HOW Does Music Make Us Feel?

In October 2016, I spent four days in San Francisco going to every SFJAZZ Collective performance featuring the music of Miles Davis. The song I most wanted them to play was "Joshua," and they didn't disappoint. The intro threw me off, but somehow the changes let me know what was coming.

I love this song and have played it a zillion times. I remember first trying to learn it by just listening to the original recording and counting along in my Real Book as the measures sped by. The changes in time signature between 4/4 and 3/4 make it both challenging and exhilarating.

Anyway, as I listen I'm feeling emotional right now, and not sure why, exactly. Maybe because of so much loss in the world right now.

I'm reminded of a question I used to ask, "How does music make you feel?" Not how do you feel listening to this music, but exactly HOW does it do that? How does it make us feel the way we do when we hear it?

I now know that's a trick question. The music doesn't make us feel … anything. It's our brain's interpretation of what we're hearing, our brain connecting what we hear to our history, our emotions, our past, our culture. That's how music makes us feel.

So those emotions I was just feeling, that was my brain working. Maybe along with my heart. Head and heart. And perhaps that's why I can feel some kinda way when hearing the same song, the same part of a song, over and over again.

I love the feeling of connection with people, with the past, with what's coming.

Anyway, that's Joshua y'all. Deep. Changes and changing. Uptempo. Energizing!

Later!