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Plato once said, “I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy, but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”
The philosopher also stated, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”
Those are quite the revelations for a non-musician, but unsurprising coming from someone who loved music as much as science and language. Plato’s adoration exemplifies the way that the majority of people feel toward for music, whether they play an instrument or not. To validate the world’s love, The Frederick Symphony Orchestra takes a look at some of the best quotes about how music affects humanity:
- “Music is what tells us that the human race is greater than we realize.”
-Napoleon Bonaparte, French military and political leader - “We live in a post-authentic world, and today, authenticity is a house of mirrors. It’s all just what you’re bringing when the lights go down. It’s your teachers, your influencers, and your personal history. At the end of the day, it’s the power and purpose of your music that still matters.”
-Bruce Springsteen, singer and songwriter - “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet and educator - “When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.”
-Henry David Thoreau, essayist and historian - “This is what I want in Heaven: For words to become notes and conversations to be symphonies.”
-Tina Turner, recording artist and dancer - “If you try to suppress the arts, then you’re suppressing the deepest dreams and aspirations of a people.”
-Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States - “With music, you often don’t have to translate it. It just affects you, and you don’t know why.”
-David Byrne, Scottish lead singer and guitarist for Talking Heads - “You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe, a harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.”
–Robin Williams, stand-up comedian and actor - “Music has healing power.”
-Elton John, English singer and songwriter - “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
-Victor Hugo, French poet and novelist - “The key to longevity is to learn every aspect of music that you can.”
-Prince, singer and songwriter - “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher and poet - “People say that music isn’t worth anything anymore, but imagine how different the world would be if suddenly all the music went silent.”
-Rivers Cuomo, lead vocalist for Weezer - “I would much rather have written the best song of a nation than its noblest epic.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, writer of The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart - “I love music. For me, music is morning coffee. It’s mood medicine. It’s pure magic. A good song is like a good meal – I just want to inhale it and then share a bite with someone else.”
-Hoda Kotb, news anchor of NBC’s Today Show - “Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.”
-Ludwig van Beethoven, German pianist and composer - “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.”
-Martin Luther, German professor of theology and composer
So, the next time someone questions the power of music, recite one of these quotes (or a powerful lyric) because it touches everyone, from professors and philosophers to journalists and epic writers.
If you’d like to see the power of classical music firsthand, get tickets to the Frederick Symphony Orchestra’s next concert on May 6, 2017 by clicking on the button below: