The Beauty of Music!

I recently bought a poster which shows Cupid playing a cello. And the wordings on the poster:

Bach gave us God's word,
Beethoven gave us God's fire,
Mozart gave us God's laughter,
God gave us music, so that we may pray without words.

Wow! What wonderful and appropriate words. I am eternally grateful to be blessed with a father who loved music and who encouraged all his children to pick up an instrument. Papa not only permeated his home with music; he literally permeated the whole village with his love for music when he gave free music lessons to some of the poor children. Ever so often, we had some kind of a little informal concert where my siblings and their friends would sing or play an instrument. I still remember how we would try to sing to the big round moon on the 15th day of the Chinese calendar.

Now that I am learning to play the violin, I could practise for hours! I enjoyed the works of different composers! Sometimes I worry that my constant practice would be hard on the ears of my tenants and neighbours; hence, I would close the windows and door and turn on the air conditioning in an attempt to make my room kind of sound proof. My tenant, Jasmin, once asked me why I keep playing the same piece over and over again, and I reminded him that genius is 99% perspiration, and only 1% inspiration. I am usually not a perfectionist, but when it comes to certain things like writing, cooking and playing the violin, I am quite demanding on myself.

I hope there will be a day, when music and its various components, will be introduced to every child in primary school. Make music an essential subject like English and Science, because it helps children to relax and to be creative. Every child will be exposed to the rudiments of music such as rhythm, tempo, etc. so that the child will grow up sensitive to the songs and music he hears.

Indeed music adds colour to our life. It soothes and it strengthens the mind. When students are writing in the examination hall, some soft music could be played to relax the students. When people hear catchy tunes, they would be spontaneous to tap their toes or dance to the rhythm.
When I was studying at the University of Alberta, I noticed that many of the students from Africa were very spontaneous. Whenever they heard music they would spontaneously shake their legs or sway their bodies.


My second sister already showed signs of her sensitivity to music. Even as a toddler, whenever she heard music, she would crawl and gradually stand up to support herself by holding onto a chair and she would start shaking her bumps to the amusement of family members.


How nice it would be if music could permeate the whole nation. Let there be music in the mrt, buses, hospitals, clinics, factories, offices, airport and all over the country so long as there are ears to hear! Let there be music even in the prison cells , for didn't someone say that music has power to soothe even a savage heart? Let there be some soft music even in the library for the deadly quiet in libraries could be sometimes be quite eerie! Who said that there must be deadly silence, before readers could truly concentrate on their reading and writing.? I believe some soft music can brighten up the austere note of seriousness oozing out from the rows and yet more rows of books and encyclopedias.

Music makes my world go round! Does it also go round for you, dear readers?

Gan Chau