From cavemen to conductors: what has changed from then to now?

      As I stuck my feet into the icy waters of a breathtaking mountain stream this past weekend, I was in a surreal place of mental purity. When I returned from the sojourn, my body was worn and tethered, but my mind was refreshed like a brand new palette.  My dreams were vivid and meaningful and my waking mind was focused and creative. 

      I took a liking to anthropology in my undergraduate studies because I saw it as a way to understand music from the core of its existence in our lives.  One of my professors, Dr. La Lone, would open each class with a ring from a tibetan singing bowl.  The perpetual, calming lulls from the bowl captured our conscious awareness, or “monkey-mind” as he referred to it.  This idea ties nicely to my last blog post concerning the practice of interpreting our erratic conscious, which flows like a babbling brook endlessly streaming into our awareness. After being engulfed in the natural world, I realized that my monkey mind--or wandering conscious thoughts--returned as I became engaged once again in the obligations and transactions of the modern world.  

      There was a long time in our history where humans were doing nothing more than gathering, hunting and procreating. Stressors came not from faulty relationships or loss of possessions, but instead from life threatening perils.  Although many situations in our lives today may seem life threatening, very few of them actually are.  Despite the change in perception we are experiencing through our increased access to knowledge and ease of life due to technology, the wetware of our human bodies is essentially the same as it was in the paleolithic era.  Take the the appendix for instance.  Referred to as  vestigial organs, there are a number of devices our bodies still retain which are no longer needed for 21st century endeavors.  You and I are not born as modern humans: we are old-fashioned humanoids born into modern surroundings. William Starr points to this in his writing, The Suzuki Violinist:

"Babies, whether born in primitive times or in contemporary times, start at the same point and receive environmental stimulation according to their respective periods, growing up as adults suited to the era in which they live."

The hormones cortisol and adrenaline may have helped us to put on pounds and run from predators in our history, but today they merely serve to amplify situations which should not be amplified.  This can help us to understand why our hands shake or voice quivers when we perform; these hormones increasingly serve as detriments to our present scenarios.  Our bodies are equipped to deal with lions and rivers, not bank statements and violin recitals.  

      Having an awareness of the limitations and faulty wetware we are dealt from birth can allow us to gain a more rewarding appreciation of the Symphony Orchestra in performance. Simply acknowledging that the performers are no more adept in music than their ancestors of past eras is a natural wonder that none should fail to grasp. 

Sources and further research:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13927-five-things-humans-no-longer-need.html#.Ud7OPD770cp 
http://www.livescience.com/11317-top-10-useless-limbs-vestigial-organs.html
http://www.entelechyjournal.com/robinsonwilson.htm