Sound bite of the World!

I've noticed that my blog has been reaching a wider world audience lately! I'm really excited about this, but I also feel like I need to step up my game a little bit so that "Nothin' but a 'G' Thang" isn't a disappointment. lol

To make the world a better place, I supported street musicians today. By that, I mean that I heard music I liked, so I put money in the tip jar. This seems minor, but never under-estimate the benefits of art on the world. Art expresses the human experience. It also plays a significant, if not primary, role in preserving our cultures. For example, being midwest-born and raised, I feel a sense of home and a connection to my heritage every time I hear bluegrass music. When people listen and feel these sensations together, they also connect with each other. Furthermore, when we listen to the music of others (e.g. african drumming, punk rock, euro pop), we can start to understand and connect to others.



Though music, and art in general, is different around the world, it all expresses human experiences, and those are surprisingly universal. Maybe, if we all understood that our similarities are more significant than our differences, then we would be able to see all people as people. And then, maybe life could cease to be us vs. them, and just be 'us.' Admittedly, it's a long range goal, but I think it's a worthy pursuit nonetheless. It'll never happen without art.



Support street musicians. This is how they can afford to continue to be musicians, and it encourages them to continue being artists. Support art education and music education. Go to concerts. Listen to the music of others. Art is not a waste. It's a necessity.



Benefits of art on the Brain

Practical and more immediate benefits of music

Statistics on music study