A Magic Beyond All We Do Here
This is the power of music
Last night I watched an 80-year-old woman transform into the 30-year-old version of herself.
The magic elixir that made it all happen was music. Music from the past obviously meant something to the woman. But then, the music meant something to me, too.
My mother-in-law, Nancy, was in town and suggested we attend a Friday night concert. That’s one of the benefits of living in Las Vegas. There’s always a show to go see.
We bought tickets for a Carpenters tribute band, performing in a small venue. My wife had plans with a girlfriend that night and told us to have fun.
I grew up listening to the Carpenters and was always moved by Karen Carpenters’ angelic yet slightly melancholic voice. Now, whenever I hear a Carpenters song, it seems to transport me back to my youth.
A magic beyond all we do here
Seated inside the theater, I studied the crowd around me (a habit from my law enforcement days). The audience was mostly an older crowd of retired folks.
An elegantly dressed woman in the front row caught my eye. She was flanked on both sides by a considerably younger man and woman (no doubt her children).
The woman sat motionless, appearing somewhat stiff and reserved. Her white hair, humped back, and frail-looking hands revealed her advanced years.
“Ah, music,” he said, wiping his eyes. “A magic beyond all we do here!” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I returned my gaze to the stage just as the lights began to dim. The performers emerged, dressed in outfits from a different era. Before long we were all transported to those lovely songs of yesteryear.
The performer channeling Karen Carpenter broke into the popular song “Close to You” and I looked over at the woman in the front row. She was swaying from side to side, hands waving energetically to the chorus, singing along. She had become her 30-year-old self.
That’s the power of music.
