Here is a wonderful article from The Boston Conservatory, by Karl Paulnack. In his welcome to incoming freshmen music students, he recalls how his own mother once thought a music career was a waste of his great SAT scores. He explains how the opposite is true.
Some excerpts from the article:
“The Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects.”
“If we were a medical school, and you were here as a med student practicing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously because you would imagine that some night at two AM someone is going to waltz into your emergency room and you’re going to have to save their life. Well, my friends, someday at 8 PM someone is going to walk into your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heart that is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out whole again will depend partly on how well you do your craft.”
He gives many profound examples of how music is therapy to our souls, including the story of the most important concert of his life. The location and circumstances might surprise you.
To read the article, read it on the Boston Conservatory website or download a PDF copy.