Music to make you feel good

Two very different and very separate stories of music recently warmed my heart. It’s music that brings me most quickly to tears of joy!

One of my former work colleagues sent me an e-mail about work his son is doing in NYC. This is a kid who once was bouncing off the walls and challenging his teachers, but who eventually found his niche in the musical world as a performer, composer, and teacher. He seems to have an understanding of how to get kids motivated to like music. He was contracted by Carnegie Hall to design a music appreciation course for children. But most recently he has been scouting for local talent to support. Check out his latest find: Fly Girlz, a rapping duo who haven’t yet made it to high school, but who are going places with their music. Kudos to Sam for his efforts to help young people find a place in the world of music or at least a love of what they are listening to.



And this week, who wasn’t incredulous at the performance by Scottish Susan Boyle as she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Mis on Britain’s Got Talent 2009? The audience clearly showed everyone’s initial reaction to this woman who looked somewhat like Mrs. Doubtfire. But when she started to sing, we were all mesmerized by her performance. As we learn more about this woman, it becomes clear that she has some learning disabilities and was often the brunt of jokes as she was growing up. But at 47, she has captured the worlds’ interest and left us with a song in our hearts. She stands as the perfect example of why we should never make a snap judgment based simply on what we see.

Music is indeed the food of the gods. Better than any medicine to fix whatever ails me!