls or highly-restricted venue capacity. Classroom and private music educators find themselves challenged to mentor and train up a generation of musicians remotely, somehow conveying deeply insightful concepts and meaningful demonstrations of musicianship over a laptop screen, on-the-go microphone setups and virtual conference settings.
It truly was never meant to be this way. As a community fluent in the world’s most universal language and creators of life-changing song, now is the time musicians can encourage and embolden others with the sounds we create. Any seasoned musician knows that no matter the obstacles we face, two things remain true: 1. Music is a gift that inspires, uplifts and is the expression of the soul in all seasons, whether it is shared on stage in front of thousands or created in a spare room in the basement; 2. We should share music with all, now, more so than ever! The world needs musicians to sing out and play as we can inspire a spirit of hope, inspiration, harmony, creativity, and joy forwards in times such as these!
Musicians, take heart! Music is truly a gift and blessing we should share with the world. Folks need music in their lives, now more than ever. Check out these incredibly inspirational quotes by some of the “Greats” to reflect on and to be inspired to keep music alive in your life and in the lives of others around you:
“Music is the universal language of Mankind.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Without music, life would be a blank to me.” – Jane Austen
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” – Plato
“Music is the shorthand of emotion.” – Leo Tolstoy
“If music be the food of love, play on.” – William Shakespeare
“Music washes away the dust of everyday life.” – Berthold Auerbach
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” – Maya Angelou
“Music can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable.” – Leonard Bernstein
“Music can change the world because it can change people.” – Bono
“I would rather write 10,000 notes than a single letter of the alphabet.” – Ludwig van Beethoven
“I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music!” – Billy Joel
