 I'll start with a quote from possibly the greatest musician, in my opinion, Felakuti. And the quote goes this way, with my music, I create change. I am using my music as a weapon. Let's talk music. Let's talk about the impact that the mind, body and soul. Firstly, music, a little music history. According to the Oxford Dictionary, music is vocal or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty or form, harmony and expression of emotion. Secondly, it is the written or printed signs representing vocal or instrumental sound. Some schools of thought opined that music began about 40,000 years ago, although this may even be much further. Some say the Greek philosopher Pythagoras invented music. However, in terms of music history, there are six periods which I'll briefly touch on. You had the medieval period between 1150 and 1400. Instruments created during this period were the flute recorder, which is still in existence today, the organ, not so much. Then we had the Renaissance period between 1400 and 1600. Instruments created during this period were the trumpet, the guitar, tambourine, and a small guitar. The Baroque period was between 1600 and 1750. Instruments again, oboe, violin, baola, the cello. The classical era between 1750 and 1820. That was the introduction of the piano. The Romantic period was between 1820 and 1900. That's when you have the bigger orchestras that are still in use today, and the national music schools from that period were created. Finally, the 20th of the 21st century, which is what we'll consider modern music now. Impressionists, expressionists, modern, postmodern, and contemporary music, including our Afro beats. According to numerous sources, which include philosophers, doctors, anthropologists, just to name a few, music sets a powerful influence on we humans. It can help us with lightening our mood, reducing anxiety or stress, reducing depression. It can be a sleep aid. Some people need it to sleep. It helps them listen to some classical music, some jazz or some gospel. And for working out when we're in the gym. Now, I'd like to talk a little bit about the impact of the mind. Although this is a longer list, I'll just touch on four ways music affects the brain. Emotion. From a mother singing a song to a newborn baby or father, to an instant uplift in our mood when his favorite song is played on the radio or in our car. Music helps us to have a direct impact to a person plays period or events. Memory. It's been a proven technique for sufferers of Alzheimer's, as well as a few other ailments, to help people regain part of their memory and improve their mental health. Learning. In a groundbreaking study by the University of Newcastle in Australia some years ago, popular music was used to assist patients with severe brain injuries and recalling personal memories. Attention. Centering types of music while affecting our mood can also distract us or make us inattentive to tasks at hand. Some are unable to study without music and some need it as a break away from too much work. Research has shown us that when a subject listens to music that gives them the chills, it triggers a release of dopamine to the brain. Dopamine is a kind of naturally occurring happy chemical we receive as part of a reward system. Now here's really the interesting part. Dopamine is not only released during peak musical moments, but also when we anticipate those moments. It's like when the favourite chorus of your song is coming out. There's this reaction that you have, it's called dopamine. It's like our brain is rewarding us for knowing a really great chorus is about to hit. Now impacts to the body. According to the Harvard Medical Review, doctors tell us that music can enhance the function of neutral networks. It slows the heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce levels of stress, hormones and inflammatory cytokines and provide some relief to patients undergoing surgery as well as heart attack and stroke victims. Like I said earlier, music can also be used for workouts. Why not having a direct impact to the endurance? It helps to increase tempo. Now finally I'll just talk about the impact to child development. Music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness. Don't believe me? Get your children involved with piano classes, guitar lessons or even the drums. It helps with intellectual, social, emotional, motor, language and overall literacy. It helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing children to music doing early development helps them to get used to the sounds and meaning of words. Finally, music helps to build pride, confidence and memory retention. Thank you. Really, recent research in the United States of America found that music actually helps with easier assimilation in the classroom for children. So there's an ongoing advocacy that classes should have soft music playing on the background while classes are going on or children are studying and stuff like that. I wouldn't want to say it's a dime a dozen but I think, like he pointed out, different people differ in their reaction or reception or perception of music. Now something really funny happened in my office yesterday. So there's a song I like. It's by Davido Holy Ground. So now one of my assistants was playing that music and I found I was vibing to it like really singing along enjoying myself. Now I went back into my space and tried to do some work and I found out it was just really difficult for me to concentrate. And then when my conscious mind came to the fact that the young man had started playing another song that I did not really find personal pleasure in, I quickly shut him down. I said, look, you're distracting me. Put off that music. This is an office. You can't play that. You know, you can't play such songs here. And then three seconds later, my mind went back to the fact that, oh, this same person played a song that I really liked a few minutes ago and I did not realize it was an office and he couldn't play such music at the office. So I think it's all based on personal perception. For me, it's different. Okay, I'm in governance now. So I love music growing up. Music of the 90s, but I was always introduced to music. My parents were music lovers. So I grew up listening to people like The Temptations, Isaac Hayes, No, before that, long before that, I'm talking of Tom Jones way back and I came up to that. And I'll tell you some of the first big words I even knew came from rap. I was a notorious B.I.G. fan and you know, he knew how to mix words together. And most of the time when I speak now, people were like, okay, he has the control of his lexis, but I'll tell you, it came from rap music. In fact, I could put words together like we are in most people's wonder. So I feel I've gained so much from music. For me, music has even been knowledge for me because there were words like, I don't remember, I didn't know what the chorus was. Notorious B.I.G. said it was actually something sweet. And you know, you get to learn all these things along the way and you get to listen to music. Yeah, I don't listen to very, very modern music now because it's kind of gibberish, not gibberish, but I don't understand it. But I'm more into older music and I know how it is. That brings me to something because I like to talk about the societal impact of music. I'm a very young person, but growing up, music used to be a tool of transformation and education. Music had a message. When you listen to music, it had a message. The artists were either passing out a message, trying to change mindsets, trying to change perspective. So beneath that entertainment was a message behind every music. But contemporary times, you discover that music has been reduced to entertainment and sensationalism. Well, I'm sorry to cut you short, but I absolutely do not really agree with that in that sense. Because at the end of the day, it's what you're able to squeeze out from something that it will mean to you. Like, I get what you're saying. Like, when we talk about the one you can't win. No, not necessarily. Like, for instance, there are days that have, you know, like social messages backing up them or even the fallout. Let me give you an example. You can find this song trending. And what is the lyrics? See Mary, see Jesus, see Mary, see. You can find another one. It's a call to your spiritual consciousness. What are you talking about? It's just a spiritual call. What I'm talking about is in the past, when I was growing up, you couldn't see such songs trend. These days, what people look more at is beating. Once the music has very solid... Yeah. I mean, that's what, you know, makes them calm. Exactly. You know what my answer is to that? I would always say, every time, and I must try not to be biased, every time has what its music is picture. Oh, right. I think one of the most intelligent scholars in the 14th century in the UK said, give me the folk laws of a people and I will direct its laws. I can't remember his name. A very intelligent guy. Because the truth is, if I hijack the folk laws of this generation, I'll be able to direct his thought process. So I'll give you an example. If, let's say, a big musician, I don't want to call any names. If a big musician decides to pick up a social consciousness topic and then pushes it forward through his music, he will be able to direct where the people are heading and choose where the electorate thinks. Absolutely. And Kemak is up next after the break.