Appreciation for and creation of music (beyond the few programmed notes of songbirds) appears to be a unique human quality. Nobody knows why or how it has come into being. My theory is that it has to do with the fact that we are not really substance—as quantum physics has proven—but rather, at the fundamental level, waves and vibrations. The unseen reality is one all-encompassing harmonic symphony. (I develop this more fully in Solving the Big Questions.) Our bodies naturally seek balance, a form of harmony. Music can help us achieve that.
 
Music has a powerful and very real effect beyond just giving pleasure or causing a toe to tap. Universities now offer classes on music as therapy. Researchers also report breakthroughs on difficult mental conditions through the use of music.1-3 Music can delight, impassion, lift the spirit, calm, depress, anger, or irritate. National anthems can inspire people to love and war. Different flavors impact each individual differently.
 
Although culture and family can influence our music preferences, by and large our likes and dislikes appear to be individualistic. Appreciation for a variety of music styles can be developed but first choices seem to remain. Within my own family, raised under the same roof, there is wide diversity. When I take my five-string banjo out, some come and listen, others run and hide. When the hiders play their rap or hip-hop, to me they might as well run their fingernails across a chalkboard. I must have bluegrass genes while they have hip-hop genes.
 
But that's okay. Enjoy but be aware, as mentioned previously, that music can also send one into a depressing melancholy. If a song does this, change the tune. Find something that lifts the spirit, is happifying, energizes, and puts one into the moment rather than reeling into a history about which nothing can be done.

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​Actively playing an instrument is very effective at relieving stress. Find an enjoyable instrument and begin to learn. Spend some time at it as often as you can, particularly when feeling down or overwhelmed with life. Take lessons or use self-teaching aids. Don't worry about being perfect or accomplished right away. The process of learning and achieving even little gains is an end itself.
 
The mental, creative, and emotional engagement of playing an instrument, or just enjoying music others make, can give a lifetime of fulfilling pleasure. It can also provide a place to go when we need a haven where we can rest, heal, feel better, and lift the spirit.