Interview:

Music is so important in our world. So much more important than many will give it credit. The power of music is vastly underestimated, it is neglected, it is tossed aside. Somehow music and the arts in our society have come to be seen as a luxury and not a necessity. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Music has the power to change one’s mind, to transform one’s heart and to penetrate one’s soul. And every day, it does. Even from a scientific perspective, we can consider that human beings are made up of roughly 60% water. Water is, itself, a natural conductor of vibration. And what is sound? It is the very real movement of sine waves in the atmosphere. What happens when you drop something into a body of water is, of course, that we get ripples, and the same applies to sound and it’s effect on the human body. Sound waves make a visible impact on a body of water, just as they physically affect the person who is listening to a piece of music. Here we see the beginnings of the impact of sound purely from a physical perspective, without even considering the emotional and spiritual sides of the issue, although they are interconnected. This line of thought shows us just how far we can take idea of music, and how powerful it is. Music is powerful, and we can use it to heal. Music can take us places where, through any other medium, we cannot go. It’s my belief that sometimes we need to visit these places if we’re to move forward in our lives.

Have you ever listened to a piece of music and suddenly felt “love”? That’s not a coincidence. How about another emotion, a sense of self empowerment? That’s not a coincidence either. Ultimately we choose what we want to surround ourselves with, and the music we listen to is no exception to that. Why do we listen to the music we do? The music we listen to says much about who we are as people. Are we choosing to utilize it for every purpose, to build us up and to make us better? We can, and we must acknowledge that if we’re to fully understand the capability of music in our lives. Imagine a world where there is no music at all. Nothing on the radio, nothing in the elevator, no music when you’re placed on hold. How does it feel to imagine that? One reason why it may feel somewhat disconcerting to you is because the music that you’re hearing when you’re placed on hold is generally designed to soothe you and keep you calm while you wait for the other line to pick up. And it does just that most of the time, doesn’t it? Once again, imagine a scene in a movie that you’ve seen that you thought strikingly emotional. Now, replay that scene in your mind, without the music in the background. Does the movie scene, by itself, have the same impact? I’d venture to guess your answer is “no.”

For me, life has been one that’s had it’s “ups” and “downs,” like most people. I’ve endured a great deal of stress, I’ve battled depression, I’ve dealt with tragedy. Through it all, music has been my guide and my teacher, lighting the path when I could not see the way. Through my own creations and the creations of many others, I’ve been able to heal and move forward, and encourage others to do the same. Music has been a “Holy Spirit” for me, divinely inspired and delivered to me in my times of need. It listens to me patiently, and I listen to it’s wisdom. When I create it, I express what it demands without question. And afterward it looks me square in the face to remind me of my own reflection; to show me what I really am. Like any good friend, it’s been with me through the good times too! It loves and encourages me, and I would not be who I am without it. I’ll be forever grateful that my higher power has blessed me with this great understanding, and given me a gift that I can’t even begin to put into words. And with these gifts, I’ve also been given a responsibility: To share not only the music itself with the people of the world that I live in, but to educate our society of it’s importance in this pivotal time.

“Music has been my guide and my teacher, lighting the path when I could not see the way.”
– Donovan Johnson, Composer & Pianist