Sunday, July 14, 2013

Music: The Universal Medicine

Being a person that surrounded his life with music, I found one speaker particularly interesting. His name is Robert Gupta, and he helps and studies people with mental and emotional illnesses by using the influence of music. This is not normally my inspiration of choice considering I am an engineer and hopefully a future studio owner. Something about his speech really grabbed my attention. He reminded me why I love music so much and why I want to be a part of the music industry.
     Gupta tells the audience of his times with music and his work with ill people. He states that music lights up the brain unlike any other thing in the world. He also states, music can completely rewire the brain and almost make it anew. From patents with brain damage from something physical, to people with autism or schizophrenic patients, music helps each in a different way. Not only does music make people calm down, but it also clears the minds of any and everyone. Someone who can’t stop shaking could finally sit still by the trance of music. A person that can no longer speak because of brain damage can suddenly sing lyrics to songs like there is nothing wrong. Amazing things can be done with music. This was a big informative speech, which taught me things I did not know.
     He used a reference to the movie “The Soloist” to make his point. Instead of discussing the movie however, he talked about working with Nathanial Ayers from which the movie was based upon. He is a schizophrenic musician that studied at Julliard. His illness got in the way of his studies and he ended up on the streets. Gupta played for him and with him after meeting him. Everything changed about Ayers right down to the hardness of his eyes. Music changed Ayers to the point where he almost seemed like he had no illness at all. Even if the music was just a catalyst to the medication Ayers was taking, it still made a huge effect, all from the sound of one instrument. No chemicals or treatments were required, only music.
     As stated before, Gupta reminded me why I surround myself with a life full of music. Music has the power to change people, even in conditions one wouldn’t believe. Gupta might not be an inspiration for where I am trying to go, but he is an inspiration to who I am as a person of music. Because of this man, I will make sure I inquire his thinking into my own work. Knowing that music can help people in ways I never imagined helps me make sure I follow my dreams to own my own studio. All of my future work will be created, mixed, and produced with the best of my abilities, and will be a work that will hopefully help someone one day. With this knowledge, I want to make sure I help and make an impact to those who need it.