I’m sure sorry not to be going camping. 🙁 But this COVID thing is serious and it’s important to follow the rules and stay home. There are a few private campgrounds that are open, but I will continue to comply with the Governor’s wishes and simply stay home. As soon as the campgrounds open up again here in the State of Washington, I’ll be heading out. It might be crowded since everyone else will be heading out as well, but I’ll find a way. For now, however, it is wise to just stay home.
A few blog posts ago, one of the suggestions from one of you readers here about what to do when you’re stuck at home and don’t know what to do, or when you’re afraid because of this virus situation, or if your income has been reduced and you’re nervous about that, no matter what’s bothering you … the suggestion was to have music in your life. Doesn’t matter how you get it, whether you produce it yourself, or whether you listen to it via records, tapes, TV, radio, or internet. It doesn’t matter what source you use, it’s just so very important to soothe your soul with music.
I have a piano that was purchased by my parents in 1955 or 1956 in the Philippines, when we lived there, so that my brother and I could take piano lessons. I was about 7 years old at the time (ok, yes, go ahead, do the math). I still have that piano! The serial number indicates the piano was built in 1951. Today, as I write this, that piano is 69 years old. It still has the electric heating element in the back of it. You might say “HEAT? why heat in the Philippines?” The heat element wasn’t there for heat, it was used to keep moisture out of the wood, to keep the wood dry, because of high humidity in the Philippines. And believe me, over the years since then, it sure paid off to do that. I haven’t had that heat element plugged in since 1959 when the piano was moved back to the States with us, but the piano has stayed healthy as a result of having the wood kept dry while it was in the Philippines.
The photo sitting on the piano is of my brother (three years old) and of me (two years old).
Music has always been an important part of my life. It seems I have always used music to help me when I felt unhappy or troubled. And music is wonderful when I feel joyful! It’s not uncommon for lots of us to do that with music, use it to help our moods. For a long long time I didn’t understand why music affects us so strongly. I just knew that when I played the piano, the music took me away from everything else. And when I was done playing each time, I always felt better. Even just listening to other people’s music can do the same thing.
As an adult, while living in Portland, Oregon, I took a music appreciation class taught by professional musician Kay Gardner. That was so long ago that I’ve forgotten almost everything except how wonderful the class was, what a wonderful teacher she was. But one detail I have always remembered from that class was how music written in different keys can affect us differently … even the exact same piece of music, played in a different key, can have a different effect on us, especially when switching between major and minor keys.
Here is a website with more information about the effects of music written in different keys. Read the description for the key of D-sharp-minor … “the anxiety of the soul’s deepest distress, of brooding despair, of blackest depression, of the most gloomy condition of the soul. Every fear, every hesitation of the shuddering heart, breathes out of horrible D# minor.”
Ok then, let’s not listen to anything in D# minor!! How about lovely and tranquil G major instead?
I remember one other thing that Kay Gardner talked about … it’s something about using fifths (no, not a fifth of the liquid variety!). A fifth in music is an interval between two notes. It’s when two notes are seven half-steps apart, such as middle C and then above that the note G.
Now, that puzzled me, and still puzzles me. If the interval is a “fifth” then why isn’t it five half-steps? Why seven half-steps? I don’t know, but it probably has to do with a scale or chord progression or some other musical nomenclature that I’ve lost complete track of. More importantly, what I learned from Kay Gardner is that music with notes played in intervals of fifths tends to make us feel better and heal us.
And we all know that different types of music, different tempos or beats, feel differently to us, too.
Pay attention to what you listen to and how you feel. It may be gorgeous music, or the words may mean a great deal to you, but if the feeling you have as a result isn’t the best for you, if it makes you sad or angry or even just a bit lethargic or tired, then maybe it’s time to switch to a different type of music, or a piece of music in a different key.
Music can change your mood … lift your spirits. It can heal emotionally and even physically. There is medical proof of that. So whatever works for you, do it!
Here (below) is the first of two videos of Kay Gardner’s teachings. Actually the “video” is audio only, but it is on YouTube so we call it a video. The “video” below is 35 minutes long, so you’ll want to find a space of time to listen to it. If it isn’t your cup of tea, that’s cool too. 🙂 The second video (audio) of the series is on YouTube as well.
And listen to the following “dreamy” music in G major by Johann Sebastian Bach. Lovely, peaceful, tranquil G major. Make sure your sound is on, but turn the volume down a bit for this lovely, quiet, peaceful interlude. Relax and close your eyes and drift on downstream.
Music is the key. 🙂 Pun intended!
As reader Dawn says on her blog … “Play some music. It’ll make you smile. And that’s the first step to feeling better.”
Bridge
You know how music influenced our friendship.
