I think everyone should spend a few minutes at the end of every day looking up at the night sky.
The more we learn about the Universe the more mysterious and compelling it is. Wise philosophers have for millennia tried to wrap their minds around the scale and meaning of this enormous and powerful reality that surrounds us and stretches beyond our ability to see, forcing us to use our imaginations to try and understand its purpose and our place in it. Art is a part of that effort. Art is how we attempt to express and connect with the unknowable and overwhelming reality we inhabit, even as we recognize that at this point in time there are no answers, only questions.
One thing we have observed is that all things are in motion, from the smallest atomic particle to stars and galaxies. It has been suggested that the fundamental frequency of the Universe is 432Hz, and that our bodies resonate in harmony with it. Take a listen:
Maybe so, and maybe all music, from Bach to Beatles, comes from some connection to this basic tone. We do know that we respond to sound and rhythm; we can't help it.
For instance, the song "Earthbound" from "Astronomy" pulses with steady rhythm that hopefully evokes the sensation of moving across a peaceful landscape. The melodies repeat in a hypnotic cycle that accentuates this graceful movement. The improvisations include a section that with soaring fluid lines using a distorted guitar tone. This sound is created by overdriving the volume of an amplifier so that the frequencies and harmonics all blend together and is unique to modern music, only possible after the invention of electronics. It's remarkable that this invention has contributed much to expanding our knowledge of the Universe.
There's a moment in a child's life when they ask; "Where do the stars go in the daytime?" If you are fortunate to answer them by saying, "They don't go away, we just can't see them because the sun is so bright. They are there all the time", you will see that realization dawn on their face, and perhaps the beginning of an appreciation for the wonder that is all around us.
the universe is so very vast, and we still know so very little about any of it, let alone what makes each of us tick. As the arts can elicit a pleasurable response, one can only be thankful and yet wonder why - why does a certain rhythm or notes against a chord connect with us in a very physical and emotional way? (and each of us reacts differently - what may appeal to one will not raise the meter of another - such is life. But the arts remain to remind us that we, as humans, are indeed all connected; which is especially comforting as yet another war rages. Sadly, one would think that we as a species whould have grown past the agression by now - and yet we are constantly reminded of tribalism as we regress. Is there hope through it all? There has to be.... as most of us still continue to search for answers, about ourselves and our relationships with the cosmos. As Gene Roddenberry (the creator of Star Trek) once penned: “In a very real sense, we are all aliens on a strange planet. We spend most of our lives reaching out and trying to communicate. If during our whole lifetime, we could reach out and really communicate with just two people, we are indeed very fortunate.”
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