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I have been away from home for a (WHOLE!) week. When I came in my office this morning I open both doors to get some life back into the air that had staled. The summer semester is over and I had a morning to luxuriate in free time, so I decided to catch up on my blog reading.
I was delighted to discover that Music and Peace is the topic of Kozo’s Monthly Peace Challenge for August. What a great invitation to pause and ponder what peace sounds like. There is a fabulous array of interpretations that have been posted on his site, from classics like Edwin Starr’s War (from Many Little Drops) and Cat Steven’s Peace Train (Dianna’s choice) to modern versions of familiar favorites like Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Claudia‘s pick). I’ve also discovered new treasures like Deva Primal, Moola Mantra (on Leigh’s playlist). Good stuff!
After listening to the wide range of songs that said “peace” to others I sat here thinking about what songs meant “peace” to me. While I was busy with that mind jazz, a joyful noise breezed in unnoticed through the open doors. It was the soft, but persistent sound of the cicadas. Their clicking rhythms swelled huge enough to overcome the noise of my own mental chatter. It continued growing, filling in the spaces between the trees. The rhythm abruptly synchopated before dissipating. In the short rest that followed I heard the faint susurrus of the ducklings. A hawk called out from somewhere in the sky and momma duck added her voice to the mix. Call and response. I am here! I am here! I am. I am.
And that is how those durn ducks managed to work their way into yet another one of my posts about peace.
Back to the human music…
I’m positively giddy to be back home, which might be why all the music I’m drawn to today is peaceful in an exhuberant sort of way, like this rendition of Imagine:
…and as a child of the 80s, We Are the World resonates with me as a peace activist sort of song, so I was delighted to find this recently updated version:
Then I found a hardcore version of a peaceful song El-D favors:
And this afternoon Skattur showed me this little singer passionately crooning peaceful Elvis songs…
Her song starts around :59 seconds in, but the whole video is well worth watching.
What songs speak peace to you?
Sound or vibration is the most powerful force in the universe, and music is a divine art…
–Paramhansa Yogananda
~~@~~
The consciousness that went into composing music will come out through the listener.
I’m still contemplating the truth of that sentence, so feel free to respond with a dissenting opinion. From my understanding that is the basis of Nada yoga.
Music can heal. It can calm…agitate….energize. It can stir up all sorts of emotions and reactions.
El-D has pointed out that I play a lot of music in the minor scale in my evening yoga classes. I didn’t set out to choose minor songs, it just happened when I was putting the songs together for a class I wanted to be relaxing and peaceful.
One of the yogis in Tuesday night’s class described it as “soothing.” I think they’re best enjoyed in the dark with flickering candles. 🙂
Here are a few songs from the playlist:
And I can’t find a youtube with Kitka’s rendition of Otche Nash, but this song of theirs is somewhat along the same lines…
My Little Spacebook 