MUSIC!
Summer wouldn’t be summer without music! Everywhere you go you are welcomed with familiar summer sounds- kids laughing, splashes in the pool, wind blowing the trees or the sound of waves crashing- a typical soundtrack to the season. No matter who you are or where you go, music fills the air.
I notice sound and rhythm wherever I go. Music as a backdrop to life isn’t a facade, you just have to listen. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered about the power of music on our bodies, our brains and the arts. Much of this curiosity comes from a statistic I read naming music as one of the only art forms that involves the use of the entire brain!
Someone who has done much research on this topic is Dr. Sacks. Oliver Sacks book, “Musicophilla” explores the effects of music on our neurological system by studying the effects of music on patients, musicians, artists and every day people. Read more on Dr. Sacks: http://www.oliversacks.com/about-oliver-sacks/
Another great innovator and performer is Bobby McFerrin. His contribution as a musician and his dedication to the arts is so noteworthy that his TED talk gained over 3M views! His reviews claim- “Side effects may include unparalleled joy, a new perspective on creativity, rejection of the predictable, and a sudden, irreversible urge to lead a more spontaneous existence.” Can music really change ones attitude that much? The answer, yes! Watch Bobby’s TED talk here: http://www.ted.com/talks/bobby_mcferrin_hacks_your_brain_with_music
Where do you get your inspiration from? Is it from nature? Sounds of the city? Human interaction? Take David Zinn, a talented street artist who runs around the city of Ann Arbor creating chalk masterpieces! His creativity takes place primarily on sidewalks and streets. Check out his amazing artwork here: http://zinnart.com/2013/12/06/chalk-art/
Whenever I teach songwriting workshops, I use artful activities to help students find words and express themselves. I wonder what kinds of music David Zinn is hearing as he does his amazing street art?
Choose a song, a word or a beat for each of David Zinn’s drawings below:
