StemCell Therapy

In this moment of social distancing and turmoil, many of us are yearning for the collective inspiration and joy that is unique to the concert experience. In a special Power of Live section that appears in our new issue, a number of singular voices chime in with their thoughts on the importance of in-person gatherings.

Were multidimensional rhythm machines embedded in the universe of rhythmits as simple as that, observes Mickey Hart. The species needs music, it needs sound, it needs rhythm. Were coded for it. We dont have much choice since were made up of rhythms ourselves. His remarks reflect a lifetime of experiencesfrom his years with the Grateful Dead to his current role in Dead & Company and his pioneering world-music pursuits. Hart has also explored the topic in his books Drumming at the Edge of Magic, Planet Drum and Spirit Into Sound, as well as through his scientific research into the impact of rhythm on diseased and damaged brains.

During this moment of quarantine, some people have described a physical longing for live music. Whats your response to that?

Many people dont appreciate the power of music. When its ripped away, all of a sudden, you start to think, Wow, whats missing in my life? Thats the thing about music: It allows people to engage in life.

Remember, were a vibratory animal. The big bang was the inspiration for the whole universe 13.8 billion years ago and its the glue. So, youre made up of star stuff as they say, and that sets your brain. Your brain is the master clock; thats what music is. So its the cognitive part of you that you are missing. It defines our species. Its not a pleasure; its a necessity.

Music is just controlled vibrationsand the universe started through vibrations. Thats a lot to take away from people. Its one of the greatest ingredients in this thing we call life. Without music, the human race would be in a lot worse of a place. I see life in rhythmic terms because Im a rhythmist primarily. Life is filled with rhythms: good rhythms and bad rhythms. A bad rhythm is stepping in front of a car; a good rhythm is having a happy life or a healthy life. When youre out of rhythm, youre not as healthy and things arent as efficient.

Theres also that community aspect, which youve experienced over the years.

Were groupists. Humans like to group; were more powerful in groups. So take away music, and youre not just taking away the sound, youre taking away everything that goes around the music too. We dance with life, and thats partly why we go to concerts. Music allows us to dance, which is really important these days.

The other thing about music is that it brings you into the now, into the moment not the past, not the future, but the now. Thats also something that youll really miss when its yanked away. When youre in the sphere of music, those cares go away, at least for the time that the music is playing.

Playing live is important. For me, its more than importantits necessary. Playing in the studio is one thing, but when you play with an audience, not to an audience, thats a whole different ball of wax. Playing live in front of people is just so energizing for both the audience and for the band. It serves a great purpose in civilization.

Can you talk about the impact of music on the mind?

The brain is a rhythm machine. There are billions of electrical signals going on in the brain at any given nanosecond. Its the most extraordinary instrument and tool that we know on the planet. Life is really all about cognition, about how things are recognized and how we react to them. Thats what music is all about: neurologic function. You see these gamma waves and beta waves associated with certain states of mind. Consciousness comes out of gamma waves and music is full of gamma waves. Whats being studied now is neurologic functionmusic in the mind, music in the brain, how you can use it for preventative medicine. Thats being examined by people like Adam Gazzaley, a neuroscientist at UCSF, and Nina Kraus at Northwestern.

I sit here making drones every day. I wake up every day and my meditation is musical, so I drone. I meditate and drone and try to create these positive wave forms. We even have a little group on Zoom and we find time each week to work on drones. These drones are deep and low so they affect these brain waves. On the low-end, below 40 or 50 hertz, is where you find the gamma, which is very valuable. Everybody is looking at what the beta and gamma do how to reach them and how to perform with them. Its like a dance.

Music feeds the brain; youve gotta mind your head and, if you dont, youll fall into disrepair. A happy brain is a good brain and thats a really important thing to remember.

You mentioned that playing live is important to you. What are you doing in lieu of a Dead & Company tour?

I play every day for at least three hours, even on Sundays, to stay in the game. You lose your skills after you dont practice for a long time, no matter who you are. So Im hoping that were all keeping our skills up until the day we can actually go out and play. Can you imagine what its like practicing for 70 years and then being told that you cant go out and play?

Can you imagine all the work that musicians put into their art and then, all of a sudden, thats ripped away? Theres an enormous vacancy there.

Being a musician is really a hard life and most are struggling. Right now, its hitting our community tremendously. There are a few of us who are luckyweve been practicing the art for years and years. For the youngsters who are coming up, its really difficult. But you have to stay at it all the time. You cant just sit back and drink a beer and watch TV or whatever. Youve got to be at it constantly or else itll slip away.

I see life in terms of rhythm and its not just about music. But you can look at life as a musical instrument as wellhow you play it is how you look at life. Music is a really important part of this developing species. Its part of our DNA. Musicians are coded to make music; they make it because thats really who they are.

Now, we are developing a whole new way to transmit this energy. The music thats going to come out of this is going to be revealing. I cant wait to hear what artists are doing now. Theyre writing, theyre composing, theyre practicing. I think that this will bring more light than darkness when its overand it will be over. Then we can get back to making the world a better place because thats what music certainly does. It doesnt make it worse; it makes it a lot better. Were going to make it the best we can because thats what musicians do.

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Mickey Hart on the Power of Live - Relix

This entry was posted on July 7, 2020 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Preventative Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |