October 1st marks International Music Day, which made me think of all the goodness that music brings into our lives. Is there anything else you can think of that has the ability to bring people of all ages, sizes, and cultural backgrounds together in harmony? Well, maybe chocolate, but besides that?
Whether you make music yourself, or just love to listen to your favorite tunes, music is a universal language and the benefits of being exposed to music have been well documented by scientists. From helping you exercise longer to reducing stress to elevating mood, all good things come when you slip on those headphones (not too loudly, though, obviously) and start up whatever tune fits your mood.
Over the years, the Cricket Media magazines have covered music in lots of different ways, but my favorite is the coordination of Cobblestone, Dig, and Faces a few years ago.
Faces, our magazine of people, places, and cultures, featured stories about the healing power of music and national anthems around the world.
Cobblestone, our American history magazine, explored the part music played in the Civil Rights Movement and took a look at some of our beloved patriotic tunes.
And Dig, which focuses on archeological topics, examined ice age tunes and the evolution of the guitar.
Together these magazines comprise a fascinating and in-depth look at music written from many different perspectives and with attention to topics that are outside the normal range of what your child might be exposed to. I mean hearing about Taylor Swift’s latest single is great, but becoming a more well-rounded and well-educated person while learning about your favorite subject, that totally rocks!
You can pick up these back issues in our store by clicking on the image. If you have a young musician who doesn’t love to practice, I also urge you to read this excellent blog post.
I could probably go on and on here but instead I’ll just leave you with a quote that I think sums up the power of music:
Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
-Berthold Auerback
