Every year, we hear the same motto, “New Year, New You”…well, while that may be a good sentiment to start fresh with the beginning of the year, it also implies that what makes you who you are needs a complete makeover. I don’t know about you, but while I have regrets in my life, it is the mistakes, the scars and the bad decisions that have led me to where I am. Ultimately, I have an appreciation for the blessings I have gained through people I have met along my “journey”, my personal relationships and my business. While I am always gung-ho about making changes within myself, each new year, I have recently found that it isn’t what surrounds you that matters as much as what comes from within you. I know it sounds strange, but change needs to start within and work its way out over the course of time to be lasting.
It is said that it takes 21 days of consistent behavior to create a habit. The mind and the body usually take between 4 to 6 weeks to adjust to change, when incorporating a new behavior into a daily pattern. Think of this theory in relation to music and the development of muscle memory. You make a series of movements, a pattern, to learn a song. Over time, those series of movements become automatic and you are able to move through a song without thought. That comes with an investment of time, energy and patience. After a period of time, those series of notes or composition, make their way into the subconscious or muscle memory. This is the area of the brain, the sensorimotor strip within the parietal lobe (you can find this specific area by tracing your finger from the bone right behind the tip of your right ear straight across to the tip of your left ear). These movements are stored in electrical and chemical form, much like a piece of paper in a filing cabinet or computer file, within a series of neurons chained together. Music is demonstrated then through behaviors through the body where fingers, voice, etc. express the notes that are written in the composition.
The question then is, “do you have the time, energy and desire to make a lasting change?” “Are you willing to do whatever is necessary to make that investment a success?” Change is about making time to create conscious thoughts that become subconscious information that is expressed in behaviors/actions, in essence, a fluid movement from the top down. It is within that pattern that change takes place within the person that will then affect the environment around them: improvement in mood, memory, gross and fine motor skills that in turn bring pattern recognition, positive social interactions, and movement fluidity.
With the beginning of 2020, vow to produce and not make an excuse to make changes in life that will improve the quality of it. This is a new decade with infinite possibilities and opportunities that are only limited by you. As you are in charge of your time, how will you spend it and what is your desire to make improvements permanent? Comment below with what you vision for yourself and what actions you are planning/willing to take to make it happen.
If you are interested in how music can change the quality of your life, contact us and we will schedule you with a member of our professional music instructors to make your conscious idea a lasting behavior.
(410) 286-5505 or visit our website: www.garrettmusicacademy.com!
