The power of music

Music is powerful. Done right, it can be incredibly emotive - though I find it incredibly difficult to believe that anyone can be moved by Bach, but that's probably an argument that I shouldn't start right here. But certainly, music has the power to conjure up really powerful emotions. I was thinking about the songs and pieces that I felt had the biggest effect on me, and something struck me - they are almost all sad. It's not the only feeling that music can instill in me, but it's certainly the easiest.

If you don't believe me, go and have a listen to A Boy and His Frog by Tom Smith. The fact that it's a Jim Henson memorial song probably gives it an unfair advantage, but even still, it's a damned good one. It was also referenced on Something Positive a while back, which was how I originally came across it.

But I'm struggling to think of (m)any songs or pieces that make me feel joyful, happy or energized. Maybe Beethoven's 9th, though that seems a bit too obvious (if you're confused, that's the "Ode to Joy"). Perhaps sorrow is just the easiest emotion to tap, but I do think this somewhat unfortunate.