Music on Hold


As a musician, one of life’s major challenges stems from the “music on hold” syndrome. Every time I make a call and have to be placed on hold, I am subjected to all types of music and non-music fillers. Most times, the music that is chosen is arid, vapid and less than muzak quality. It is usually so irritating that I have to force myself to remain on the line. The only reason I choose not to disconnect is that I will probably have a longer time to listen to the poor choices the next time round because there is always a wait.

Let’s not forget that elevators, parking lots, stores, restaurants, banks, and many other public establishments now use music as filler. I must say that it is a bit much when you go to a public washroom and there is music in surround sound. If all these public places are not investing in piped-in music, they are also adding large screen TV’s. Every jogger, walker, young person and not so young people have MP3 players, Ipods, cell phones and even newer technology attached to them wherever they go.

What has happened to our world? The thought that “Silence is golden” has disappeared along with the dinosaur and dodo bird. If there is not something visual, aural or otherwise happening, we are “bored” as many of my students tell me. Listening to natural sounds or, heaven forbid, listening to the quality of quiet is verboten. It could even cause you to hear yourself think. Just imagine where that would get you!

As we approach Spring gradually and slowly here in Southwestern Ontario, I was able to spend some time in my garden yesterday. How wonderful it was to hear the earth awakening, to hear the robin’s song and to listen to the myriad bird calls. The squirrels were having a fine time zipping along the branches and over the roofs, chittering and chattering among themselves. It was so quite I think I heard the earthworm crawling through the earth. No cell phones, no MP3’s or IPods, just nature.

This was restoration for the soul, for the psyche. Renewed and refreshed in mind, body and spirit by the glory of quiet, with time and clear space to sort out jangled thoughts without audible interruption, I wondered why we needed the constant surround of sound. I love music – all kinds (well maybe not country and I do keep trying), and I love to hear music. I have moments when I want the lyricism of classical or the heavy beat and energy of rock or just the gotta move of Latin beats. Whatever the choice, the goal is to listen, to hear, to respond and to appreciate. Music as a constant backdrop tends to deaden the response and appreciation of the listening process. Most times I end up having to turn off the music I love because I am suffering from a surfeit of sound.

As a world people, we have become quicker tempered, less receptive to the pain and challenges others face, more willing to argue and fight, less able to empathize and feel the suffering and pain of others. We have become very “I-centric”, focused on ourselves within our small bubble. Even though we live in a global world, we know less about the world and even less about the people of the world because we never hear them. We block them out with our “music on hold” mentality.

What a world we would live in if we gave ourselves permission to turn off the technology and sounds; looked outward instead of focusing on blocking out the world; talked, perhaps even sang with our friends and neighbours and reached out to listen with our whole being to the world around us. Perhaps, the solutions that we are fighting for would be more easily heard.