[please forgive the length of this post] I want to start a discussion that I know will open up a can of worms and probably get a few people upset. I will do my best to keep this on topic. I would like to know what people feel the power of music is on our lives. I only bring this up because of the obvious importance of SDRE in many of our lives. So far I've observed several different comments about SDRE saying that: "they've changed my life", "their concert is the closest thing to heaven on earth", "they've kept me from killing myself" etc. etc. and other things of a similar nature. These are not exact quotes, but the general idea is the same. When I saw them live, I felt very similar to the middle quote. I do not want to, in any way, trivialize peoples' experience by cheapening it with words that come too easily, because I feel their music is very powerful and has helped me too. I'm just wondering what is it about their music that would cause such a response that is not caused by hardly any other bands. I don't really need an answer to that because I think every bodies response will be very personal. I believe allot of it has to do with heartfelt identification with the pain and poetry that is put in SDRE's songs. But, my question really is that: is music an end of itself, or is it a tool to share a message and spur people on to "love and good works"? I'm not sure if that question is phrased right, but I hope that I'm getting the general idea across. What is it about music that has pushed some people over the edge? Can the "right" song, with all the right words and melodies, bring salvation or healing to the soul? I'm not going to assume how or why other people listen to music, so I will tell you what I do for the sake of discussion. Often when I find some new music that I really identify with and speaks to me (such as HIFTBSO the first time I heard it) I want to listen to it over and over. Not so much that I get sick of it, but I want to re-experience what I first felt. Music is almost like a drug for me. I use it to escape reality and when the hit wears off I want another. When that drug loses it's potency, due to over use, I go to another (possibly more powerful) drug. Please excuse the analogy, but that is the best comparison I can find. I've begun to recognize this power that music has over me the past few months and have tried to regulate it, because I'm not sure that it is entirely healthy. I wonder how many other people have felt the similar. Okay, now your probably wondering, what is my point? I'm not entirely sure and I'm a poor communicator with words sometimes. I'm just trying to find meaning behind this thing called music and the power it has over people, especially with SDRE's music which most of us feel is very powerful in our lives.... I'm just looking for what your thought are on this subject. So please feel free to share, debate and discuss... thank you for your time. shaun _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
