The Power of Music
Music is the expression of emotion through the medium of sound. From the very first moment a human heard a songbird and endeavored to recreate that beauty, or beat on a hollow log and found the rhythm compelling, music has become the most powerful freedom given by God. Music, in itself, is a characteristic common and unique to all cultures throughout the world. Every culture in history includes music as an important part of everyday life. Music, as a part of culture, will most often have more roles to play than a source of auditory pleasure. According to anthropologist, Raymond Firth, "They have work to do, to serve as funeral dirges, as accompaniments to dancing, or to serenade a lover."(p171) However, the
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Often there is a radio blasting some rhythmically driving "Rock and Roll" song. (Rock and Roll is a direct offspring of the blues) A friend of mine, who is a carpenter, explained to me this way; "You're just out there workin' and gettin' all sweaty, and listnin' to the music, and pretty soon you're still workin' but you don't know it cause' your mind is somewhere else." Music can create a tight fraternity among groups of people. Music is often used in the military to organize and coordinate the movements of large groups of people. Short rhythmic melodies, called cadences, are sung by soldiers as they are marching in order to keep a common time and a constant beat. Music has even been used as a form of secret communication in small groups. B.B. King, a legendary blues singer, recalls stories passed down from his great-grandmother, who was a slave. " They [the slaves] were also delivering messages in musical code. If the master was coming, you might sing a hidden warning to the other field hands...that was important to the women because the master could have anything he wanted." (King and Ritz,p110) A societies music is what holds it together as a group. According to Edward O. Wilson, a Harvard socio-biologist; "Singing and dancing serve to draw groups together, direct the emotions of the people, and prepare them for joint action." (p564) In many tribal cultures, ritualistic singing
When I was in fifth grade, I was caught between two worlds, playing a woodwind or string instrument. If I played a woodwind instrument I would have to blow in it to make music, but string instruments are played with a bow to make music. After much thought, I decided that the violin was the best instrument for me, because it has a beautiful, unique sound, plus the possibilities are never-ending. I could receive a compliment from a teacher, or even get accepted to the symphony.
All cultures following prehistory had a musical background, therefore everyone can connect more effectively with a music containing a message than a speech, therefore spreading the message more effectively. “The freedom songs are playing a strong and vital role in our struggle” (MLK). In the case of the Civil Rights Movement, it was the prominent method to give the group a voice, represent them, and highlight their determination for social change. When times were hard for the movement, they would also rely on songs to sustain morale:
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
Attention Getter: What is music? Many people say that it’s a harmonious beautiful sound that is pleasing to the ear. According to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a nineteenth century poet and educator, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Not only is music a type of communication but it’s also type art which many people fail to remember.
Music is another language people use whenever they want to express their feelings. Whether they are angry or passionate, there is always a melody for that emotion. It is universal and it brings people together. There are so many amazing artists that have a substantial influence on this generation and past generations.
Throughout the many years of time, music has been associated with the lives of humans. Ranging from the oldest recorded music in 1888, The Lost Chord, to Motherese, or the way that mothers “sing” to their babies to communicate to them, to our modern music of radio stations blaring our favourite song while we drive from place to place. Music has found its place within human lives, intertwining its existence with ours. Incredibly enough, humans have found a way to harness music with our very hands and create elegant melodies from tools. Beginning with instruments that look like a guitar, instruments that look like a flute and instruments that look like a drum, we began making controlled music with rhythms and harmonies. As years passed and civilization began to grow, musicians came to be. These ancient musicians played music for others on the instruments that they would make and performed for many.
The Musical Composition that has changed my life to how I see music is the song The Stroke from Billy Squier. I did not really know the meaning of the song, but it really Widened my Horizon in terms of music from only before listening to The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Monkeys. Then later being able to listen to Rush, AC/DC, Aerosmith And Other Really good rock bands that I still love today. Then I started collecting Records then I started collecting CDs, the first album I bought for myself is the majestic Black Sabbath Album “Paranoid” The album with the musical compositions Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs/Luke’s Wall, Planet Caravan, Rat Salad, Electric Funeral, And Fairies Wear Boots. This album was such an amazing introduction to Black
Music has a way of expressing certain thoughts and feelings that cannot be articulated with words. What goes on in a culture at any given time period is directly associated with and connected with the music that accompanies it. It is the music that directly reflects any type of social and/or political change. Even though, in some societies, its use has been controlled and monitored, it has nonetheless never failed to instill some sort of change due to its ability to spread like wildfire amongst protesters and individuals who are seeking change. People can relate with one another through the use of music and express how they truly feel. This is evidently seen during the Civil Rights Movement. This paper will look at how music was an integral
There is no disputing that society is influenced by its choices of entertainment. Some ways in which people are influenced are positive, but others are harmful. In the society we live in, the harmful ways always outnumber the positive. If we gravitated toward the positive forms of entertainment a little more often than the negative, then our society would have fewer problems. Popular music has a negative effect on society and endorses a lack of creativity.
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.
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.”
Musical instruments have played many major roles in helping with the construction of many societies around the world today. Many people do not realize what musical instruments have been responsible for and how they have helped shape the world today. There have been many instruments that have helped create and sculpt the world, but one instrument that I want to inform readers about is the trumpet and where it came from, as well as how it has changed over many years. The point that I am arguing is the fact that many people do not know where the trumpet has come from and how it has affected society.
When music is created, it integrates the cultural and emotional situations that occur in everyday life. People create dances to the
It is no doubt that music has played a vital role in our society. Everything from loud, head-banging concerts to religious ceremonies have utilized the medium of music because of its awe-inspiring qualities. Music is basically the control of sound. We can control this sound by varying the pitch, tempo, octaves, dynamics and so on. There are thousands of ways that we can use music and to shape it to how we want to hear it. But how much has music influenced the way we think today? Why is it so popular?
“Evidence suggests that music remains just as essential to the human race now as it did 70,000-80,000 years ago.” (Harvey, 2011) Music, song, and dance as art forms have completely integrated with the art works to tell a whole story of the human culture, its history, and its beliefs. The art of music implements cohesion among a society and acts as a framework to our social architecture. “For many, the evolution of art in Homo sapiens is a unique event that is linked to the evolution of the cognitively modern mind.” (Harvey, 2011) As the human mind has evolved, so has art. Sounds, especially music has had a direct effect on the evolution of mankind. Recent studies have shown how the mnemonic structure of music aids and promotes memory, learning, and the organization of knowledge. It is also proven to add structure to time. Cultures and the human species have continued to do and create art over several time periods because it allows humans to not only