Ukulele |

Have you ever found yourself walking through a supermarket and suddenly realised that you’re humming along to the music playing quietly in the background? Music that’s familiar, even if, like many of us, you can’t remember the words after the first couple of lines!

That familiarity isn’t a coincidence, though. This subtle background sound is the result of a lot of careful research carried out by supermarkets. Research used to match the demographic of customers who shop at certain times of the day to the music that age-group grew up with. Consciously – or probably unconsciously – we relax as we hear the familiar strains – and, hope the supermarkets, linger longer and buy more of their goods.

Commercial interests aside, music plays a huge part in all our lives. Music can be very powerful in shaping how we feel. It can affect our mood, our emotions and even our behaviour. Music can trigger memories – both good and bad. Certain songs can reduce us to tears. While others have us dancing in the aisles!

But it’s not just listening to music that’s important. Making music for yourself makes life better!! Whether playing an instrument or using your voice, music is an integral part of our existence. In this article (in issue 108 of iScot Magazine) I explore many of the ways to make music that are right on your doorstep. And they’re much more fun that you might expect!

There’s something about music. Indeed, as Shakespeare didn’t quite say, “If music be the food of life… play on!” And when it does, it makes the world a better place for us all.

Music is such an integral part of human life. I doubt there are many who don’t get real pleasure from listening to music or playing an instrument themselves. In fact, it’s reckoned that our ancestors started developing musical instruments as long as 50,000 years ago – and haven’t stopped since!

Music has real power to lift our mood. There seems to be a deep connection between music and human wellbeing. It’s not surprising that Jane Austen commented, “Without music, life would be a blank to me.” Or Kahlil Gibran, the Lebanese philosopher and poet, for whom music was the language of the spirit, “It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.”

Making music doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It doesn’t have to be at a professional standard. Making music can, and should be, fun!

As our ancestors discovered, almost anything can be used to make music. To produce a few notes. To create a rhythm. And there are people still putting that into practice today, as this biscuit-tin-ukulele proves!

Music brings people together. The 19th century American poet, Henry Longfellow said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” A sentiment echoed by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen who wrote, “When words fail, music speaks.”

Being furloughed by covid lockdowns, I took up the ukulele and discovered a whole new world of music. And fellow ukulele novices who are enjoying the musical journey as much as I am.

A favourite author of mine, Mark Twain, wrote, “The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all your irritations and resentments slip away and the sunny spirit takes their place.” And learning to play the ukulele has certainly prompted much laughter within my group!

Put laughter and music together and you’ve got a winning combination. So pick up a ukulele, or the instrument of your choice, and play!

You can read the full article in issue 78 of iScot Magazine.