Musical Motifs

 

motif (IPA) - noun - musical phrase, a recurring figure, succession of notes that has some special importance or thematic identity (Google)

Motifs occur on the surface of art. They are often obvious–but sometimes, not so obvious–in paintings, literature, and also in music. (As I mentioned in another entry, patterns are also apparent in everyday life.) As a professional vocalist, I sing songs with clear motifs, and as I do, I witness listeners' reactions that are uniform enough to point to themes, one in particular: healing. 

Lately, through music, my musical counterpart and I have been reaching and touching many fairly lost souls in halfway houses and nursing homes. Because I tend to keep my eyes open for patterns–something that I once had to do when analyzing texts as a high-school English teacher–I concentrate on the reactions of the audience members when performing tunes with which they are very familiar. No matter how damaged their minds may be, there is usually one song that they can recall all the words to, and it is usually "It Had to Be You," a slightly upbeat, catchy ballad written in 1924 by the songsmiths Isham Jones and Gus Kahn. Something else I have noticed is that when a favorite composition is heard, some will allow themselves to become meditative, entranced. They close their eyes and rock to the tempos presented. It is this state of mind that I believe is the most beneficial as the persons remove themselves from reality and enter a safe space somewhere within the music. Of course, some tend to fall asleep during the slow numbers, but are quick to awaken once we launch into steady, rapid rhythms. All in all, the face of melioration through music has a few distinct, common looks, no matter where we travel as performers. 

Naturally, I feel blessed to be the musical magician motivating the mitigating magic (Like the alliteration?) in these audiences. My occupation truly is a purpose, a "mission from God," as Jake and Elwood Blues would say. 

Can you find motifs in what you do on a daily basis? I bet you can if you look hard enough.

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