Musing about music

It's almost midnight on a Saturday night, and I'm idly strumming my guitar, looking up song chords to learn. I'm nowhere near public peformance level, but I can sing along to my playing. It's entertaining (me) enough, and on some level, it's therapeutic.

My family isn't necessarily musical, although I grew up with a piano in the house (I can tinker if I have notes in front of me). I auditioned for the high school glee club twice or thrice before they let me in, and that was probably out of pity. Later at uni, my room mate at the dorm taught me a few chords on her guitar, and I taught myself the rest.

Then I tried drumming after I got married. I absolutely enjoyed it. The teacher, Sam Aliano, even said that I pick up pretty quickly. But then we moved house, lessons fell away because Sam was busy, and then I stopped learning. I'd need a drum kit anyway. Someday.

I bought my own 3/4 nylon guitar not long after that. Then last year, Rick bought me a steel string that has a built-in tuner. I can, in theory, also connect this guitar to an amp. Like, if a reason ever came up to go busking on Bourke Street.

Like most people, I've always loved music. I think it's pretty primal. Only this week, German researchers revealed the oldest musical instrument that has ever been unearthed, a 35,000-year old flute made from bird bone. I mean, that's quite a long while ago. Probably before Neanderthals even developed complex language.

It makes sense when I consider how Jack responded to music from early on. I remember being astonished when I saw him dance to music for the first time, with distinct rhythm, because we hadn't even taught him. He very clearly reacts to music differently from language: he once plucked a few strings on my guitar then did a little sway.

It must have made similar sense to Mary Doria Russell, author of my utmost favourite sci-fi novel, The Sparrow. In the story, a whole expedition is sent to Alpha Centauri on the strength of music heard by the SETI program at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Russell had conceived a civilisation of other beings whose hierarchy is in part shaped by music makers. Of course there were incredibly dark elements to these beings, but still.

Even when we look at an ancient text such as the Bible, especially the Old Testament, we have the Psalms, attributed to the Messiah's own ancestor, David.

Obviously, I can ramble on.

Another day.