The Influence of Music

For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become

Music, in all its complexity can be seen as a living, breathing mechanism that has the ability to sink deep down into one’s soul and create feelings of awe, excitement and wonder. Music speaks to and connects people of all cultures, backgrounds and ideologies, creating a common bond between various members of the human species. When listening to a beautifully composed piece of music, I myself cannot help but feel connected to the instruments, the artists and the composer. It has been my experience that music not only helps me learn, but also helps me grow.

“Music can change the world because it can change people” Bono. Society is an ever changing process. Because society is a collection of people, it is really a kaleidoscopic representation of what is happening in the world at that time. Music is a significant presence in society; it has been a part of the human element since the dawn of man. Throughout the centuries, music has been incorporated into the most significant and minor moments of history. People can remember events based on the song that was popular at the time. They genre of music varies as do people. The average person spends several hours a day listening to music. People use it as a major part of whatever they may be doing, or they see it just as something to fill in the silence in the background. It is not surprising, then, that music is a more powerful force on how humans think, communicate, act, possibly even affecting intelligence. Music is often used in

Music, “…one of the most widely used and appealing forms of communication…”, is universal and used for different purposes (Root, 2005, p. 7). Among the uses are “…play or entertainment, which humans of all ages engage in to stimulate feelings of joy, tension, and interaction, and enrich their experiences by adding mental complexity, counteracting boredom and lethargy” (Root, 2005, p. 7). In addition, music expresses “…emotions such as love, sentiment, or anger” (Root, 2005, p. 7). Ultimately, it communicates values showing the reality of society and culture. Anyone listening to “a few records [helps] enrich [their] feelings, extend [their] sense of love or despair, and feed [their] fantasies or fire some real relationship” (Cooper & Haverkos,

Music is made up from rhythm and beats with notes and feelings, vocal and/or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. Yet, music is so much more than notes on paper, music represents movements in time, music is memories, history, connections, relaxation and escape. Many people are influenced by music they listen to. “Music is much more than mere entertainment. It has been a feature of every known human society—anthropologists and sociologists have yet to find a single culture throughout the course of human history that has not had music” (Greenberg, 2016).

Music is something we hear everyday whether it be from our phones,in our cars,or background music wherever we go. Over the years there have been numerous types of music that have different beats,sounds,and different emotions. Such types of music is hip hop and rap,alternative music,and rock and roll music. Music has a long time line and every single sound and type of music is intertwined within each other and influenced by each other. For these reasons music not only defines a type of sound but also recreates lifestyles and defines entire generations. The power of music can be seen from all different types of music.

It is almost impossible to imagine a life without music. We listen to music for various reasons but most of us listen to it for one simple reason: entertainment. Rhythm and the melody give us great pleasure. Even sometimes we think that certain songs describes our lives and us. When we think deeper about music and its impacts in social life, we realize that music has more functions than entertaining people. Music has been used as an effective medium in political discourse the sense of increasing society’s awareness and drawing attention to the problems in the world. Some artists are aware the power of music in social life and they compose songs

Music is something that builds ideas, inspires, destroys, and enlightens people. Music in history has changed throughout the ages, music now is incredibly different in sound compared to the way it use to be. One thing that has not changed is the feeling, the way a song is written. Music entails words of another’s mind and their personal experiences. Many philosophers have said that music is pure; the emotional expression of a song can have an impact on the way someone is feeling. Music is my personal way of escaping, not only by listing to the lyrics, by writing, by singing, by playing, I cannot imagine what life would be if music was nonexistent.

The majority of society does not believe that music is an influential component of social inequality, social deviance and social networks. When in reality music has been proven to be both beneficial and important in society to stimulate our appreciation, learning and understanding of this contemporary art. In so we must learn about the history and the role it plays in placing our understanding of human kind. Additionally, from the day music was developed in this world the artists, industry, music’s fans have changed. As we are approaching the 21st century, we tend to see music as “commodity” instead of understanding the effect it has on the history of human kind. Through this paper, I will attempt to explain the two genres on the topic of

Music comes in a lot of different genres (forms) such as “popular music” (pop), rhythm and blues (R&B), classical music, jazz, country, blues, rock and roll to the most recent music rap music. All these forms have their starting points and I aim to familiarize you with some of these genres and their roots. Their history to present time. After studying these different genres, I’ve come to realizes they all have some similarities and some quite obvious differences. Also how they started from each other in some situations. As we go on this journey I’ll explain in light detail what music has meant to the growth of Americans and the growth of me. I wish I could give you the entire history, but there isn’t enough paper it write it all down on. They say music calms the “savage beast”, and it is a true statement, but I’m here to let you know that it does a lot more than that. It entertains the entire world, and without it, it’s hard to image the state of our planet.

Moreover, music acts like a concerned friend. It is always there for me to cry on its shoulder. No matter the circumstances music can neither anger nor leave someone. Music will always be there, not only for me, but for billions of

Music is an art form that has continued to be practiced and expressed over the past few hundred years. It is commonly used as a multi-national form of nonverbal communication, meaning that it is the universal language that is understood amongst all cultures. While music is commonly used for enjoyment and leisure, it has the capacity to take on many other qualities. Music is the type of expressive art form that allows a wide range of emotions to be expressed, ranging from happiness to sadness and everything in between. This broad spectrum of emotions can lead to physical effects, both negative and positive, that can either improve or harm a

Throughout history, music has played a defining role, both in the spirit and the character of many of our planet’s greatest creative minds. The all-encompassing power of music was documented as early as 428 B.C. when Plato wrote, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything”(Plato). Music, whether produced or listened to, creates a connection that branches the imagination, auditory system, and emotion of the end user into an enveloping sensation of expression. It is because of the powerful influence that is used in music to encourage individuals to relate and unite, its ability to appeal and effect the emotions and performance of both composer and audience, and its capacity to bridge creativity in the brain with the body in the absence of conscious thought that makes music one of most controversial and powerful tools aiding in interlacing the body and mind.

The role of music in society can be best imagined when one thinks of a world without music. Music serves as a personal

Music elicits an emotional and cognitive response in all who listen to it. It is powerful at the individual level because “it can induce multiple responses – physiological, movement, mood, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral” (Francis, 2008,