"Music drifts through our daily lives the way light slips through blinds. Quiet, constant, and easy to overlook. It hums in grocery stores, pulses in elevators, fills the space between us on the subway. Most of the time, we barely notice. But when we stop, when we choose one song, silence the noise, and really listen, music transforms. A breath slows. A memory surfaces. A question arises that we did not know we were carrying."
"Listening: Habit of Mind and Habit of Life The habits we practice shape the lives we create. Over years of performing, teaching, parenting, and leading school districts, we have noticed that the habits music strengthens are the same ones we need in daily life. This may be especially true in a world that rewards speed more than stillness. Here are four Habits of Mind (Costa and Kallick, 2008 and 2014) that music naturally cultivates:"
Music often occupies background spaces yet becomes transformative when intentionally listened to, slowing breath, evoking memory, and prompting reflection. Sustained musical engagement builds mental habits useful in daily life, especially amid cultural pressures toward speed. Music reliably produces awe, a self-transcendent emotion that expands emotional perspective and situates individuals within larger histories and communities. Music acts as a tonal analogue to emotion, enabling understanding and empathy beyond language. Ensemble performance and attentive listening foster nonverbal connection, mutual recognition, and reflective capacities that support relationships, learning, and leadership.
Read at Psychology Today
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