Persuasive Essay : ' Life Is About Rhythm '

The adoption of Western music inspired new ways of viewing music and resulted in a transformation of Chinese music. It prompted “Chinese composers to either fuse Western music with traditional sounds or turn their back on traditional Chinese music [because they Westernized] their music modeled on the perceptions that Western music equates with modernization” (Lau 90). Additionally, because many traditionalists feared that traditional Chinese music would gradually disappear due to the modernizing Western music, “they began to focus on promoting Chinese music as a way to counteract the encroachment of Western culture and music. But they did it in a 'modernist' rather than preservationist sort of way. Many musicians experimented with new ways of composing music and modernizing traditional instruments” (Lau 92).

Thesis: Drums give the world of music rhythm. Without drums and drum beats, I believe that music today would not be as good as it is currently.

The Ottoman Empire continued its impact on civilization making strides in art and in music. Because of the Ottoman empire, the percussion instruments were added to further shape the orchestral sound. Cymbals, kettle drum, bells and the side drum were all copied from their use in Ottoman music. Even today, the baton used by drum majors in parades can

Music has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution.

The first part of this response is to try and identify why John Cage received so much criticism from lovers of traditional music and post war modernists. Cage adopts chance techniques in his compositions and this makes things go awry for him in regard to being referred to as a composer, most critics consider him more of a music philosopher than a composer. Especially after the 19-hour performance of vexations which sadly did not amuse many. The randomness of his compositions makes it hard for him to establish his authority as a composer.

Hip-hop has been a part of African-American culture since it’s inception. Amir “Questlove” Thompson’s memoir Mo’ Meta Blues, co-written by Ben Greenman, shows the evolution of hip-hop from it’s early beginnings through 2013, as well as tells the story of one of the genre’s best musicians childhood in Philadelphia. Quest love grew up in Philadelphia and was raised by his father, a doo-wop singer, and mother, a singer/dancer who also ran a clothing store. From an early age Questlove was exposed to music, but only the music his parents wanted to hear. Questlove even tells of how he had to hide Prince albums in his drums set so his parents wouldn’t take him

“Hip hop has the potential to transform justice in the United States.” (Butler 123) Albeit the popularity of hip hop music and how it is “disgraceful” to black people, it has also become the voice of the voiceless (Kitwana xiii). This is quite positive because it brings youth from all walks of life to and help exchange ideas between themselves. (Kitwana xvi) Hip hop has a way of doing that. White kids are fascinated by the world of hip hop because most of them have never encountered or lived that lifestyle. It shows them them that everything in life isn’t peaches and cream. That these lack men and women were able to face the worst of the worst and still survived. I think white kids kind of admire the strength and the positivity that black people

A symphony is an extended classical composition for an orchestra, found in Western Art Music. It often consists of four separate and unique, sections known as movements which are, in some way however, related to one another. The symphony as a genre began developing during the late 17th century and continued to do so up until the late 18th century. This important genre of Western Art Music is closely related to the development of the orchestra. It is therefore critical, in understanding the symphony, to investigate the development of the orchestra.

The exploration of the timbral possibilities of the piano as a percussive instrument would be developed later in the 20th century by composers such as John Cage, for example, in his works for prepared piano in the 1940s.

Although the definition of happiness has been changed and rearranged for as long as humans have existed, thousands upon thousands of years, some philosophers want a hard definition of it. The term happiness signifies something different depending on whom you ask. The question of “What is happiness?” has been theorized and discussed by many philosophers throughout the years, and many have their own labyrinthine conclusion that may put off the average person who just has a subconscious thought of what is happiness and why we need it and/or experience it. A few theories on happiness have emerged from people who are educated in this discussion like Matt Killingsworth, Carl Honoré, Graham Hill, Dan Gilbert, and David Steindl-Rast. All who were featured in “Simply Happy,” a segment on the “TED Radio Hour” from 2014 and they give a more modern approach on being happy throughout life and share other theories. The Tao Te Ching by Laozi was written around the sixth century BCE and is one of the classic texts in China which separates yourself from your life to achieve happiness and a more recent theory of happiness from the past teachings of the Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness which strictly distincts happiness from desire which are often thought of as related in today’s modern society.

When people say "music saved my life," they are saying they found themselves once to be weak and eventually found strength through music. You can find yourself alone in the life you live but when you listen to music you realize you'll never be alone. I believe music gives people a sense of hope that they don't have to feel like they're the only one's going through things. Music can express more than words and it gives people a constant when their world seems to be chaotic. It's something some people need in their life and to be who they are and go on day by day.

There are many elements that led to the expansion of music in the 20th Century. In some ways these elements were all linked to each other and it is difficult to say what events or ideas triggered the huge development of music. For example, World War I and II in the first half of the century lead to the rapid development of technology and communications as well as, eventually, political and social freedom, all aspects which have created changes and growth. The great advances in technology were in part responsible for globalism, although nationalism was also partly a product of the wars. The advent of the Great Wars also produced great emotion.

The history of American music begins with a fundamental process of exchange through all different social lines, where diverse cultures meet, and mix. Music has and always will be defined as sounds that are arranged in a particular pattern that are played to be meaningful and pleasurable. The chronology of music began in the Medieval period, when chanting was introduced into the Church. Music has then moved its way through many stages: renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and leading up to 20th century American music. American 20th century music is made up of a diverse number of styles that are reflected by cultural traditions and the era’s of the past. Immigrants from Spain, France, England, Germany and Ireland all contributed and brought their own unique styles to the forefront, hence creating American music. African Americans created influential musical traditions that include rhythm and improvisation that were later combined with European traditions and other indigenous music.

So whilst some parts of the world stayed traditionalist, other parts were taking music to the next step. Western cultures have used music for almost every aspect of life. Music was used for entertainment, religion, war cries and important ceremonies. Some countries have unfortunately lost their culture and heritage thanks to more developed countries trying to expand their empires. A good example of this is when the indigenous Mexican people were murdered in their homeland by the invading Spanish – and replaced the traditional drums and flutes with more vibrant shakers and trumpets. It is no doubt that the way upper countries have acted has greatly affected the distribution of music worldwide.

Just a couple week or before, I was hovering around the streets of Kathmandu and was gyrating around a top of my house with a heavy brain box. Every of those 24 hours of my days used to be spent on finding the meaning of life, death and the reason I am here on this planet. After those rigorous searches inside the book ‘Nirwad, ‘The Alchemist’, and inside my own heart, I finally got the answer.