My recent speech on Music “We Need Music”

Hello, my name is James if you don’t know. I’m very excited today to speak about

my passion for music and how I believe it has the power to change the world.

When I was in the fifth grade I was introduced to the guitar in school. Although I

didn’t end up sticking with it, it was an enjoyable experience. It wasn’t until the eighth

grade when I found the electric bass that everything changed for me. Over the next few

years I joined the high school jazz band as well as joined a small rock band with three of

my friends. High school band was the birthplace for my love of music. No matter what

time of day, I always felt a sense of peace in the bandroom. A place where all the

troubles and anxieties of life floated away. And when I was at home practicing my

electric bass, I felt that by practicing for an hour I could take away my headache and put

myself in a cheerful mood.

Upon graduating from high school I took some time off from music, and this was

a difficult time for me. One year later, I joined the Douglas College Basic musicianship

program and here I re-found my sense of belonging. Going through the program I met

many kind friends and learned a lot about music and myself. After Douglas College I

transferred to Kwantlen University to finish my degree. My initial goal was to become a

high school music teacher although I ended up going in the direction of private music

teaching.

I enjoy working with students of all ages. I enjoy showing them they can all play

music too. Even if they think they can’t. I believe everyone can play and enjoy music

too. Consider the last time you had a conversation with one of your loved ones. Often,

you didn’t know what you were going to talk about going into the conversation or how

you were going to say it. The conversation just begins to naturally flow. Even without

speaking you can convey a message to the other person. You are a natural improviser!

Whether you think so or not. Music is very much the same way.

I get a lot of my ideas off a musician named Victor Wooten, who is a bass player

like myself. He says ‘learning music is like learning a language. Babies aren’t taught to

speak, they naturally listen and ‘jam’ until they are able to communicate with others. It’s

a natural process. Music learning, according to Victor, should be the same process.

People should first learn to jam and play right from the beginning, like a baby.

Consider the last time you listened to your favorite song and how it made you

feel? Consider what the world would be like without sound or music? Everyday life is

musical whether we think so or not. Music is artistic and expressive. Powerful artists like

Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan for example have changed the world with their

music. Even without spoken words, once you hear the moonlight sonata by Beethoven

you can feel the dark melancholy feeling he felt hundreds of years ago. This is the

power of music. Consider your favorite movies. Now imagine these movies without any

music whatsoever. Sure they might be able to stun you with their visual images,

although without the music to go along with it, it wouldn’t deliver half of the emotional

impact.

I believe that everyone has a genre or type of music they enjoy. I think that if

people can keep an open mind and heart they can accept other people more by

listening to the type of music that that person enjoys. In my own experience, I have

some students who have a particular taste for heavy metal. For me, it’s not my go to

genre of choice, although when I help them learn a song in this genre, I see them light

up with excitement and in turn I also begin to further appreciate this genre of music, as

well as develop a closer bond with the student. Music has a way of bringing people

together in this way.

Consider live concerts, often when people gather for a large concert rarely are

there fights, riots or hatred. People are there to listen to their favorite artists and gather

together with a common goal. The artists transmit music to the audience creating a

sense of unity among the audience. People leave the concert feeling a deeper sense of

appreciation, joy, or whatever they experienced at the concert. But whatever it is, it's

usually an uplifting feeling.

Whether or not you play music or are just an avid lover of listening to music. I

believe you have the power to move the world in a good direction. Music is like nature

and must be preserved. So go see a live concert in the city and perhaps it can just be a

local artist or band, keep an open mind about different genres of all cultures, and if you

don’t think you like a certain genre of music perhaps give it a second listen with an open

mind and heart. Perhaps this time around you may gain a deeper appreciation and new

friendship as well. Thank you.