Music Makes Us Wait Better

Ever been waiting in an elevator and realize the music playing softly is an old tune you love and you kinda feel good hearing it? Yeah, it’s elevator music, making you wait better. I noticed it at the church I visited Sunday, the formerly called techno style beat with looped drums and Electronic Dance Music (EDM) inspired simple melody helping me countdown with the clock and anticipate, slowly more eagerly, the service that was about to begin. But maybe we never hear the music?I have to admit, as a musician, I am rarely standing somewhere early and listening to the music. I am usually loading in somewhere hours early, or rushing in last minute cuz I was creating back at home. So, being early with my friend who drove me this past week, I was able to see the production come together like an “early person” does. The pulsing music gave me an “up” for the event and made my heart (clinically true) start to sync more in time with the stepped up beat. Youth group track 101 - got it. It is now for big service. Has been for a while but I appreciated the sound quality and the synced video screens already.In the end, music gives us the right amount of anticipation and relaxation just as we are about to embark upon a sensory experience like speakers, worship, show, whatever. It is actually now very weird to be in a quiet room ahead of a meeting. I do appreciate it sometimes, but I also like to hear what someone has programmed into the “stay here a few more minutes and things will get good” track before events. If you listen, you will get good at waiting.