Music is a powerful means of sacred communication. Long established as a means of worship, it carries not only a history, but a special quality about it that raises an experience of worship. Even for the unreligious, music is uniquely capable of impacting the emotions of an individual. Its power is evident in religious ceremonies and even secular musicals. What is it about music that makes it such a powerful force on-and for- the human heart?
A teacher in high school explained to the musical cast for one of our productions that the reason audiences cry during musicals has less to do with amazing acting and more to do with the neurological processes at work. The way sound waves from harmonies in music impact the brain is so powerful that for many it triggers emotions. Musicians then have the ability, to some extent, to influence the emotions of their listeners.
However, music is a created phenomenon, produced by humans for expression. Although it may impact our brains in a particularly potent way, by choosing to create the art, we evidently have some deep desire to express ourselves through music that is beyond how it subsequently impacts us. We are drawn to its abstract nature, the way it communicates beyond words, moving beyond the intellect and towards the heart.
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