It’s really hard to have a favorite band isn’t it? When someone asks me that question my brain locks up and it’s almost impossible for me to pick one. I find it pretty common to be able to name your top 5 favorite bands, but rarely can someone come up with their consensus number one.
How about a favorite song? That’s a hard one to pick too. It usually changes. I do have a favorite song though. It is Coldplay’s “Fix You.” I haven’t listened to it for a long time because I’m honestly kind of tired of it, but it’s still my favorite. I like it because of what it does to me. I’m the farthest thing from an expert when it comes to all the technical things about music, I’ll leave that to all of you tight jean wearing guys who seem to speak in another language when it comes to the music you listen to. But “Fix You” has this way of changing me. I can’t tell you how, or why, but it just does. Every song that I know has a “my favorite part.” My favorite part of “Fix You” is probably everyone’s favorite part of that song. You know, when the guitar comes racing in and then the drums drop in and suddenly life just seems really big. That song is so…epic. For some reason it gives me hope.
Music is an interesting…thing. I’ve heard it said that music builds a bridge between heaven and earth. I can understand that. Humans, all of us, respond to music in very powerful ways. It’s everywhere. Music isn’t only found in one culture or people group, but it’s everywhere. How did that happen? How did every group of people, in every part of the world, separated from each other, develop their own type of music? I have an idea.
My biggest question is why do we respond to music the way that we do? Seriously. I went to this show a few weeks ago at a little coffee shop by where I live. There was a band playing called Sleeping at Last, they are incredible by the way. A bunch of my friends were going to be there so I decided to stop by. I saw something incredible there. Now before this show I really didn’t know much about Sleeping at Last, but the people there did. I don’t know if you’re like me, but before a show I usually listen to the artist’s CD a lot, just to somehow get me even more excited about seeing them live. What’s funny is that whenever the band started playing a song that the crowd recognized everyone got really excited like they hadn’t heard the song in years, but I’m thinking to myself, “you probably just listened to this song on the way over here.” During one of their songs I decided to look around at the people, just to see what was going on. It was incredible. People had their eyes closed, singing the words with real passion. Almost all of them. They were feeling something, experiencing something. I turned back around to listen to the music with a smile on my face as long as the east coast. I wondered how someone could experience something like that and question the existence of God.
My question is why. Why do we respond to music the way we do? Particularly at a live concert. I have a few ideas I thought I would share.
1. I think it has a lot to do with the connection you feel between people at a concert. You are united with a group of people, singing the same music, experiencing the same moment. It really is a powerful thing. Whether it’s a worship band, or Jimmy Eat World, when I’m singing the same song with a group of people I’m somewhat overwhelmed.
2. As human beings we are created in the image of a Creator God. I think that this has a lot to do with it. People respond to created things. Whether it’s art, music, literature, nature, or origami we have this way of appreciating something that has been created. We appreciate beauty. All of us are creative in some way or another. Some people are gifted musically; some girls are really good with their make-up. Creativity is something that we all share. I think the response we have to music has a lot to do with the image we were created in.
Just some stuff to think about. Here’s a really beautiful Psalm that helps me to somewhat understand this.
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
Awake my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.”
-Psalm 57:7-8
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