You Don't Get HARMONY When Everybody SINGS the Same Note

I found this great quote... don't know who said it...

"You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note."

Well we all know that I love to sing...

I love solo singing and I love singing with others...

Having studied music, I recognize that I am a little more comfortable 

with singing, hearing, and enjoying 

dissonance than that of the average music lover.

In fact, music that has painfully simple harmonic structure,

rarely enters my singing or listening repertoire. 

Differences and dissonances,

when offered in highly developed music,

appeal to my sense of intrigue!

Yet, too much dissonance is unbearable!

There is a saying that in all pop music, three things are present:

1) songs are pitched in a range where most people speak and where 

most voices (men and women) can sing along

and

2) melodies consist of approximately only a 5 note range...

this apparently appeals to the masses, because these songs

become #1 hits day after day after day

and

3) rhythms are straight and only slightly syncopated...

simpler and more acceptable to most listeners!

***So here, I must interject ~ I do LOVE top 40's hits***

But, for me... 

and I think it's because of my musical background...

I, also like music that is a little more complicated...

different than the norm...

even dissonant, ornate, and rhythmically idiosyncratic!

(DLW likes to call this 'Music for Music Majors' *** 

this is when he pulls out his Sudoku at concerts... yikes!)

But, I realize that a more curious/complex harmonic sound 

transforms my soul,

moves me deeply beyond words...

provides emotional cleansing...

aligns my physical, emotional and spiritual self.

It is here where I find my most peaceful moments 

and feel God's presence.

I believe that our individual selves come together

in our beautiful world to offer vast dissonance of opinions,

ornate personalities, and different beating rhythms!

Songs sung with only one note would be boring to say the least... 

the more harmony, the more unique the sound.

So in life, does it not fit that to be harmonious,

we must also be different?

We simply aren't all the same.

That makes life a wonderful and harmonious venture!

Lately, I've heard or viewed more people speaking up with their 

differences. And that is probably a good thing.

But, it seems that some people do not make harmony with their

differences... 

they instead voice their differences in displeasing ways.

And, unfortunately, 

some folks are not very nice about this ~ sometimes they personally attack others.

I am sure I, too, have committed this offense.

So back to music...when too many notes are clustered together in the 

same chord, we get extreme discord... not very pleasing

to the ear... chaotic and indigestible... 

most people would not purchase, sing or listen to this music...

The balance between 

a simple one note song vs. an extremely dissonant song

IS

pleasant harmony!

*** "Sure on this Shining Night"***

has a glorious balance of harmonic grace

*this recording is from my daughter's Jr. year in Baylor A Cappella*

hear the soothing harmonies...

For me... Harmony = Tolerance

Tolerance is not one voice... 

Tolerance is not extreme discord...

Tolerance is the beautiful balance between the two. 

It includes many voices that speak in tune.

It includes kindness. 

It allows us to hold to our beliefs, and still care for each other's hearts at the same time... 

being careful with the hearts of our neighbors... 

those who think differently than us...

Thanks for listening to my ramblings...   La-Ti-Do!!   Have a musical day with harmonic overtones in surround sound! Jeanne