Where there is music there is joy

I once read in a cafe an anonymous quote: “Where there is music there is joy.” 

I learned from a mentor teacher that playing music or a “song of the day” helps communicate positive messages to students as they enter the classroom. It sets the mood. 

For over twenty years, older teens have entered my classroom to songs and artists they recognize. And to other musicians they don’t recognize. 

Where there is music there is joy.

We also know that happiness is contagious. 

And that play is good for everyone. 

Stuart Brown defines play as time spent without purpose. 

Play is a voluntary activity. It can help us lose track of time or at least keep us from tracking it carefully. People play because it is fun. Play doesn’t even require us to achieve a goal. 

Play is at the core of creativity and innovation. 

Here is a big question for any educator: During the school year, why is play reserved only for vacations and summer? 

Why does school have to be so serious? 

Years of research reveal that happiness is connective and contagious. Our happiness can influence the people we know. Research has shown that if your close friends are happy, and their friends are happy, then this will predict your happiness.  

A friend who is happy and lives within a mile of you, increases your probability of being happier by twenty-five percent.  

As researcher Nicholas Christakis reminds us, “Rather than asking how we can get happier, we should be asking how we can increase happiness all around us…when you make positive changes in your life, those effects ripple out from you and you can find yourself surrounded by the very thing you fostered.”

I’ve seen happiness increase all around me. I’ve got a sneaky suspicion you’ve seen it too!

That is why this year, I brought my small karaoke machine to school to use in my classroom. Our high school period schedule rotates, so some classes meet at the end of the day. 

So I asked my students a question: would they be interested in ending every last block with singing? Their answer: A resounding ‘yes!’ 

Every last block, for the last 10 minutes of class, a student is selected a random. They can either choose to sing a song of their choice or pass to another student. 

That is where the magic happens. The anticipation. The trepidation. The music begins. The lyrics appear on screen. Then the singing begins. Just like all singing shows on TV, once a teenager begins to sing, everyone evaluates how tremendous or awful the singing actually is. 

But the best part is it doesn’t matter whether the performer is good or bad. What matters is it’s fun. It’s infectious. Students in the class begin clapping with the beat in solidarity with the singer. Then, if they recognize the song, they usually sing the chorus together with the singer. 

Socrates reminded us that all human beings strive for happiness. What is the point of living if we don’t have the courage to bring out the best in ourselves and others? Excellence to Socrates wasn’t about winning or being the best. Excellence is living your life well, over a lifetime or in various stretches of your life. In this sense, happiness isn’t so much of a feeling but a way of living. It having the courage to live in the moments of our lives, to be brave and commit to activities that activate a certain kind of wellbeing.

When the song ends, a raucous, sincere applause pervades throughout the classroom. The bell rings. End of the period and end of the day. Smiles. Laughter. Continued singing. Joy. It is true, where there is music there is joy.

Steve Banno