A story about how the power of music changed a young man’s life forever.
When I was 15 years old my oldest brother Ben invited me to go to a concert with him. At the time I was more interested in playing catch or shooting hoops in my backyard. But he said he kinda needed me to go as a favor and so he’d buy my ticket. Little did I know about the power of music back then.
You see, he just graduated high school and received 2 concert tickets to see Toad the Wet Sprocket open for The Cranberries (his favorite) at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. He invited a girl who he liked (Marnie) and needed a chaperone just in case things got hot and heavy. (We grew up in a pretty strict household so we’re not going down that path today.)
Because I’m such a nice guy I reluctantly agreed that I’d accompany him on his concert date. And there I stood on the lawn chaperoning, you know, babysitting.
August 14, 1995
What I saw that fateful August evening was a group of complete strangers on stage getting ready to play some music. And then it happened… something magical happened.
These complete strangers from a stage way off in the distance gave me goose bumps dancing up and down my neck and shoulders. I felt an unexpected rush of energy like I’ve never experienced before. I shared a magical connection with them on a frequency I never knew existed. It was almost like a spiritual wave of energy overtook me, the kind that digs to the core of the soul.
From that moment on I knew I wanted to create and share that kind of connection with as many members of my human family as possible. The power; the connection; the goose bumps dancing on my skin… it was surreal. And that right there was the moment I realized the intense, magical power of music.
Music’s power to connect
It wasn’t just me. Thousands of other people felt it too and (as cheesy as it may sound) rejoiced in that energy. I instantly became infatuated with that power and so made it my mission to harness and share that positive energy with my human family.
The power of music is real. It changes people. Music can send a cobra into a tizzy. It can calm a riot. And it can lead a troubled youth to a place of tranquility.
ASMR
What I just described is known today as ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response). Google defines it as:
“a feeling of well-being combined with a tingling sensation in the scalp and down the back of the neck, as experienced by some people in response to a specific gentle stimulus, often a particular sound.”
In the very near future I will dedicate a blog demonstrating the many benefits of ASMR. But let me end this post with a question to think about in the meantime.
Take, for example, school shootings or any other act of heinous violence.
Is there a force powerful enough to incite “a feeling of well-being” that could be harnessed and bestowed upon people before “thoughtless” acts of heinous violence are committed? Do you think music can soothe the troubled, influence their behavior and help them let go of their anger before the next school makes the headlines?
I for one think it can.
About the Author:
Eric O’Connell is the founder and CEO of OC Music CO, a major production music licensing platform for content creators. With his twin brother Steve, he founded OC Music CO understanding music’s unmatched power to unite the divided, influence the unreachable, and create massive powerful change. Today they are recognized internationally as a vital agent in the music industry with their team of 29 hand-selected world-class production music composers.
Check out the World-class production music at OC Music CO: https://ocmusicco.com/
And Follow OC Music CO on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oc-music-co/
World-class production music | Power of music | Philanthropist