WE ARE SOUND I have always been impressed by the vast numbers of people who attend music events every year. Their number far exceeds that of all the sporting events held in this country. Why is it that exposure to tonal and rhythmic sound produces such a response in people that they have made music a multi- billion dollar industry. This year’s attractions at the Berks Jazz Fest and the large crowds expected to attend leads me to ponder why music of any kind has such an effect on people. Perhaps it is because we ourselves are sound; the universe is sound. Quantum physics has helped us to understand that sub-atomic particles are merely vibrations of energy—mesons, leptons, electrons— in a continual state of flux. The material world that we think is so solid, when reduced to its atomic structure, is simply energy vibrating at different frequencies. We are sound and when we use such expressions as “resonating to ideas,” “feeling bad vibes,” “living in harmony,” or “getting in tune with . . .,” we are using the language of our basic nature and how the universe is structured. It is interesting that even the word music, which is the art of arranging sounds, is related to muse, “to think creatively.” John Cage was once asked to test the efficiency of an “anechoic” chamber at Harvard University. This is a room designed to block out all sounds. Cage found that there were two persistent sounds that could not be eliminated. The engineer informed him that these were his nervous system and his blood circulation in operation. Cage concluded: “Until we die there will be sounds. And they will continue following my death. One need not fear about the future of music.” One’s very metabolism contributes to the music of the universe. In meditation we listen to the sounds within. It is thus understandable that music is basic to most of the world’s religions. From the primordial reverberation of primitive drums in West Africa to the chanting of Tibetan monks whose ‘om” is intended to resonate with the cosmic and eternal sound and put us in the right wavelength for communication with the divine, music is basic to the existence of all that is. If you find yourself grooving to the Yellowjackets or tapping your feet to Kirk Whalum or drumming your fingers to the Flecktones or moving to the Rippingtons, don’t worry. It’s natural. It’s just a harmonic convergence with the universe. Dr. Harry L. Serio |
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