Music is all around us and unavoidable in the modern world. It is something that represents emotions we can't truly express, and words we can't boldly speak. The actual definition of music is, "Sounds that are sung by voices or played on music instruments."
Judging by this definition, music can only be created by singing or playing a musical instrument. I disagree with this statement. Anything can be music if you listen deep enough; birds chirping at the break of dawn, waves crashing along the beach, the sound of raindrops with the occasional strike of lighting to keep a beat. Music can be found in the strangest of places, if one only has the ear to listen for it.
Imagine yourself in an abandoned room with no other distractions. Close your eyes and listen to the steady beat of your heart. Feel the hushed sound of your breathe...inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Hear your stomach growl in anticipation for lunch, and the sound of scratching an itch on your shoulder. This may not be the most stunning sound you've ever heard, but it is the miraculous music of life in which we are the instruments. We are composed with melody, and it runs through our veins. You might not think your song is beautiful, until you find someone who digs your genre.
Silence doesn't exist, but if it did it would be a noise in itself. The sound of silence. There is a three movement composition called "Four Minutes, Thirty-Three Seconds" written by John Cage. It was composed in 1952 for any instrument or musical group. The movements instruct the musician not to play their instrument during the entire duration of each piece. Thus creating "Four Minutes and Thirty-Three Seconds of Silence" in which any noises taking place during the performance make up the music. Theoretically, one doesn't need a musical background to "play" this piece, but it was the idea that John Cage was selling.
Everything is music. The scratch of a piano bench across wood floor, the cough of an audience member, the creak of a door opening, or the air conditioning turning on. We use music as a means to express inner feelings, and that's one reason why it becomes so addicting. Occasionally you might find a song that clicks. It fits the mold of your current state and becomes part of the soundtrack of your life. In a world of various noises, everything is potentially music to my ears. Maybe that's the musician in me coming out, but opening your ears to the music of the world allows you to hear the sound of life, and experience it on a deeper level. A car horn honking, pencils scratching on paper, or the sound of breaking a glass bottle. Music is something more than just to be listened to, it's something to expressively feel. Appreciate the sounds around you and take in every noise of each day. They are songs to be cherished.
