Unique Sounds

Have you ever thought about the unique sounds found in nature? The leaves on the trees in the wind, crickets signaling the night, the waves crashing on the shore... There are over 10,000 different species of birds alone known today. More than 10,000! Can you imagine how many different bird songs and calls there are that you have never heard?

Have you also ever thought about the unique voices of every single person you have ever known? There are about 7.4 billion people on the planet today. Physiologically, most everyone has the same general makeup of vocal chords, throat, nose, mouth...but why do we all sound different? We have the same tools, but each and every single one of us is crafted just a bit differently. We are all unique.

When it comes to musicians and listening to different soloists, I think this comes out if you really pay close attention. Sure, there are thousands of violinists in the world. But, everyone has a different violin made of different wood, played with different emotions. Remember this. Remember how unique you are! Never think you are just another person, or that you are normal. No one is normal. Everyone is unique. Everyone plays a part in this world. Everyone has a different story to tell, different life experiences, different gifts and talents they can bring to create beauty and joy.

To my students, I challenge you to look up a piece of music you like, this can be any genre. But look it up and listen to maybe 5 different versions of it...a cover with different instruments, a different vocalist, the same musician playing it live for an audience vs. in a recording session, one with a vocalist, one without. Did you experience different emotions each time you listened to that same piece of music? What do you think after this experiment?

Larissa