M is for music, magic, money, and madness

Water is life because we can't survive without it. We are made up of water. In addition, it is a precious resource for us. We can see areas, such as California, that are struggling because of drought. Severe water restrictions are in place there, and that makes people even more aware of the life-giving properties of water.

If water is life, music is the magic that makes life enjoyable. I know that I sing when I'm happy and I sing when I'm sad. I sing in the shower and when I'm washing dishes. I sing in choral groups, where we produce harmony. I also enjoy playing the piano and creating music in that way.

Music is the universal language. When I participated recently in the Walk for a Nuclear Free Future, I was living, eating, and walking with some people who spoke English and some who didn't. Somewhere between ten and fifteen people came from Japan to walk for a nuclear free future. We did not speak the same language but we all understood and shared the language of music. We walked to the beat of a drum and the sound of chanting. The rhythm helped us focus, even when we were feeling the strain of climbing hills.

Music making does not have to cost money. You can make your own instruments with materials readily on hand. In fact, you can find some of these materials in other people's recycle bins. You can use old coffee cans to make drums. You can fill small tins, such as tins that held mints, with rice or buttons or beans. Close the tins and decorate them to create a shaker instrument. You can make a string instrument with a cigar box and a few rubber bands. You can use a bunch of glasses and fill them with a varying amount of water. Use a utensil to tap on the glass. You'll have different tones, and you can play a song. For more directions on making instruments, check out:

homemade instruments that are fun for kids and adults to make.

Spectator music, apparently, is more expensive than participation music. I love to go to a concert as much as anyone else because, well, I like to be entertained. On the other hand, would I want to spend $4,040 to go to a Rolling Stones concert at Ralph Wilson stadium? Sure, I'd have field seating and I'd be in the front row, right in the middle of the action. But more than $4,000? Wow. Sticker shock. Even if you buy tickets for the "cheap seats," where you will need binoculars to see much of anything, you're going to pay $115, which I admit is a lot cheaper than $4,040.

Because I am not really a fan of rock and roll music, I probably would not spend large quantities of money on a rock concert in a football stadium, even with a long standing group, such as the Rolling Stones. If I did have $4,040 on something, I would probably like to travel to Bhutan to hear the music played there. Or I could go to Tahiti to hear that music... I could go for music in combination with adventure...

If you're a big fan of the Rolling Stones, seeing them in concert is an exciting adventure for you. You'll be willing to spend the money on tickets for the big Rolling Stones concert. The concert is expected to sell out. You won't think that the prices are madness. You'll find the music to be magical because you love it, no matter the price.

Then again, making a few homemade instruments sounds like free musical fun...