Nothing speaks to one’s soul more than music. It can sweep you up in a

harmonious dance. Its strength is displayed in its ability to transcend time and the strong emotional grasp it can have upon us.

A few weeks ago I went to a reunion concert for Cream. Cream was Eric Clapton’s first major band. It has been 37 years since they had toured together; 37 years! The members are older than almost everyone associated with this school. The drummer, Ginger Baker, did a drum solo for 15 minutes, and when he was done he had to be escorted, limping off offstage. Music pushed a 68-year-old to his limits. Then the crowd pushed him further. This crowd, with people who should be playing Spades with my grandmother, went nuts for Ginger until he came back. Music made this aged crowd young again. People were air guitaring to my right and blazing to my left. Yes, 70-something men were smoking

marijuana. Only music can take people back like that.

Music’s youth-like qualities prove its emotional hold on us. You have three guys, who should be living in a Floridian community, playing some of the best rock I have ever heard in my life. Clapton didn’t miss a note, Baker played better than he did 37 years ago, and Jack Bruce found the ability to sing, play harmonica, and tear up the bass in several songs. What else can get these old men rocking out on stage?

Maybe it was the large amounts of a certain smoke in the air, but I felt something that night. Seeing three elderly men play the best music of their lives in front of a crowd whose age was as diverse as the types of pills many of them take, was truly a sight to see.

Only music has this type of power. So, I don’t care if its country, hip hop, jazz, or senior citizens rocking out, just listen to music and experience its powers.