When an object or idea has inherent value, it is
permanently essential. In terms of music, it has been around for centuries. As
it has not disappeared, but evolved, I believe that music is permanently
essential - that is, it has inherent value. But what could have made it this
way? Music has been around for at least fifty thousand years. In the beginning,
prehistoric people mimicked the sounds of nature. I can infer that this sort
of music provided an early form of communication for them, and communication has been a key point in the development of the world. Without communication, we wouldn't be where we are today. Later, music and song was used to convey
moral and/or religious stories. This is and was beneficial in terms of teaching
right from wrong. Throughout the ages, music continued to evolve and serve as a
reflection of history. In the Medieval Age, it was around in the form of
Gregorian chant – a monotonous, purely vocal style involving Latin lyrics used during church services. During the Renaissance, music became more tonal, contrasting
the bleak sound of Gregorian chant due to the addition of string instruments
such as the violin and classical guitar (commonly mistaken for a “Spanish”
guitar). This change in music reflected the time when music left its sacred boundaries
for more secular (or worldly) compositions. A commonly known example of music
from this time period is the opera, which tells stories through singing and
musical accompaniment, clearly more for entertainment than education. Baroque
music reflected improvisation, so composers of that time period such as Johann
Sebastian Bach would be considered close to “metal-heads” today, as
improvisation is huge with heavier styles of rock. Improvisation is on the spot
and has no particular rules, so it can be considered “rebellious” for the time,
hence my comparison to a modern example of “rebellious” music. Finally, the
Classical era brought forth melodic instrumentals that could replace opera
singers and spur the Romantic era, which made music more personal, emotional,
and expressive. Music, I’d say, as we know it today. Although its focus in this
century is more on the individual or particular groups of individuals, it still
holds as much inherent value as it did through defining history because it
allows people like me to relate to others, for best or worst, as well as learn
when I have no one else to learn from. Intercommunication is important to the
structure of society, and it is a popular belief that human society as we know
it will not disappear anytime soon. If that is so, then we need a flexible
system of understanding. For some, that may not be music, but one cannot deny
that there are so many musical genres nowadays; it is only a matter of time
before someone finds a style they enjoy and live by. Music as a whole has
inherent value because of such connections to and reflections of history and
culture. Earth has grown from a barren wasteland to a flourishing community, as has music; therefore someone or something must find it permanently essential.
2 comments:
After reading your post, I am left with a couple of questions. I feel though you were very thorough with how music has effected the world as a whole, but did not go in-depth with your personal opinions. My first question is: how do you feel about using MP3 converters and the like to download music for free? My second question is: who do you believe owns/has the rights to a song after it is written?
The downloading of music, while illegal and can take away from the artist, is a great tool of the 21st century. Most of the artists I listen to care more about people understanding the meaning of songs which does not require purchasing their music. A composition of any sort belongs to the original writer, but that can get messy if there wasn't paperwork involved with the original writer. For example, you write some lyrics, I put chords to them and sing them. We play it in band practice. Later down the road, we lose track of each other, and I record this song. Whose song is it?
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