Contemporary classical music composer George Rochberg (1918 – 2005), in an essay in New Literary History, argued “music is a secondary ‘language’ system whose logic is closely related to the primary alpha logic of the central nervous system. . . We listen with our (whole) bodies.” *
I have been blessed with two very recent occasions in which I gave myself the gift of luxuriating in listening-with-my-whole-bodymind — and I just want to share them with you in the hopes they bring added peace, soul, beauty and heart to you today . . . as you listen with your whole bodymind.
Some days ago, during a break in work, I was revisiting some bookmarked websites when I rediscovered a lovely tribute to Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (or IZ as he was fondly known) dedicated to his ukelele-accompanied version of Over the Rainbow. Such a simple song; and, so pure.
Again today, during a break, I stopped to talk with my bride of 20 years while she was relaxing listening to music online. She has a heartful knack at cultivating this moment for the absolute most it has to offer; and her target today was rolling through various versions of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. We listened together for a bit, and I want to share a few of our favorites with you:
K.D. Lang’s 2005 Juno Awards version
Justin Timberlake & Matt Morris from their contribution to Hope for Haiti
2 versions by Espen Lind, Askil Hom, Alejandro Fuentes, & Kurt Nilsen, acoustic . . . & in concert.
Allison Crowe’s Live TV version
My oldest son is fond of John Cale’s version
Now intellectually, I know listening to music results in changes in brain rhythms, respiration, blood pressure, stress hormone release in the blood, and so many other physiological responses.
Also, however, these stirring performances communicate at a much deeper, heart-centered, soul-kissed place within the whole-of-experiencing-now that simply cannot be described in words, . . . much like the scents and the tastes of love. So deep. So rich. So pure . . . so nourishing; laden with truth, beauty and a higher wisdom.
In joy,
Malcolm
PS: Please share your most moving experiences in the comments section of this post. Thank you.
PPS: Sign up here for my Self Healing Solutions to Optimize Performance Now! Teleseminar coming Saturday, July 10 @ 1:00 PM ET.
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* Rochberg, George, quoted in Ackerman, D. A. (1990). A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SENSES, p.212.
Tags: Alejandro Fuentes, Allison Crowe, Askil Hom, bodymind, Espen Lind, George Rochberg, Hallelujah, healing, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, John Cale, Justin Timberlake, KD Lang, Kurt Nilsen, language, Leonard Cohen, Matt Morris, music, over the rainbow, peak performance, performance, self healing
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Israel Kamakawiwo’ole . . .
a spellbinding experience for me . . .
thank you so VERY much.
Rebecca R. Riales, M.M., classical pianist / performer
(in a former life in this incarnation!)
What a great post Malcolm! I love that song too. There is something so deeply personal about that beautiful music. I thank you for sharing all those versions.
For me, my former spouse was a song writer. I lived the first 20 years of my adult life listening to him create beautiful music. It is the thing I miss most about our break up. He is kind enough to send me his new work anytime I ask, but it never has the same feeling as it did when I heard it from its birth.
Music…it is such a powerful gift. When I hear someone who sings or plays in that touching way that reaches the soul, I like to take a moment to thank God for their gift.
Music is my most appreciated joy. sound travels at the terrific speed and vibrations are contained therein. We all need to listen with the whole mind-body and not just the eye-ear ! thank you!
You have completely captivated me with your blog on music…..our secondary language
that we listen to with our whole bodies. Mr. Rochberg was absolutely right about this.
There is NOTHING better for the tired, weary,sad or downtrodden soul than a beautiful selection of music. Or for the cheery, upbeat person who has reason to celebrate some event …..what better than a well chosen piece of music…..such as Israel K’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow or “What a Wonderful World”. He is amazing ….so simple, pure and clear of voice. You have to feel better when you hear him.
I love Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.I normally quite enjoy his singing too. But when it comes to Hallelujah, K.D.Lang’s version tops them all. She has an outstanding voice and her rendition of this beautiful piece just leaves all the others lacking.I first heard her sing it on the 2006 Juno awards in Canada and I was hooked. Then she did it again at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in Feb. this year.I have to confess that Justin Timberlake’s version is also very touching, with his friend Matt providing beautiful harmony.
My most moving experience was when my wife had recently died. I was sitting on the couch feeling very sad and down thinking about what I had lost . The TV was on and suddenly, there was K.D. singing “Crying “, the tune that Roy Orbison made so famous.I closed my eyes and let myself just soar with her voice , with tears streaming down my face. But when it was over, somehow I felt better.
