The longer I am involved with music the more I believe its purpose - if it has to have one - is to arouse in everyone within listening distance awareness of the speed of vibration. Put another way, awareness that the very air is moving, breathing, alive.
Despite the pretense of commercialization that air can be packaged into tiny boxes and plugged via buds (crazy word!) into the ear, we must do everything in our power to subvert this attack on our own aliveness.
One good remedy is to sit in the front row whenever you can get to a free, unamplified performance: Try a local music school. Don't be fussy about the performance, but do be fussy about your ability to listen with empathy to whoever is playing. Put yourself in their shoes. Listen as though your life depends on it.
It does.
