Truth is not a means to an end, it is an end unto itself..
-Mahatma Gandhi
If there is something that comes closest to silence, that’s music. A child’s first introduction to music happens even before words fall on his ears- the perpetual rhythm of mother’s heartbeat. The love that flows through the heartbeat keeps pulling on the child’s heartstrings and makes him seek out the same love all his mortal life- and when he finds it, he calls it ‘Music’.
Music forms such an essential part of our existence that learning about its basic precepts is almost as important as seeking to know the purpose of life itself- a moral duty of having the human form. It is in that sense, an end unto itself, notwithstanding the innumerable ‘benefits’ that come along as a byproduct.
As much as it is desirable to understand music, it is also not inherent to have the ability to do so. It needs to be cultivated and developed through training and hard work. The challenge is real. The challenge is also what makes the journey enjoyable. Learning music is a journey of more lifetimes than one. And a person, who is constantly learning, never gets old. There is never a time when you are ‘finished’ with it. Psychologists will tell you why this is such a great way to live your life with the best mental hygiene, for the longest possible time. Music is so exhaustive in itself that a person involved in creating it has very little space in his mind for any defilement to exist. Music has also been proven to be instrumental in getting millions of people out of longstanding mental illnesses, in the form of Art Therapy and Music Therapy. Read Why You Should Learn ‘The Bansuri’.
Music education is, in many ways, the most holistic method of education.
A student of music gets stimulated to develop his fine motor skills in order to play his instrument with more expression. This becomes a keystone-habit and flows into other areas, giving him an edge over others in tasks that require finesse. For example, many great surgeons practice music which also makes them better at their profession.
Just as music helps us keep mentally fit, it is also a great way to keep physically fit. Music students, who are into learning woodwind instruments like flute, get their daily dose of breathing exercises or pranayama with their music training itself. Students of flute are naturally inclined to breath more fully, have better lung capacities, slower resting heart rates and thus less prone to aging like average individuals.
When a music student learns to play a simple classic composition, the singular activity becomes a focal point of learning multiple subjects, all at once:
The performance of the composition involves application of right and left hemispheres of the brain- to memorize it, analyze it, understand the hidden feelings that are conveyed, and then improvise over it keeping perfect timing with the rhythm. It is a unique confluence of mathematics and art, memory and intelligence.
The composition itself brings with it the history associated with the masters who created it. The politico-socio-economic conditions in which the masters lived and got inspired to thus create such a composition, gives meaning to the archaic language.
There are many forms in music which teach us about their geographical origins. For example, the Blues is an essential lesson in African-American history. The lyrics of each song talk about how and why black people underwent migration, and how they survived the difficult years of slavery.
Such inclusive learning makes one a complete human being who understands different cultures and respects the diversity in the world. It makes one an empathetic and a more tolerant, citizen of the world.
In conclusion, music education is more a basic necessity than a luxury that only a few can afford. In learning music, there two main areas that are most beneficial- singing and its sister among instruments, the Bansuri or flute. Finding a teacher of music in today’s times is as easy as making a google search for “flute learning classes near me” or “best online flute lessons”. If you aspire to learn the Indian bamboo flute, visit “The Mystic Bamboo” academy for online bansuri lessons. Here you will find the most comprehensive, step by step online program for learning how to play the Indian bamboo flute.
Blessed are the ones who have the aptitude to make music, who get the right guidance to learn it, and who then make it worthwhile by putting in the dedication, devotion and hard work that music deserves.
