How many of us on this planet have a personal relationship with music as a transformative agent? In contemplating a response to this question I am reminded of the treatment of the role music plays in our lives by the great critical thinker Theodor Adorno.
According to Adorno, “the musical synthesis preserves the unity of our humanity.” I happen to agree with him. But also, the ways in which music can contribute to changes in our consciousness, in other words our fluidity, merits our attention. There is of course universal agreement about music’s ability to produce for us what we often call “nostalgia.” A nostalgic experience is in many ways a form of time travel where we go to the past experiences when we had them. Music can also evoke powerful emotions, which if combined with a well developed intelligence can simply transform us. Just thinking out loud!