The Resounding Impact Music Creates In Our Lives
Prominence in History
Utilizing the medium of sound music as an art form has existed since prehistorical times, followed by ancient times that date back to 1500 BC. The earliest forms of music have been speculated to have existed before any extant historical sources and included examples such as Native American music from preliterate tribes and Australian Aboriginal music. This folk, traditional, and ingenious music is the closest origin of music known to humanity as much of the events relating to the origin of music occurred prior to recorded history.
However, when we read about music and its recorded account, we find it playing a crucial role in both the liveliness of human civilizations and means to transfer legacy from one generation to another. The oldest song known as per recorded history is presumably from Ugarit in Syria, some 3400 years ago and written in cuneiform. Ancient Greek history reveals the use of ancient pipes, double pipes, and the musical technique known as polyphony.
Then we have the Indian classical music (marga) that can be found in Hindu tradition where it is mentioned in great lengths in the scriptures known as the Vedas. Other notable mentions contributing to music in ancient times include Asian music, Jewish music, Persian music, Roman music, the music of Mesopotamia, and Egypt’s music.
A Vital Part of Tradition and Culture
Throughout the world, regardless of differences in cultural and traditional values, music has always played a role in bringing the community together. In some religions around the world, music plays a vital role in the performance of certain religious actions. Music gives us a sense of community and offers us a cultural identity in every part of the world.
Unlike writing, music can often relay strong emotions and feelings without the other person knowing the language or its meaning. Through its entertaining aspect, it can move people and is a definite means to much more than merely entertainment and leisure time. Due to this, music has the power to unite people together, dissolve differences, and bring us all together.
Benefits to Our Society
In modern times we find music playing a huge role in shaping societies, the way we interact as a community and shape our thoughts and actions. Due to this, many musical genres also blossomed as they related to specific needs in our society, and they withheld much relevance to a community that followed a certain lifestyle. Popular genres of music include rock, hip-hop, country, folk, jazz, heavy metal, dance, classical, soul, rhythm, and blues, to name a few.
However, to understand how music benefits our society as a whole, let us break down its impact into the following factors:
- It offers a popular means of living for millions of people around the world. In 2019 alone, the recorded music industry’s revenue amounted to $ 21.5 billion.
- Research shows that music greatly improves our capacity for social integration. Not only does it make us feel positive and relaxed, but confident as well. In return, this strengthens the community as a whole, increasing the feeling of well-being and connectedness.
- Music offers freedom of expression; it can bring attention to various problems within the community and address them openly. Simultaneously it can also be used to celebrate our greatest achievement as a nation, country, and community of people.
- Music brings us together by allowing us to experience similar feelings of joy, excitement, sorrow, love, and so much more. It speaks a universal language that integrates with various facets of our daily lives and helps build a strong community for all of its members.
Health Benefits
Now before we ask you to sign up for private music lessons in your home, there are some astounding health benefits that music has to offer that science and doctors around the world want you to know about. These include:
- Music can certainly change the way we feel or act. At a young age, music is used for aiding children to learn new concepts and things. Take the alphabet song. For example, it uses catchy tunes that enable kids to retain information and memorize through repetition.
- Studies have reported that music can help diminish stress in people as it offers a relaxing experience. Furthermore, it can also help people who are undergoing depression. The study’s findings also showed that people feel much better after listening to happy music.
- Taking into consideration the “Mozart Effect,” researchers at the University of California found a definite boost in test scores for individuals who took an IQ test after listening 10 minutes to Mozart piano sonata. In their next study, they found that the test holds true for individuals who undertook spatial reasoning, which goes to show the impact of music on our minds.
- Furthermore, Lancet Psychiatry proclaimed that listening to artists like Kendrick Lamar could help individuals suffering from health disorders find mental relaxations and closure. In a 2011 study, McGill University of Canada found that listening to music was able to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain. This mood-enhancing chemical was able to make the treatment for depression in individuals much more feasible.
Why Should You Learn to Play Music?
According to the statement made by the famous American musician Billy Joel, music has self-healing properties. This might be a good reason why you might consider taking online music lessons, but there is certainly much more to this amazing art form, such as:
- The development of language and reasoning, since the left side of the brain is better developed with music as songs, can imprint information for younger minds.
- The augmentation of memory because music can assist in the mastery of memorization. Even when students perform using a sheet of music, they are constantly using their memory to perform well. This can help students develop the skill of memorization for subjects that can relate to education and beyond.
- Enhance coordination since students who practice playing musical instruments can improve their hand-eye coordination. Similar to playing sports, children can develop motor skills when playing music.
- Provide a sense of achievement, as those who play music understand just how challenging it is to achieve perfection. Plus, when they perform well, a crowd is usually there to cheer them onwards. This accomplishment is bound to make anyone feel proud of themselves.
- Keep students engaged in school since music is not only an enjoyable subject that sparks interest in a child but can also help student musicians to stay in school and find achievement in other disciplines.
Conclusion
Music is the language of the universe, it is everywhere around us, and it fosters the feeling of togetherness in our society and communities. It is one of the most creative art forms out there and offers more than one right answer to many of our problems and the stress that most of us undergo in our daily lives.
The 21st-century workforce is imbued with limitless potential, and the music industry has continued to grow and showcase this immense talent without slowing down. I hope this post was able to offer you some delightful insights as to how music impacts our lives and touches billions across the planet. For more questions regarding the topic, please feel free to share your feedback and queries in the comment section below.