When we think of the magic of childhood, new love, favorite trips and vacations, new discoveries, or any awe-inspiring experience, what is the common ingredient? WONDER! Wonder, also commonly called magic, is what we all crave. We have a chemical reaction to wonder. Our brains reach towards and strive for wonder. When wonder is missing, we know it. And when wonder is present, it imprints on us. Moments of wonder are the peaks of our lives — the moments and experiences that make us feel most alive. We experience collective wonder when we listen to music together. Our bodies actually sync into the common vibration. We become tuned in to the music, and each other. Musicians experience wonder when they hit their stride in a groove. Grooving FEELS good. On both sides of the equation.
Daily life can be pretty grounding. We have commitments and requirements that we honor and fulfill. We have chores that we habitualize to keep our lives healthy and functional. That's just part of "doing the needful." Life is about creating balance. To that end, we also need to wonder to balance out the structured commitments of daily life.
Wonder is not something most people would consider a planned activity, but I am suggesting that creating opportunities for wonder can be planned. We can be intentional about opening the doors and windows for wonder to appear and light us up. One such way is to buy a ticket to a concert that sounds like it might be exciting. I often see people on social media asking for recommendations of books to discover. I don't think that I have ever seen anyone on social media asking for recommendations of music to discover. Maybe we might consider starting a music club (like a book club) and gathering with friends to share in music and fellowship. I imagine that could be quite WONDER-Full.
To share some wonder with you, I just made this short playlist of beautiful music created by some of my very talented friends. I am listening to this as I type. The tracks in this playlist are magical to me. This is just a mini sampler to get you started, I may continue to add to it over time. I recommend taking a deep dive into all of their catalogs if you like what you are hearing. I decided not to include my own music in this playlist.
If you are looking to discover more about my music. Here is a sample of my work.
Keeping music in our lives is an easy way to keep some of the magic and wonder of life in our regular routines. Discovery also being part of wonder, actively seeking out new sounds and new music to hear is also a way that we can set the stage for wonder in between the big vacations, music festivals, and jaw-dropping vistas. It has never been easier than it is today to explore new sounds right at our fingertips. So go forth and discover a new artist, share them with a friend, and seek out new music from those around you.
Comments