Tuesday, January 12, 2016

"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here." -Albus Dumbledore

"Ah music. A magic beyond all we do here." - Albus Dumbledore

"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here." is a direct quote from Albus Dumbledore on p. 125 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (also known as Philiosoper's Stone).  I was 16 when the first book came out and exploded in popularity.  I have to admit I was skeptical at the time.  After all, it was a book about 10-year old children learning magic, seemingly not the sort of thing high schoolers would find very interesting.  In fact, I didn't even engage in the series in any way until the first film came out on DVD.  I really enjoyed it, but I still sort of felt that it was primarily for younger children.  I actually didn't read the books until my mid-20s, but once I got started, I couldn't put them down!  It may have been aimed to children, but it certainly has some very grown-up themes in it, and all that aside, it is highly entertaining story-telling.

As a music teacher, I absolutely love that Professor Dumbledore acknowledges music as "a magic beyond all we do here."  It is such a true statement, and when you take away all of the fictional magical spells from the Harry Potter universe, music remains.  Music has a power like nothing else - it has restorative healing properties for the mind, body, and soul.  Music is a magic we can all access, whether it be through singing, playing, or simply listening.  Perhaps most of all, it shows that even Muggle-born musicians like myself can actually wield a powerful form of magic.  And who knows? If Professor Flitwick ever retires from his post as Hogwarts choirmaster, then maybe I could join the ranks of magical experts at Hogwarts!

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