There are some positive things that have emerged from the stay-at-home order. Music in the home is one. In times before TV and movies “Haus-Musik” was a very popular tradition. People would gather in their parlors, aka living rooms, to make music together. Everyone played an instrument of some sort. Even young children would be included.
Though music lovers have been unable to attend live concerts during the pandemic, and musicians have had no opportunities to perform together in person, a positive outcome of COVID is that people of all ages are discovering or rekindling a passion for making music at home.
The market for music products has surged in sales of some instruments. Amid the atmosphere of anxiety on so many fronts, people are returning to music-making as a welcome respite. Many adults are picking up retired instruments that they learned to play in school when music was part of the curriculum for all children.
It is no secret that playing an instrument requires concentration and total absorption and increases brain power in children. It also is valuable in retaining memory, so its benefits span all age ranges. According to John Rapton: “Science has shown that musical training can change brain structure and function for the better. It can also improve long-term memory and lead to better brain development for those who start at a young age.” (https://www.inc.com/john-
Music offers a special place, away from words and the crush of online information around us. In practicing music, which is in essence a solitary endeavor, one “finds oneself.” Then one can come together with other musicians to make music together. For those in the same family this has meant interacting without words in ways that build a special experience of working “in harmony” towards a common goal. It is connecting through music.
Music expands our world, opens other dimensions and transports us to another realm.
