Music itself inspires. Each piece of music is designed to evoke a certain emotion and that emotion inspires us, often only to feel something, but also often to do something.
James Casto, who stages singer-songwriter concerts under the name Home By Dark, chose the tagline “A song can change your life.” A song might inspire you to ask for a hand in marriage; couples almost always have what they refer to as “our song,” a favorite piece of music to which they fell in love or shared a special moment.
A song or an album might also help you stay alert and arrive safely over a long drive. I remember in the 1970s and ’80s on the road listening to Carlos Santana‘s Abraxis album as I drove, sometimes overnight, from one gig to the next.
A song can fuel a movement. In the 1960s, folk music inspired the rallies and protests that eventually led to the end of the war in Viet Nam. And today, anti-authoritarian protestors are singing everything from Woody Guthrie‘s “This Land Is Your Land,” composed in 1940 and recorded in 1944, to new creations, songs or chants for marching with titles like “Defenders of Democracy” by The Peace Poets. As well, those against whom they are rallying have their own songs that unite and inspire them.
From love to travel to protesting, songs serve as the background to our lives; music is the inspiration that supports us through another day.