Listening to harmony

The Ottauquechee River on a calm late afternoon in Woodstock, Vermont, as seen from the Ottauquechee River Trail. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Writing has the power to transport you to another place. Indeed, the best books we’ve read have done exactly that. 

Of course, the same is true about music and its innate ability to embrace us in harmony, humility and love. I felt that great calm while listening to “Rain Falling From Roof”, a song performed by famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his good friend, musician Wu Tong. The video was released in August as part of Yo-Yo Ma’s #SongsOfComfort project, which he launched at the beginning of the pandemic. 

This tune provides comfort in abundance, and beautifully illustrates the sound its title refers to, and the serene stillness those little raindrops inspire. This song, like so many others, shows that music is a warm blanket for the soul. The most inspiring masterpieces never leave you where they found you. They bring peace and imbue moments with a joyful stillness that’s familiar to each of us. It’s fertile soil for inspiration, and impacts our lives for the better. 

Though that stillness can be overshadowed by the busy-ness of life, it’s so worth resisting that pattern. I strive to remember what we’ve learned in recent months, about how the quiet moment is to be welcomed, and most of all cherished. The embrace of the song I’ve mentioned here, was a beautiful series of notes, some of them so simple in their brilliance. But as a whole, they wove a tapestry of sound that couldn’t be ignored. Their presence draws you in, offering the gift of harmony. 

It’s my hope that in the coming months and years, people can increasingly find more such harmony among each other. If we allow for moments and opportunities of discovery, and embrace them, we’ll be welcoming such progress into our lives. And, far above the noise of dissonance or discord, harmony will ring out louder, and allow us to witness our collective goodness more readily.

As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Music helps us recognize our shared humanity, and doing that will allow us to make meaningful collective progress as a society. If we strive for that outcome, and cultivate more awareness of the good we share, the results will bless every one of us.

— Gareth Henderson