Generally, we feel better when there is more sunlight, which triggers the release of serotonin in the brain, a neurotransmitter associated with a good mood and well-being. Most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are likely embracing this time of year with the coming of spring and the increase of daylight. The return of warmth and blooming flowers, marking the transition from the cold, dark winter to spring. The word spring comes from the old English word ‘springan’, which means “to rise up” or “to burst forth.”
Debussy, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Schumann, and Copland composed beautiful musical masterpieces about spring to highlight the joy or anticipation of the return of light and warmth. Vibrant pieces with rich melodies and harmonies: a solo violin, a string quartet of violas and cellos, a harpsichord or organ, five flutes with two oboes, horns, trumpets, and bassoons. The dawn chorus of birds singing starts slow and soft with one instrument, then builds and builds with each instrument until the sun rises with a crescendo. Or melodies that grow and morph to mimic a flower blooming or a thunderstorm.
I look forward to Spring every year, some years more than others, like this year, as I eagerly await the buds on my Japanese Maple to open or to sift through the rich, black soil to plant seeds. Although the science behind it is a bit shaky, there is evidence that plants respond positively to music because the vibration from the soundwaves stimulates their cells, promoting growth and increasing resistance to disease. I don’t know if that’s true, but I like to open my back door and listen to the sounds of Copland’s Appalachian Spring while I work in my garden, thinking perhaps that the tender shoots are enjoying the music as much as I am.
What flowers will bloom first? Will it be a wet spring? Will it be hotter this summer? What music will I listen to as I pull weeds and sow rows of carrots, peas, tomatoes, beans, herbs, and fragrant edible flowers? My Tilly hat pulled low on my brow to protect my face and neck. A new pair of garden gloves to prune, pluck, trim, and cut. Creating a sanctuary of living things where I can sit and drink my tea. A garden of a thousand moments of joy.
Spring. A new beginning filled with music, warmth, and joy. A lovely reminder of how beautiful change can be.
“The earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Enjoy the Passage of Time.
Sharon
© 2025. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved.