🤙🏻❤️
…. and it will never end. Even the word “bridge” is a musical term. Music is the center, the core, the connection for so many things, even for things we know nothing about … or, hmm, maybe we do. Wish you’d been there to listen to Kay Gardner in person. It will never end, music proves that. Bridge.
My husband has been ranting and raving since you posted this last post. He’s a bit of a pianist, just mostly for us and friends, but he knows music. He loves this post, the references, the puns (he laughed out loud at the title), and he absolutely loves the idea about music being so inimical to the human psyche and the health of humans. He might post here himself, but I’ll post for just me … I agree with you Ann! Music!!! It’s what soothes the soul, and what connects us. How can a room full of thousands of people sit elbow to elbow in absolute silence listening to one person on stage playing a cello? We are connected. Thank you.
Janey
Absolutely Janey. We are indeed connected. Music appeals to so many of us, and soothes or excites so many of us. I hope anyone looking for a little bit of peace and hope can use music to find that. Ah, and a cello! Who wouldn’t love that!?
Lovely to read about Kay Gardner and her impact. I adored her. I used to go to Maine when I lived on the East Coast and stay at her place that was open to women. And when she came here to Seattle for Women of Wisdom, she stayed with us in Burien up the street from you. Had I known… 🙂 There are a few of her pieces still rolling around in my head. What a gift she had! And yes, music has taken on a higher priority lately.
Hi Alice! I remember your home in Burien, just a block or two from mine. I love it that you’re following this blog. 🙂 And to think that Kay Gardner was in your home, that’s very cool! I think my favorite album of hers was Mooncircles. But I have Rainbow Path too, the one with music for each of the chakras. Be well my friend.
I was reading along and saying to myself, “why, this is exactly how I feel!” when I got to the end and saw my name. LOL. Anyway…as you know, I agree 1000%. I’m missing playing with my community band. But I’m watching tons of great music, much of which my community band director is posting for all of us. I haven’t tried to play much myself. I don’t know why that is either. I seem distracted and unable to focus on too much of one thing at a time. Hmmmm…sounds like I need a little music in my life about now.
Thanks for writing this! I never had any music theory, so it was fun to read. And amazing that you still have your piano! Can’t imagine shipping it back to the US from way over in the Philippines!
The readers here on this blog should be told that I read Dawn’s blog regularly, and snaked that quote right off her blog … from one of her blogs about music and how important it is. Are there no coincidences? Here Janey mentions a room full of people watching a cello concert. I have getting a cello lesson very near the top of my to-do list, Dawn. Your blog about that is one of my favorites. The cello is one of my favorite instruments to listen to, along with french horn and piano. ok, and bagpipes. 🙂 Today I was out driving (I know, but I felt so darned cooped up!) … I was out driving and Brahms Symphony No. 1 came on the radio … oh I was in heaven. I’ve been looking for music that soothes and not finding just the right thing and then this happened without my even searching for it. I sure hope you let the muse work as she will, Dawn, because she will. That clarinet will call to you when it’s ready. My piano hasn’t called to me much either lately. A little but not much and not for long. The time will come. I walk by the piano and pat her every now and then and I think she likes that. 🙂
Ok, Janey has talked me into writing here. It’s true, I laughed out loud when I read the title to your blog Ann, but then I felt embarrassed because I didn’t want you to think I was laughing at you because maybe you didn’t intend the title to be a pun. And then at the end of the blog you admitted it was a purposeful pun, and then I laughed even more when I knew I was laughing WITH you. That was great, thank you, made my day. Oh, yeah, great post about music too. I think you mentioned playing the flute in an earlier post months ago. I tried my hand at the violin in high school, that didn’t go well. Then I tried the sax, that didn’t go much better. In the end I decided to stick with the piano. I’m no professional by any means but I can tinkle a tune now and then and you are absolutely correct, it takes me out of all my troubles. Wife says it does her too. Thanks Ann. Some day maybe you’ll tell us more about your musical background. Jim
LOL! Jim is so embarrassed. He meant “tickle a tune”, as in tickling the ivories. Ha, men! 🙂
Janey
I read right over that! “Tinkle a tune” is pretty cute. 🙂
I’d love to hear about the Philippines, dont know a thing about that country and probably won’t ever get there.
I’ll put it on the list for a future blog post, Nevada. I lived there for almost six years (from 5 years old to 11 years old), so I have lots of great memories. I loved it there.
Music (primarily the guitar) has helped my husband immensely. He works hard to practice and recall chords and rhythms and he happily strums along for many an hour. Having played pro football in his younger days has also meant a great deal of head trauma (they say playing football is like the equivelent of hundreds of car accidents…) the music helps him in countless ways.
That’s impressive! He has so many talents. Makes me wonder about right-brain and left-brain stuff too … pro sports vs music. Ah, another topic for discussion. I’m sure glad he found music and that it makes him happy. That’s the best. 🙂