Claire de Lune by Claude DeBussy. I listened to this song as a kid–my mother’s wish, you know. Now when I hear this gorgeous piece of music, I enjoy it just as much thirty or so years later. It is pure magic to my mind. What power. What majesty.
This may sound a bit corny, or cliche, or “Oh, brother!” but I will ask anyway: What makes music so powerful? Not easy to answer, I know, but I am nevertheless most curious. What is it about melody and lyrics that moves the soul? What is it about people who can string together some words and notes, or just words, or just notes, and connect directly with another person’s emotional universe?
How in the world is this possible? Can everyone make great music? Can everyone write lyrics that go right through to another person’s heart, mind, and memories?
I am not asking what makes great music, I think we have already talked about that once before. What I am asking is why. Why does music move us? Words? Obviously. People are brought to tears, joy, goofiness, shouting, all the rest by a well-written novel or poem or short story.
But why music? It can’t just be the lyrics, some tunes get people rocking just for the melody, even if the lyrics stink. How does this work?
What songs have moved you? Was it the lyrics, the melody, both, what?
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm–oops, now I have that silly song stuck in my head. Drat!
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By: Tess on 10 December 2007 
