Everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the power of screens. We lose track of time in front of the stimulating blue light of TVs, tablets, and cell phones. This loss of time pulls us away from beauty of life around us that is more meaningful though less stimulating.
Where else are we blinded by bright lights as a substitute for longer lasting beauty? How do we prevent this?
Teaching Beauty in Music
At only 8 months old now, our daughter loves music – and not just the cheesy kids music. She has good taste! In her bouncer she will kick her legs on time with whatever Katie has playing on Spotify while we cook a meal. Then if she gets tired of sitting she will sit happily in our arms while we dance her around. We sing her songs throughout the day.
I think this is good for her to enjoy music, but I also hope to foster the creation of music in her.
I believe that music is another way of communicating what cannot be put into words. Similar to language there is a vocabulary of notes, scales, chords, and phrases. Like speech, there is volume, timing, and emphasis. To learn this language at a young age will allow her to express, process, and create beyond her set of words.
Check out someone like Alma Deutscher as an example. Without the freedom to create, she would not have found her gift at such a young age!
Since our daughter has been old enough to hit things, I have held her in my lap and let her wack the piano in our dining room. She does not produce incredible concertos (yet), but she likes when she makes a sound and seems to be understanding a little bit. If she hits keys quickly vs. holding them, hard or soft, and even that low notes are left and high notes to the right.
This is amazing for me as a father!
The Bright Lights
However, this morning when we sat down at the piano, something else caught our little one’s eye. The little 2 inch x 1.5 inch screen in the center above the keys.
She started scratching at and swiping at that little screen like mommy and daddy do with their phones. We are careful not to let her stare at screens really at such a young age, but even her limited exposure has taught her that bright lights are interesting.
Even the little buttons that change the keyboard from piano to organ or strings are subtly back-lit and today they seemed more interesting and drew the attention of her little hands away from the black and white, beautiful simplicity of the keys.
I was surprised that she considered those buttons to be interesting because in growing up, that curiosity is taught out of us. We are all taught to look at the obvious part of a piano for what it is, but her young brain doesn’t see piano yet. She saw another object to explore, this one with some bright lights on it!
Where Else are the Lights?
It is good that she is exploring beyond the obvious, but it got me wondering. Where else do the bright lights pull me away from the simple beauty of life?
Even the not-so-bright lights can catch our eye. We just might not notice it. Could there be other places where this occurs?