In the music world it is widely believed that playing an instrument can help out with other academic subjects, mostly math. However I believe that the power of music stretches far beyond the realm of academia. The areas that music touches most in my mind are personal ones. Learning to play music can bring out something in someone they didn’t know was there and it can go a lot further than that, inspiring someone to try something they haven’t before.

Music can not only bring up someone’s grades, it can take them away from the daily confines of life and open up and endless medium with which they can fully express themselves. It allows out feelings that wouldn’t be otherwise put into words and using it to this extent can help someone vent their feelings in a non harmful way.

When you get to a certain point, your instrument almost seems like an extension of your body, doing what your brain tells it to do without thinking. In my mind this is another important skill to have, letting one open up without having to put too much thought in between. Thoughtfulness and interpretation are other important aspects of music that help the player express what they hear and feel in the piece they’re playing.

In different kinds of music, the amount of right notes or wrong notes that is acceptable can vary. For example, when playing jazz, specifically a solo, there is no such thing as a wrong note to a certain extent. An improvised solo can be what ever the player wants it to be within the group of scales called the chord progression. Even outside of a jazz players solo, jazz was basically formed on wrong notes, with artists expirimenting with what sounded good and what didn’t. The history of jazz boiled down is just trial and error, from finding what kind of instruemental combinations sounded the best together, to seeing what kind of sounds could be played on any given instrument.

Classical music offers a completely different kind of freedom. While improvised solos are few and far between another kind of improvisation can take place. The conductor looks at a piece of music, and tells the band where to play the dynamics by using hand motion. Depending on the level of the player, he or she may not need these visual cues as they may already be playing the markings.

Different people like different music for different reasons. I like both classical and jazz, listening to classical is more enjoyable then playing it but playing jazz is just as enjoyable as it is to listen to. Also, different sub genres within both of these genres have their own unique characteristics, and this can also add to the amount of enjoyment that can be taken from listening in different situations.

On a last note, music is the most universal language there is. Everybody can relate to it, and it is mostly understood by virtually everyone around the globe. There are no boundaries music cannot and have not crossed, and it will continue to spread joy and amazement for eons to come.