Music has the ability to unite us.
The show, The Voice, returned to television on Monday night and I’ll have to admit that my family was captivated. We are a musical bunch. My son plays the drums and my daughter plays guitar. We have some type of music playing in our home most of the time. It’s just how we are wired.
The show opened with the four judges singing each other’s songs, so an international star was singing country and a rock and roller was singing rhythm and blues. It was really cool to watch. Music has a unique ability to unite people and as I watched the show, I was thinking that it is a good representation of America.
People of all different shapes and sizes,colors and backgrounds try out for the show. All different types of music are represented. The coaches with their backs turned to the contestants, choose their teams only with their ears. They don’t see the contestants. They only hear them. They are chosen solely for their ability to sing. Their age doesn’t matter. How they look doesn’t matter.
The audience is given some background information, but the judges aren’t. Each judge ends up making a team and then they compete to see who will be the last man or woman, standing. But, I find myself really cheering for these people. They are chasing a dream and making it come true and it’s a lot of fun to watch.
The judges pick on each other and there’s a lot of laughing. But, when it comes to the contestants, they are always so encouraging. Even when someone really messes up, they are so kind and empathetic. They have each been in the contestant’s shoes at some point.
Empathy is something we seem to have lost as a society. We rarely ask ourselves what it must be like to walk in the other guy’s shoes. We are so self-focused about our own feelings and our own needs that we don’t take the time to stop and think about what someone else may be going through. Maybe that person snapped at me because she’s not feeling well or maybe that child is acting out because he’s having a tough time at home.
When we become adults, we sometimes magically forget about what it was like to be a kid or a teenager which is probably what causes so much of the friction between adults and kids. But, if we try to remember back when, what today’s kids are going through isn’t so much different that what we went through ourselves.
And as far as the music goes, every generation takes up a new jam and the parents and grandparents have always had the obligation to hate it. We may have reached a time where that’s no longer the case. Thanks to iTunes and shows like The Voice, we can appreciate all types of music and it can unite us. Meanwhile, we can get a dose of encouragement and empathy, which is always a good thing.
If you’re looking for a family show and you like music, check it out. It’s one of the few things on network television that my whole family can watch and enjoy and I’m thankful. What do you think? I’d love to hear from you.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