I watched “Hamilton” again Friday night. That’s about the fifth time I’ve seen it which I know is not too impressive. There are plenty of people that have watched it a lot more than that.
To me the music is incredible! Not just good, not just beautiful but, yes, I would say incredible.
If you haven’t seen the show because you think, “Oh that’s the rap musical and I don’t like rap,” I would encourage you to check it out because it features all different types of music. Soft ballads, some songs with a Beatles influence, some soul, and yes there is rap. I find myself amazed at how fast some of these artists can rap. It gives me a new appreciation for the genre.
The story ain’t bad either. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s created a way for young people to learn about the Founding Fathers.
I’m currently reading the book that inspired the musical. It’s “Alexander Hamilton” written by Ron Chernow. It’s hard to imagine that Lin Manuel Miranda, who created the musical, got the idea from reading this 818 page book while on his honeymoon. I find myself understanding some chapters better because I’ve seen the musical.
For the past few weeks I’ve been wondering why certain songs seem to really grab us and, in some ways, overwhelm us. I’ve noticed this at different times in my life. Certain songs from “Godspell” did it for me in the 70s. The late 80s and 90s brought “Phantom of the Opera” and some of those songs gave me goosebumps.
This made me wonder “why?” Why do some songs give us the chills?”
I found a blog on mentalfloss.com by Lucas Reilly. He wrote that when you hear certain songs, “Your heart rate increases. Your pupils dilate. Your body temperature rises. Your brain flushes with dopamine and a tingly chill whisks down your back.” Wow!
This mention of dopamine comes up in other posts. It appears that music can affect the brain the same way as sex, gambling or chocolate.
Another blog by Mitchell Colver, Ph.D from Utah State, says that this “goosebumps” feeling actually has a name. “The experience is called Frisson, a French term meaning ‘aesthetic chills,’and it feels like waves of pleasure running all over your skin. Listening to emotionally moving music is the most common trigger of frisson, but some feel it while looking at beautiful artwork, watching a particularly moving scene in a movie or having physical contact with another person.” He says that nearly two-thirds of the population feels frisson.
Colver writes, “Musical passages that include unexpected harmonies, sudden changes in volume or the moving entrance of a soloist are particularly common triggers for frisson because they violate listeners’ expectations in a positive way.”
Lucas Reilly says, “You can feel chills from any genre, whether it’s Mozart, Madonna, tango, or techno. It’s the structure—not the style—that counts.”
A study carried out by PhD student Matthew Sachs at the University of Southern California, finds that people who get chills from music might have structural differences in their brain. Those people who are open to new experiences, “as well as people who have more musical training, are more likely to report strong emotional responses.”
Hopefully that makes it a little clearer as to why it happens. I’m just glad that it does.
What about you? Have you ever experienced “goosebumps” or “frisson.” Are there songs that give you the chills? I actually have a long list that ranges from Elton John to Chicago to musicals like “Wicked” and “Rent” to simply “Be Thou My Vision” in church.
Thank God for beautiful music.
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