The jazz legend Herbie Hancock once said, “People ask me, ‘What kind of piano did you use? And what kind of voicing and chords?' They forgot to ask me, 'What was I thinking and feeling when I hit that chord?'"
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote at lengths about the power of music to achieve what words cannot. One of my favorite quotes of his: “Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”
Allow me to sidestep the mountain of philosophy and science, and just trust me. Music is powerful.
Picture yourself when you are feeling your worst.
What music or sound comes to mind?
Now picture yourself when you are feeling your best. Or how you would like to feel.
What music or sound comes to mind?
Put together a soundtrack that you feel captures the kind of person you want to be, and use that list to reverse engineer your mood and energy for the day. Athletes and performers do this all the time. Church services dedicate a huge portion of their weekly services to this very exercise.
Feeling adventurous?
Challenge yourself this month to buy concert tickets. Find a local act, or look online to see what legends are still performing.
A few years ago I went with my brothers and our dad to see Carlos Santana perform in Las Vegas. Abraxas has long been a favorite album of mine, but I have not listened to it the same way since that concert. The music has gotten richer because of the memories and emotions that are now connected to it for me.
When you are intentional about creating quality time with people you love in connection to a distinct sensory experience, you make magic.
For me, that trip to Vegas is now cemented into the vinyl record I have on my shelf at home. I put it on, and I immediately feel my muscles start to relax.
Give it a try. (It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Trust me. Local acts can help you make magic just like the legends. And, sometimes, tickets to see the legends don’t cost as much as you might think.)
-Austin Johnson