The Math in Music

Art and music are such an integral part of our everyday lives. Understanding the basic elements of each is essential to interpreting their meaning. Listening to music stimulates every part of the brain and alters our chemical composition and mental state. Art is a tangible reminder of civilizations from the past; it shows us a glimpse of a culture and lifestyle different from our own. Art and music are designed not to simply entertain, but rather to educate and inspire us.

According to Laurence O’Donnell, “Music is thought to link all of the emotional, spiritual, and physical elements of the universe.” This proves that music is more than a simple class teaching random notes. It is a common denominator

Music is an extremely important part of human life and has been part of human life for thousands of years. Music can be linked with many different art forms such as art and language; these too are distinct expressions of humans. This particular expression has survived and outlived ancient languages and could possibly be older than any form of language we know. It also serves the same purpose as language, to convey meaning. Music is a way of bringing people together, and is used as a social ritual. In human life music is part of culture and it is also important historically. Music also contributes to the economy, as it is a means of making money as well as part of human leisure.

“Musical is a universal experience. With few exceptions, all humans perceive musical pitch, tone, timbre, and harmony. We listen to music to relax, to help us think, to celebrate, and grieve. Our emotional responses to music have been noted in literature, poetry, and drama. The power of music to evoke an emotional response is used by advertising companies, film directors, and mothers singing their babies to sleep. Early education teachers are familiar with using music and rhythm as tools for learning language and building memory. (Foran, 2009) Several musical melodies are used in grade school to learn information. Music is used in my math classes across the world to enhance the learning process of formulas. English classes use music help children learn prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, noun, and etc. However, after most scholars reached a certain grade level, using music to achieve new heights academically became a technique of the past. Most instructors didn’t bother using music in order to help retain information. It was almost as if it was forgotten about. But, if music is so important why isn’t it allowed in most classrooms today? Many teachers are not fond of music in the classroom. To many, it is seen as a distraction. Is it the type of music a person chooses to listen to? Would it be different if the music chosen by

Music is remarkable for its special nature, which it is heritability. Music itselfs does not only give all music notes but innovation and inspiration from

(Sheftel 2002) Music does involve a higher level of thinking even though it doesn’t seem like it. Listening to music uses the right hemisphere. When a student starts reading music and learning the rhythm and pattern of notes they are using the left hemisphere, which is also used in math. (Dickinson 1993) In one college class the Professor played a series of notes and then explained to the students that it was a mathematical progression. “Even at a college level, he said music appreciation classes, and instrument instruction would increase student's ability to learn.” (Sheftel 2002)

A Mathematician’ Lament by Paul Lockhart, demonstrates a musician has woken up from a nightmare and his dream was about how the community is being forced to have music education. It brings many theories and analysis in the “language of music”, which makes the educators to be more curios to listen or play music. This leads to more advance topics to train students in the primary and secondary school, as it creates more opportunities to improve in school. As Lockhart, said “Most of them couldn’t care less about how important music is in today’s world; I guess there are just music people and non-music people”; as the musician realizes that the society will never remove a beautiful art form, just like mathematics. But, today in our culture, doesn’t let the students to have a curiosity

Web. 21 Feb. 2016. This article’s author argues that it is important for music classes to remain available to children in school due to their mental benefits. The author explains that many school boards tirelessly attempt to eliminate music programs, however, there is abundant evidence that supports keeping the programs since learning music can dramatically improve children’s ability to read and comprehend math. The author backs their argument with a plethora of statistics from various sources showing the sharp contrast between the scores of music and non-music students. This article adds to the proof that education can be aided by a student’s understanding of

Music surrounds everyday life no matter where you are in the world. Hollow objects make notes when hit. Small wooden reeds, bamboos, and shells whistle when blown into. Anything tightly stretched twangs when plucked and the human voice has a delightful ability to go up and down at will. Even when wind rustles through the wind, birds chirp, or ocean wave’s tumbling is nature’s form of music. I constantly find myself being enthralled by the various forms music. You could say that in sense music as a whole is a form of art. The sounds that entwine harmonize, are rhythmically pleasing, have dynamics, etc., come together as a whole in order to compose a song. “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” (Confucius)

Music is defined differently for each individual. It is the universal language that speaks to us all, but in different ways. It is one of the few genres that can instantly transport a person back to the past. Music is also an art of sound which expresses ideas, thoughts, and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, and harmony. It is the design of giving structural form and rhythmic pattern to combinations of sounds produce instrumentally and vocally. To me, music brings a sense of calmness, happiness, and peacefulness. Music is the absolute bread of life because it feeds my soul.

In conclusion, music has always had a relationship with music. A composer must take in to account all the instruments when writing a symphony. The only logical reasoning to suggest this is math. How else would he know when to have the bass come in and the violins to carry a note? The composer must figure out the timing of each beat, timing is everything. Music often repeats patterns, same as math. One could also suggest that a dancer uses math when choreographing dance

Music originates from all over the world since the beginning of time. Complex or simple, fast or slow, loud or soft. It’s what you feel. It could be your method of escape or keeping you living. Music is love. Music is passion. Music is unity. Music is emotion. Music is belief. Music is beauty. Music is life. Music is perfection. Music is imperfection. Music is peace. “Through music we can live forever.”

The definition of music is very different to many people. Some say that music is the arrangement of sound and silence. Others like myself say music is that and much more. Music is an aural form of art that is used to express emotion and touch the hearts of the listener through the use of phrasing, dynamics, style and tone color. Music is a very universal art form.

The literal meaning of the word 'music' according to any dictionary is: 'art of combining vocal or instrumental sounds in a harmonious or expressive way.' But music has a meaning which is far broader than this. Music is life. Music means Self-expansion and oneness. It is an art by itself. Art, in any of its forms, is generated by a person, or a group of talented yet usually ordinary people, that express, willingly or not, an opinion regarding present times. It is not a want; it is a need. If you try to imagine yourself without it, you are bound to feel incomplete. For many of us, it has become a necessity of our lives. Music has no boundaries. Music is the

Ever since c. 17th century, musical compositions have manipulated the standard aspects of music, which include rhythm and melody. More importantly, many musical compositions have incorporated complex math within, for examples again, melodies and rhythms that create a uniqueness that has yet to be perfectly matched by other composers. One other key aspect of music in general, harmony, is where a fairly complex mathematical formula is involved: the harmonic mean. Because harmony is a major component of music, it is no surprise that this harmonic mean can be applied to nearly all types of music. Basically, a harmonic mean-as it applies to music-~is any possible division between an original note and the octave of that note that produces a different note.