Musica Medica

So, I’ve had the flu-again. I won’t rant and rave about my predilection for catching this wretched virus, not least because I prefer the flu to coughs and colds which are just downright revolting. Silver lining, anyone? Anyway, I’ve done nothing useful for the last 5 days except sleep for 14 hours each day and spend the remaining time moaning ‘Oh, I don’t feel well‘. First I’m hot, then I’m cold, then I’m hot etc etc ad nauseaum. Extremely tiresome.

I’ve been so ill I couldn’t even read! For anyone who knows me, that’s practically a sign that I’m shuffling this mortal coil imminently. Newspapers, yes; but they are pretty much comics these days and don’t count. Actual books, no. Instead, I’ve been listening to music–Muddy Waters, B.B King, Puccini, Fela, John Lee Hooker, Howling Wolf, Verdi (Va Pensiero is amazing. If you don’t know the aria, stop reading this right now and go listen to it. And not the travesties with Zucchero please. They’re just distressing). I was struck once again by how good music goes straight from the ears to the heart whilst bypassing the brain- Wham (the impact allusion,not the band. Obvs). It’s only when you hear a piece repeatedly that you start to analyse it, and then you can hear the mathematics of the piece. I was also struck by how much the Blues has influenced all the music from the 60s onwards. That boom and wail is everywhere, it’s amazing.

So if you’re in a darkened room somewhere feeling like death warmed up, throw aside the trashy magazine; the stupidity therein will only make you hate humanity. Listen to Fela or B.B King instead- they’ll make you laugh and think, and give you a reason for thinking all is not lost. Thank God for Ibuprofen and musicians. The only other thing that bypasses the brain and goes straight to the heart is love, and we all know how much havoc that wreaks…. Story for another day. Have a virus-free week.