Music
If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again. it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour. Enough; no more:
'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
--from Twelfth Night by Shakespeare
Ah, I just love music. I especially love it when it is combined with another element, such as a visual display. This is why I love the movies That Thing You Do! and Amadeus so much. They combine music with a great story and imagery...ahh...so lovely. I was debating between those two movies at The Library today. Which would I most like to see again? I settled with That Thing and watched it tonight. It's so fun. :-D My mom said she wasn't interested in seeing it, but when she was in the same room sewing and heard Liv Tyler's character start screaming with joy as she ran down the street because her boyfriend's band's song got on the radio (you have to see the movie to understand that ;-), Mom got up and hurried over to the TV interested. I love Liv and the others' excitement in that scene. Music can cause that! It can be so wonderful at times.
But it isn't the answer to everything. Music can only be good for so much. If you're down, it can bring your spirits up for a time. But does it take your problems away? No. A song can speak right to your heart in its word and melody. But can it give you an understanding hug or a listening ear? Sadly not.
All things on earth are so temporal. We are temporal, too, but our souls are not. Thus, our souls need more than just comfort or encouragement from temporal sources. We must cry out to an eternal Source to satisfy our souls' deepest longings or comfort our greatest despairs.
It wasn't an accident that we were made this way. We were created to be drawn closer to God. The sooner we realize this, the less restless and dissatisfied we will be.
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again. it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour. Enough; no more:
'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
--from Twelfth Night by Shakespeare
Ah, I just love music. I especially love it when it is combined with another element, such as a visual display. This is why I love the movies That Thing You Do! and Amadeus so much. They combine music with a great story and imagery...ahh...so lovely. I was debating between those two movies at The Library today. Which would I most like to see again? I settled with That Thing and watched it tonight. It's so fun. :-D My mom said she wasn't interested in seeing it, but when she was in the same room sewing and heard Liv Tyler's character start screaming with joy as she ran down the street because her boyfriend's band's song got on the radio (you have to see the movie to understand that ;-), Mom got up and hurried over to the TV interested. I love Liv and the others' excitement in that scene. Music can cause that! It can be so wonderful at times.
But it isn't the answer to everything. Music can only be good for so much. If you're down, it can bring your spirits up for a time. But does it take your problems away? No. A song can speak right to your heart in its word and melody. But can it give you an understanding hug or a listening ear? Sadly not.
All things on earth are so temporal. We are temporal, too, but our souls are not. Thus, our souls need more than just comfort or encouragement from temporal sources. We must cry out to an eternal Source to satisfy our souls' deepest longings or comfort our greatest despairs.
It wasn't an accident that we were made this way. We were created to be drawn closer to God. The sooner we realize this, the less restless and dissatisfied we will be.