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Recommendation letter (click here), John Thomson, Chair, School of Music, Wichita State University (2003)
Art of Tone Testimonials (click here)
Book Excerpt (Below is the first 3 pages of text from the book):
Music is like breathing; we take it for granted. Only when our breathing is noticeably difficult does it come to the forefront of our minds. Music is the same way; it is necessary to our lives. In our society, generally, music’s primary purpose is to entertain. Its secondary intent is to enhance advertisements and industrial presentations. It is less popular for us to utilize music for its original intent, which is to be a vehicle toward higher morals, personal awareness, and self-expression. Culturally speaking, we do not encourage music’s employment any more than simply to entertain, yet few of us would deny the passion we feel when we experience the joy of music.
“Music has charms to soothe
a savage breast, to soften rocks,
or bend a knotted oak.”
~William Congreve, 17th C. British dramatist
Aside from entertainment, music comforts, stimulates and guides. However, the original intent for music was to help us attain wisdom while growing in spirit so that we might sustain high moral standards by which to live. Only later in history was music identified as an art form of self-expression by the Greek civilization.
In our world today, we have placed much less significance on music. Few of us listen to music that is valued for its reflective qualities. It requires a disciplined person to seek things of this level of value. Music is one of those valuable intangibles worth seeking. It is those of us that place great importance on enjoying music with a disciplined heart that are enlightened by it the most. When you have been touched by music, have you not ever questioned why it feels so good? The reason is that music is an invitation to experience personal intimacy, your own perspective of life. It offers all of us reflections of our beautiful inner beings. Through life’s adversities we experience wisdom, which leads to the discovery of peace. All of us want to encounter peace. However, if we encounter peace through intangibles such as music, we discover a deep richness within ourselves and observe those that surround us in a most unique way.
Life is filled with personal choices. When it comes to music, most of us spend our days listening to what lightens us, and not necessarily what enlightens us. It bridges divinity and man; it helps us find inner peace, while it encourages us to contemplate our actions in life. It raises our personal level of consciousness and perspective on life. Music improves our society and stimulates our intellect; it improves our memory and is therapeutic. It also represents celebration and lastly, it entertains us. Although music’s purposes vary, all of them point toward intimacy, that private place inside us all.
“Without music life would be a mistake.”
~Nietzsche
Music is meant for all of us, individually, and our surrounding environment that we influence. It is not only an expression of the artist, but an expression of those of us that take the listening journey. Music enriches our life experience, bringing each of us greater beauty. It encourages us to think because it initiates a path towards greater well being, if we are only willing to search….
