“Piano Keys,” by Alex Mussomeli
By Alex Mussomeli
I've been surrounded by sound in some fashion all of my life. As someone with a hearing loss, I've learned to appreciate hearing all sounds, no matter their origin or nature.
I've listened to distressing sounds like a character screaming in a movie or when my tinnitus starts to sound menacing. I've also heard happy sounds, such as the sound of a bird singing in the morning, or the sound of waves hitting the sand and blissful laughter at the local beach.
As a result of my experiences in life, I think of sound as a spectrum of emotions that ranges from a plethora of dark to light colors, with shades in between. Being able to appreciate that very spectrum went hand-in-hand with a range of my life experiences.
One thing that makes the concept of sound precious to me is the sheer diversity of sound itself. Even without the help of hearing devices, I can listen to sounds as I fall asleep; I can hear the tinnitus and vibrations that I might get from my phone or tablet, and so on. But those sounds are minimal and often feel lifeless or without color. When I put on my hearing devices, I break past those transient limitations and hear sounds that are more meaningful to me. Again, this is because I feel the emotion in sounds.
As much as I love the familiar sounds that I hear in my day-to-day life, I love music even more. It adds unique flavors to most of the sounds that I know, acting as a form of enrichment that increases the emotional journey sounds can offer. Music has the power to increase the richness inherent in all emotions ranging from happy to sad to angry to joyous, and more. Because of this, the unique blend of sounds conveyed by music brings more life to everyday sounds.
“Musical Summer Flowers,” by Alex Mussomeli
With time, music became part of my everyday life, enhancing my household environment. I paint to music, cook to music, work out to music, and even study with music.
The sounds music produces span the emotional spectrum and has the power to change perspective and behaviors. For me, music is what the sky is to a butterfly and what a canvas ripe with color is to an artist: awe-inspiring. Music has always been special to me because every word and musical can create and enhance any mood, no matter the language of the song’s lyrics. With every single beat, multiple emotions intermix in a way that feels clever and cathartic.
While I can become used to the enjoyable emotions that music can elicit, the music itself is never predictable to me. On the contrary, music always surprises me because every part of the music piece provides an unexpected emotional journey. Eventually, the journey ends, but the ending is always unique to each song.
Music and the emotion in sounds make me eager to wake up and face the day in the eye. Music makes me excited to further explore and anticipate the future in all its glory. Without a doubt, music is simply that enlivening and radiant. Music is beautiful.
With his family, Connecticut high school student Alex Mussomeli has been a longtime friend and supporter of HHF, including selling his own artwork to benefit HHF when he was 11 years old.
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