COLUMN: Grey Matters – The power of music

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” —Plato

Music is powerful.

There are truths that can be explained through sermons, books, and conversations. Yet sometimes a song can communicate those same truths more deeply and more gently than dry prose ever could. Poetry and music have a unique way of entering the human psyche, slipping past our defenses, and touching places deep within the heart. In that sacred space, God’s presence, perspective, peace, and power can begin their work.

I have always loved the old hymns. Over the years, serving in a hospital and personal care home has only strengthened my appreciation for the way music ministers to people.

One person, lived with significant dementia and was often agitated. Many things were forgotten from one day to the next. Yet whenever he saw me in the hallway, he smiled and called me “the singing man.” Somehow the songs I sung to him reached a place that memory loss could not erase. Scientists are still studying and fascinated by the how and why the human brain is so resilient when it comes to holding on to music.

Another person was sitting upright for the first time after a serious fall, when I entered her room. Her eyes were focused and intent. She spoke very little. When I asked if she would like prayer, she declined. When I asked if she would like a hymn, however, her response was an enthusiastic nod. I sang one of my favorites, All the Way My Saviour Leads Me. Throughout the hymn she remained completely engaged and hummed along. I often tell my clients that if I were to lead them, we could get lost halfway (why are there so many side trails in the Sandilands!), but with Jesus they have someone who has travelled back and forth between heaven and earth. When he leads, it is all the way.

It was a Friday on the surgical ward. A patient was hemorrhaging and needing a blood transfusion soon. I sang over her the song Be Still and Know That I am God. Although she had never heard it before, it was evident that the song was reaching her inner being. The following Monday, she called my office. She was overflowing with gratitude and praise. Later on, that Friday, her doctor had examined her and was surprised to discover that she had stabilized. Not only did she no longer require a transfusion, but she was also well enough to go home. That phone call came from her home. She believed God had performed a miracle and that the song had marked the turning point.

God uses other songs as well.

On one occasion I was visiting two different clients sharing the same room. As we talked, I felt impressed to share the song One Day at a Time. After learning the background behind the song and why it had been written, I played a recording through a speaker and told them the amazing story behind it. Both patients were visibly moved. One said she felt as though her grandmother, who had passed away years earlier, was somehow present. She suddenly recalled that her grandmother often sang that song to her when she was little. I later found a beautiful printout of the first verse and chorus, including its image of “climbing the stairway,” and placed it on their empty hospital wall. Both patients wanted it displayed prominently. One planned to frame it when she went home.

These experiences remind us that music often accomplishes what ordinary conversation cannot.