How music transcends differences

Feb. 1—On Saturday, Dolly Parton lovers gathered at the Mars Music Hall in Huntsville to dance the night away to the hits of Dolly and other country music divas.

I attended this event with my girlfriend, and the scene was remarkable. Children, teenagers, young, middle, and late adults all together with one thing in common: Dolly Parton.

As we have reflected on this event we have come to one conclusion: music is the life force that transcends differences and connects humans across ages, genders and sexualities, races, socioeconomic status, and more.

Music transcends the very essence of space and time, even, connecting us in the present to the past by allowing us to experience the past through storytelling and composition.

Many of the songs played that night were from artists that are long dead, such as Tammy Wynette, Kenny Rogers, Whitney Houston, and George Jones and — for just a few moments — they were in the room with us as we collectively sang and danced to the melodies they recorded decades ago.

A child seven years of age approached the emcee and asked them to play Delta Dawn by Tanya Tucker. It wasn't the vibe of the night, as the music had previously been upbeat tales of domestic violence, divorce, murder, broken hearts, and romance (staples of classic country music), while Delta Dawn lends itself to not hiding its dark and devastating story with fun, fast-paced rhythms and melodies but rather is a somber song.

In the most subtle and polite way, the emcee warned the crowd that this was an old and slow song requested by a child and that anyone who knew it needed to sing it loud, and the crowd did not disappoint. For three and a half minutes the crowd swayed to the mournful melody and rattled the rafters with their voices.

There were no thoughts of age, orientation, race, socioeconomic status, or the pending demise of humanity; only the sound of Tanya Tucker and a few hundred souls in unison.

Taylor Lane, an artist herself, is the author of the Artists' Angle column. Dedicated to the preservation of Appalachian culture and artistry and the advancement of the fine arts in vulnerable communities, Lane writes stories showcasing various art forms and local artists, as well as her own art, and how it relates to Appalachian culture and history.