Music is one of the world’s most amazing forms of art. It uses silence, sound, and rhythm to convey messages and stories. It is a mathematical wonder, as well, as it contains various patterns and stimuli. Music, some say, is the universal language of the universe, and for good reason.
Defining Music
Music, at its heard, is organized sound. It contains patterns that you can look at and hear. Different cultures have preferences for different patterns, but they are found all over the world. Interestingly, these patterns manipulate human emotions, which is why so many people ‘feel’ things when they listen to music. It is also for that reason that people who are completely deaf can enjoy music, as they can feel the vibrations. Another element about the definition of music that you would learn in music college is that harmonies are vertically organized tones, and melodies are horizontally organized tones.
Music’s History
Music has played an important role in the development of every single culture in the world and it is reasonable to assume that, if extraterrestrial life exists, music will have played a part in their development as well. Different time periods have enjoyed different styles of music, and this has also gone hand in hand with the development of different types of instruments. However, what we also see all over the world is that instruments can be broadly classified into three categories: percussion, wind and string. It is fascinating to see that completely unrelated ancient cultures all came up with these three different categories, each of which are methods to manipulate sound.
Aspects of Music
Few people realize how many aspects of our lives and common history have actually been influenced by music. However, if you think about it, every part of our lives are characterized and joined by songs and music. Babies, for instance, enjoy lullabies and many expectant mothers now even play music to their pregnancy bumps. Throughout life, you go to parties at which music is always present. Music will be played at your wedding and, finally, when you die, your loved ones will play music that is reflective of who you were.
But music has influenced the world on a less individual level as well. Slaves carried boats across the ocean to the beat of the drums. Wars were lost and won to the sound of horns. Social movement was made possible thanks to protest songs. Railways were built while workers sang rhythmically. Music is all around us, it has shaped us and made us over the past thousands of years.
The Music Industry
When thinking of the music industry, many people think about the chart toppers and bands that everybody has heard of. But it is so much more than that. Again, music continues to be all around us. Think about the jingles on television commercials, the background music in elevators, the call waiting sound when you’re in a queue. What would our world be like if it wasn’t for music?
