This week we invited another friend to go with us to see "Fruitcake Follies," a musical review of Christmas. The five women performers were excellent as they sang and tap-danced their way into the Christmas holiday. We heard some familiar favorites as well as some fabulously funny new ones.
After the show was over, the audience was invited to stay for a free performance featuring Opera Joven, a group of young operatic singers from Mexico City. In addition to singing a few opera excerpts, they also fused their operatic voices with traditional Mexican music for a very unique and delightful sound. I couldn't understand the words because of the language barrier but the music was hauntingly beautiful. One of my friends said she got goosebumps listening to them! If you ever have the opportunity to see and hear them, go!
In the car driving home, I listened to Christmas music on the radio (thank you XM Radio for the FREE week!) - traditional Christmas carols as well as popular Christmas songs sung by a variety of artists (jazz, country, pop,...). Pretty soon I was singing along and tapping my fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music.
Then I started thinking about why I listen to music. Scientific studies have shown that listening to music has many benefits for most people including reducing stress and anxiety levels, elevating mood, improving cognitive performance, enhancing blood vessel function and improving sleep quality. While I believe all that is true for me, I think the number one reason I enjoy music is because it is fun!
As we enter into the Christmas season with all its potential stressors (finding the right gifts and wrapping them, holiday cooking and baking, entertaining, ...), I am thankful for the gift of music - for beautiful melodies and for talented performers who share their gift with the world. Besides the many genres of music (rap, hard rock, soft rock, classical, jazz, etc.) we listen to all year long, we get to add a seasonal topic to the mix during this time of year. Singing about the birth of Jesus (O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Mary Did You Know, and the list goes on and on) fills my heart with gratitude. Singing about wanting a hippopotamus for Christmas just makes me giggle. Listening to Garth Brooks sing Belleau Woods or Capital Lights sing His Favorite Christmas Story brings tears to my eyes.
Yep, I am thankful for music.
No comments:
Post a Comment