The Power of Music

Music is a universal medium of connecting and uniting people. It can unite connoisseurs of classical music for hours on end. It can unite sports fans, instilling a sense of excitement and anticipation of the next game. Music is performed to celebrate a victory in the war, or it can be used to mourn the deaths of the valiant soldiers who fought with their heart and soul.

Music unites Victor and his father, strengthening an often tense relationship. Alexie states that “music had powerful medicine” (29), as it helped Victor develop a closer bond with his father. Music encourages Victor and his father to have genuine conversations about their identity as Indians and assimilating into society. Through music, Victor also obtains insights into his parents’ past and the times they had a happier relationship.

Listening to music can also be a highly personalized, individual experience. Music is an extension of the mind; it can express various emotions and thoughts beyond physical gestures or even language. I often watch movies or listen to music in languages that I do not understand. I only watch movies in a foreign language if there are subtitles; I understand little from simply hearing the characters speak. However, I need no translation for music in foreign languages; I am able to understand the gist of the song through its climactic buildup and soft harmonies.

For Victor’s father, listening to music is very impactful on a personal level. The Jimi Hendrix concert was the pinnacle of his life, as he had just been released from prison, one of the most depressing times in his life. Instantly, Victor’s father becomes enamored by a musician who also does not fit in with society. Many years later, Victor’s father seems to constantly find himself in the past; he only listens to Jimi Hendrix and he recounts memories of his life when his relationship with Victor’s mother was better. Victor’s father’s blind fixation on the past and his previous memories make him neglect his present responsibilities, such as caring for Victor. Victor’s father is inspired by Jimi Hendrix’s music to such an extent that he is completely blind to the fact that Hendrix lived a very unhealthy lifestyle. Music seems to almost drive Victor’s father to a point of insanity.

However, most of us have tremendously enjoyable and positive experiences listening to music. We may even enjoy singing in the shower, when no one’s watching. But why do we feel ashamed to hum even a soft tune in public? We want our music to be in tune, completely on pitch, without any mistakes. We do not realize that music, like life, cannot be perfect; it is just an experiment, an opportunity for us to improvise and express ourselves.