Learning a new language can give you access to new ways of seeing the world. That’s because the way we think is often influenced by the words and relationships available to us in the language we speak. Change the language, and you can change what associations you can make…literally change what you can understand about the world.
This is what I love about hearing new music and especially a new musician’s music. You might think I have heard enough “My Funny Valentine” interpretations for a lifetime, but when I first heard Kate McGarry’s reinterpretation on her 2018 album “The Subject Tonight Is Love”, it rewired what I understood about the song. When I first listened to Joni Mitchell’s Blue, I was able to access new ideas about the human condition thanks to her musical framework.