Music Opens Your Mind

When he first showed me the new song, I was agitated. I wasn’t “in the mood” (famous song) for listening to music in the way I wanted to be. I wasn’t prepared with my playlist or my device in hand, I was just walking through the house to somewhere. But my son stopped me and asked for me to listen to a song. You’ve had it happen. A co-worker wants you to watch a video. A three-year-old niece wants you to play. A boss wants you to finish report today. Not what you planned. “Listen to why I like these guys so much,” he said.When you listen to others while focused on yourself, you miss out on life.So, I did listen and found some strange noises coming out of his device. Bright drums, dull guitars, strange effects, and mumbled singing. I knew I was hearing like me, but I was processing new music. What to think, what to say, how to say it, how to (too late) show it on my face, or not. An agitated siren, a click track as beats, a keyboard sound I’ve never appreciated. It doesn’t matter. I was listening to music with my son and it was important in that moment. My brain was picking up signals and putting them down as pathways from previous experience to future understanding. I was hearing and listening and learning.Life was forming in my mind as my brain processed this new music and that was good. I don’t remember the artist name, and I may never hear it again, but the shared moment and the shared sound was vital to our relationship. We were listening for real to the same thing and my interpretations were muted and waiting too respond to his joy.Music is important.#kensteorts