Is Music Everywhere?

Image credit: Adrien Sifre

I was leaving the parking garage of one of the Kaiser buildings today, and I forgot to roll up my passenger side window. As a result, the gate arm's creak was noticeable for the first time. My immediate thought was, "who's got their radio turned on so loud?" because I associated the sound with music. I smiled as I passed through the gate and on to the next one, ready for its unique "song".

And then I wondered, did the gate arms always sing for me?
Have I been too distracted by my own silly dramas to notice the songs around me?

I thought back for a few days.

The neighbor's Pomeranian dog yapping as I practiced my sun salutes in my back yard; could that be heard as music, if I wasn't so annoyed with wanting my breath to be the only sound?

The Mockingbird who wakes up at 3:30 am and decides we all need to hear his beautiful song - no matter if we are sleeping or not.

The garbage disposal grinding something out during my meditation... might that be a form of music, too?

All of these situations have something in common: I had a goal I was trying to reach (yoga, sleep, meditation) and I viewed these sounds as obstacles for reaching the goal.

As I pulled out of the garage I thought to myself

I had totally missed the point, because the yapping, chirping and grinding were the music, and my goal to listen with more of my heart than my ears.

Photo credit: Jesus Solana

What if this was my first or last moment on earth, wouldn't I hear these sounds as music?

Since then, I've been hearing music all the time. My own body creaking, the neighbor's electric saw, the roar of an airplane... the music all around me. Not all of it is pleasant, just as I don't enjoy all forms of music, but now I'm listening.

Even to the leaf blowers!