For me, it’s the ancient dance rhythms of Bulgaria and Macedonia, and the minor harmonies of the Russian Jewish heritage (yes, Fiddler counts, though in a Pollyanna way. Remind me to share about my grandmother’s response to seeing a live performance of Fiddler back in 19-aught-75).

Here’s a YouTube of some Bulgarian kids dancing to 11/16, which they call “Kopanitsa” (yes, they have names for their rhythms, which often correspond to a traditional dance pattern, just as we have names like “waltz,” “tango” and “polka.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k2lGF4l9p4&feature=related

Persevere,

Paul

These days we express our political and social opinions over the internet by voting or donating- useful perhaps but not a bonding or a soul-nurturing experience.
I believe that we are about to make another quantum leap out of the status quo in order to have a more effective perspective on the 4 E’s of our time: Energy, Education, Economy, and Environment. When our collective vision can be expressed collectively, through music, then the vision will grow and the leap will happen. The people will lead, and the leaders will follow -as they did in the 60′s.

A number of entertainers and celebrities are aware of this and are doing their part to create the growth in consciousness that will lead to the paradigm shift that Sarah talked about.

Know any good tunes, anyone?

No question it all comes down to the ear of the listener. Actually, it’s even more basic than that. I think it all comes down to whether anyone’s listening.

My mentor, Brian Regnier, says that if someone could actually listen and really “get” the ugly and unwanted aspects of our society … then we would see a transformation and a new sound would be coming out of that person, place or organization/country.

Latha – your stand is your family which ripples out to the community bridging the North American continent to India. Thank you.

Sarah – I agree totally. It doesn’t take much to cause a paradigm shift. If each person knew the truth about how powerful they are and how easy it is to cause a paradigm shift, we would see a sudden miracle right before our eyes.

John – how cool is it that you sat there and watched the symphony of life before your eyes. I really got it in your comment, really beautiful. I can hear Phil Collins and Sting right now … :-)

Thanks for sharing your blog with me. I like all music. Music is sound produced by any organism. While gardening, I hear the birds making music. I hear the wind blowing through the leaves of the tall trees. In the evening I hear the frogs making music, the crickets. I love singing, even if it is out-of-key (Thanks to Bill Murray and my Mother, Jeanne).

Come to think about it, there is some music I don’t like.
The only music I don’t like is the music one of my dogs makes when he is begging for food during dinner. He sits under the table and whines over and over. I shush him (like the Dog Whisperer) but he continues awhile later. I don’t like country music if it is whining and complaining about something. I don’t like protester chants which are shouting complaints and not taking constructive actions. Maybe that isn’t music then? Is music in the ear of the listener?