We human beings are emotional creatures. We are moved by creativity, and we have the inherent drive to be creative ourselves. We are instinctually drawn to rhythm. The measures and the melodies we prefer might differ, but our fascination with them is universal. Before we ever draw our first breath of air, we are soothed by the rhythmic sound of our mother’s heartbeat while inside the womb. Practically every person we may come across will have their favorite music that inspires them, but we would be hard pressed to find someone with the capacity to hear and feel it, who does not enjoy any form of music at all.

How bland and dull life would be without music. It is a phenomenon that is able to powerfully stir our emotions. It impacts us on numerous levels; emotionally, socially, spiritually and physiologically. It is quite amazing how something that cannot be seen or physically grasped can have such a profound impact on our senses. Like the wind that rustles the leaves on a tree, music resonates with the fabric of humanity and compels us to pay attention.

It is an increasingly evident fact that music significantly contributes towards mental and emotional well-being. It is used in psychotherapy and psychiatry to restore balance and calm to psychological conditions that disrupt our body’s natural equilibrium. It is able to soothe and calm, and bring about restoration in facets of life that no surgeon’s scalpel can reach. Listening to our favorite songs transports us back to memorable moments in our lives . . . moments that define our experience and even our identity to a degree. The song to which lovers first danced. The track that was playing when we were first kissed. The lullaby our mother or father sang to us as we fell asleep cradled safely in their arms. Just imagine our favorite movies without their accompanying soundtrack . . . how robbed of energy and feeling they would be. Birds without song, lyrics without melody . . . it all makes for a very depressing picture.

Music is integral in helping us identify our personal social niche. It helps us form bonds and relationships with those who share our tastes and interests, thereby inspiring community and a sense of belonging. It documents the progression of shifts in culture and society, and is itself in a constant state of evolution as old sounds and technologies are blended with new ones, steadily reshaping the present and catapulting us towards the future. There is also an increasing degree to which music influences other disciplines like cinema, fashion and art . . . even politics. The civil rights movement in America and the rebellion against the apartheid regime in South Africa are just two examples of profound cultural, social and political chapters in world history in which music gave voice and expression to the laments of the downtrodden. It strengthens, motivates and comforts.

As long as the human being experiences feelings and emotions that need expression, music will be a crucial component of giving voice to those sentiments. There are those who believe that music is the result of heaven kissing earth, and that it is one of the supernatural and eternal gifts that we carry with us from this life into the next.

———-> Tracey Roper is a freelance writer and webmaster. Visit her sites to find out more about DVD duplication and CD packaging.

Alabama Mike is a hard-driving Chicago style blues singer with the ability to make you feel as if you've revisited the early CHESS RECORDS days.

Many things come to mind upon hearing Alabama Mike sing for the first time, but mostly it's where has this guy been? With a soulful voice that brings such greats as Elmore James, Buddy Guy, Little Johnny Taylor and yes, even BB King to mind, you will be asking yourself, "Why haven't I seen or heard of him before."

Alabama Mike is a very unique talent, not only a gifted singer but also a very talented song writer, having penned over half of the tunes on this impressive debut.

Born in Talladega, Alabama, in 1964, "Alabama" was influenced by the gospel singing of his father at an early age, as well as his love for Chicago Blues. Alabama Mike is embarking upon a bright future. He is an artist that anybody that has any interest in the Blues will soon notice.

The CD features the talents of Steve Freund, RJ Misho, John Nemeth, Charles Wheal, Chris Burns as well as members of his band, Third Degree.

Listen to Day to Day from his debut CD.

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