[divider]Music, Meditation, & Creative Expression[/divider]
“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” -Khalil Gibranf
Many of us are aware of the powerful impact of meditation. While it takes a great deal of practice to fully clear our minds and stifle the noise inside our heads, meditation is the ultimate pathway to clear focus, less stress and anxiety, more creativity and compassion, and a better memory. There are many different types of meditation, but everyone can greatly benefit from even the simplest meditation practice.
The addition of music, whether it’s atmospheric, experimental electronic, or just sounds of serene ocean waves from the pier, any tranquil style of music helps ease our minds and slows down the beta waves in our brains that process all of the “loud” information. Even just 2 minutes of meditation a day is beneficial! We’ve got some time for that.
Another wondrous benefit of meditation? It is directly linked to enhancing our creative expression, even for musicians. Meditation helps boost engagement and aesthetic response to music, according to a research study conducted at the University of Oregon. The study found that students who actively engaged in a 15-minute mindfulness meditation period before listening to a 10-minute opera piece reported significant increases in the participants’ aesthetic and flow experience.
If meditation can enhance our engagement to music, then meditation before a stress-relief listening session, before studying, and even before hitting the studio can also prove beneficial (musicians, DJs and producers, this message is for you!). Take it from Def Jam co-founder and music producer Rick Rubin, who first began meditating as a teenager. Rubin has worked with many different artists to harness their creative abilities, including Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kanye West.
Rubin was attending New York University when he and Russell Simmons founded Def Jam in 1984, operating the company out of Rubin’s dorm room.
“When we made Californication, we meditated before each session… Tom Petty, when we made Wildflowers, we often meditated before we started each session…There’s a great deal of bullshit that people think about when they make music, things that don’t matter. [Transcendental Meditation] kind of wipes that away, and you focus on the real job at hand, as opposed to thinking about what the management wants, or what the record company’s saying, or what somebody at a radio station might think.” – Rick Rubin (via Rolling Stone)
Simply put, meditation calms the mind, and puts it in a much friendlier space for music-making, creativity, and relaxation. If Rick Rubin can do it, you can too (looking at you, aspiring local DJs!).
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