Tag: Living the Harmonious Life

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Can Music Help Us Know Right From Wrong?

Know About Creating: Interview With Nick Sungenis (Part 2)

In the last episode of our Know About Creating series, Liberty and Nick wrap up their conversation on music, philosophy, and life. Nick dives deeper into the philosophy of music, explaining how music can help us understand the nuance of life and sharpen our ability to reason through our actions. He also discusses the fascinating science behind the effect of music on living beings, and offers encouragement for people who want to pursue music as a career, or pick up an instrument for the first time!

Essentially Musical

Nick says that musicality is part of humans’ nature. “We are essentially predisposed and so ripe for becoming more musical because we have a fundamental level of musicality,” he told Know Why.

The more we play and understand music, the more we can understand about life, added. That’s because students of music learn that there is a right or wrong time to play certain notes, and that depending on the instrument, playing the correct note accurately requires a lot of nuance.

It’s the same with life. “There’s sometimes a lot of nuance to life and actions,” Nick said. “Reason will guide us to make the right selection, whatever it is.”

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Know About Creating: Why Do Humans Crave Music?

Interview With Nick Sungenis (Part 1)

Have you ever wondered why people love music so much? Music instructor and author of the forthcoming book Living the Harmonious Life, Nick Sungenis explains that humans are intrinsically musical. In Part 1 of his interview with Know Why, Nick argues that if we pay attention to music fundamentals like harmony and balance, we can understand what makes us happy in life. Don’t miss this philosophically rich conversation, and be sure to check back next week for Part 2!

God is Musical and So Are We

If you’ve read either J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion or C. S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew, you’re familiar with the concept of fantasy worlds being created through music. Nick beliefs that concept is more than fiction. “Music is something so essential to God himself,” he told Know Why. This explains why humans are naturally musical, too.

Music, Virtue, and Happiness

 Applying musical concepts like harmony and tone to other areas of our life results in virtue and happiness, Nick said. He explores this philosophy more in his forthcoming book Living the Harmonious Life.

In addition to teaching us more about ourselves, enjoying music can serve as a needed balm in the midst of stress.

“There’s so much chaos in the world,” Nick told Know Why. “Music can be such a great way to bring more order and beauty and goodness in our souls, in our hearts, and our minds.” 

Check back next week for Part 2!