Music is my refuge. I love to get carried away for a few moments and forget all the vicissitudes of life, as the music takes me off to a better place for a few minutes. I think many people are similarly affected.
Thank you Coach Malcolm, for giving me a reason to share my joy of music and to state without reservation that music DOES soothe not only the savage beast, but also the sad, perplexed, anxious ones.
Jerry J …the relationship guy
Malcolm
I love this post. Thank you for sharing this in such a simple way for better understanding. I think a lot of it is embedded in our western culture, we’re so driven and so we think success oriented that we often don’t take the time to do the things that could strengthen us not only emotionally, but physically and would eventually help us be a greater success. At least this is true for me.
Catherine Trammell
Music is so multi-layered. It provides timelines of memories, escape from day to day routines and as you so eloquently stated can nourish our hearts.
I have soundtracks for various moods, challenges, memories and celebrations.
Thanks for reminding me of The Mozart Effect.
Malcolm,
I agree with you 100%. Music truly is another language. It is a gift of joy for all of us, whether we listen to the latest on You Tube or sing in the shower.
Love your suggested music selections; what a great selection!
And, is music our fundamental language? Most babies would think so. And many others, too.
Today was in many ways similar to other days that have come and gone over the past 8 years. Difficulty breathing, sensations of inadequate O2 intake, body tingling, talking to myself about finding peace, I am okay, this will pass, there is a positive intention, find that playing field of joy even in this moment…
As I was bringing myself into these awarenesses, I felt inner guidance to check out something I might have missed from Malcolm. At first I thought I would revisit some of our coaching sessions [a favorite past time of late], but MindBody said “not this time, check out something Malcolm posted somewhere.”
Not knowing what it would be, I went on my treasure hunt. This page/ this article on music is where I ended up!
I had not seen this before during my various perusals of your materials. I listened and cried through the many variations of Hallelujah as they penetrated my soul.
I also discovered an “internal” link in the Justin Timberlake/Matt Morris video. I clicked on the words that popped up on the video: “Click here to be truly inspired”.
Wow! This was a link to Colin Scott singing most powerfully and passionately from his heart and core “Damage” (of a broken heart).
[If the internal link doesn't come up for you when you hover you mouse over the video of JT/MM, then here is the link to this Colin Scott's song: http://www.youtube.com/profile?annotation_id=annotation_716136&user=TheBigDust1&feature=iv
After listening and often weeping to all these songs, I then began to revisit some of other songs that had had similar impact on me in the past. Joni Michell, Joan Baez, Bruce Cockburn, several others.
These musical musings led me to remember the time I was visiting a friend in TX and we had gone to the extremely massive Canton Open Market (like a huge plantation- sized flea market). It was here that I was introduced to a musician who has deeply impacted my life.
His sound, his gift, completely took me by surprise. I was shopping, laughing, enjoying the hustle of a flea market of that magnitude when I walked through an unseen veil and into the presence of a sound that moved me so deeply, so unexpectedly and filled every cell of my being with an awe and a wonder such that I had to walk away or become a puddle on the floor in a large pavilion.
I was consumed in emotion and encompassed in rapture and carried off to deep, long-ago places and emotions. I literally was unable to speak. I wasn't ready to expose this tender and moved part of my being to such a busy hustling crowd.
I composed myself after leaving the veil, slowly regained my ability to speak, and then returned back through the veil, this time "hardened" as I wanted to find out who this was and ask questions, something I would have been unable to do in my previous state of consuming emotions. So to his booth I went and made my inquiries.
His name is Marshall Styler. You can hear a large selection of his music on YouTube: [http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=marshall+styler&aq=0 ].
I have 3 of his CD’s and they touch me deeply still. Yet I have not had a recurrence of that initial complete body lost [and found] in the moment of musical embrace that I experienced in Canton.
That experience was not my first life changing music encounter. The first time was when I was a child and my father took me to an outdoor performance of the Broadway show “Man of La Mancha” with Richard Kiley. All of his songs pierced and impacted me, but especially the song “To Dream the Impossible Dream.”
If you’ve never hear Richard Kiley sing it, you might want to hear one version available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGSYAYZjI5k
This version does not carry the power that hearing it live under the stars had. But it still is powerful.
This is already a long post so I shall end it here.
Thanks for this article, Malcolm; I have had one of those “soul-kissed” experiences as a consequence.
With gratitude, Justyn