What Does Music Mean to You?
Music refers to vocal and instrumental sounds which are mixed in such a way that beauty of form, harmony and emotional expressions are achieved. It can also refer to written or printed signs and symbols that represent vocal or instrumental sounds and vibrations.
For millenniums, music has been an important feature of the human race. It is one of the universal aspects of culture for all societies. Many countries have a particular form of music that they identify with. Music is celebrated all over the world and people who make great music are held in high regard. All human beings have the capacity for musical behavior; it is influenced by the environment and the experiences of people, typically within groups. However, although music is a universal culture for all, its role, influence, and importance vary among people.
Identity
Music means identity. It is crucial to identification since it provides a strong feeling of both self and community to an individual. Individuals, cultural and social groups get to understand themselves better through cultural activities such as music. Music highlights significant aspects of a person’s identity in a cultural or social group. It constructs our sense of identity through direct experiences and enables us to place ourselves in imaginable cultural narratives.
The establishment of boundaries is a crucial aspect of all identity creation; music can be used to establish borders between groups, thereby, shaping and reinforcing social identities. It also has the potential to aid in the reproduction and alteration of pre-existing social identities. A group’s identity may be constructed and renegotiated with the use of music. To sum up, music provides an opportunity for people to demonstrate their identity.
A Form of Expression and Communication
It is one of the universal forms of expression and communication, and it influences the lives of people of all ages and cultures. In many societies, it is used to create moral unity and uniqueness. Music is communication, as the popular adage says. It provides a means by which individuals can share their intents and emotions about a topic or an event to others.
The national anthem of many countries is a typical example of an instance where music is used to communicate and express vital messages as well as historical events. Soldiers at war and people marching for a rally or demonstration may sing various kinds of music that are inclined with their situation and uplift their enthusiasm for the moment. In some societies, musical instruments such as drums, trumpets, and bells are played to communicate messages of caution or to announce an important gathering in society. Music like hymns helps to build the identity of a group in places of worship; again, love songs help couples to express their feelings for each other, thus strengthening their bond.
Cultural events such as marriages and funerals are characterized by music that demonstrates the emotions of the event. Humans can perceive emotion in music and can make meanings out of it. Thus, it breaks language barriers, and people can extract meaning and messages out of music even if the language of the spoken in it is incomprehensible to them. It can also generate physical effects that express the deep, endless, and profound emotions within an individual. Physically challenged people can use music as a medium to express their opinions about a situation.
Indeed music means communication to many people and in both archaic and modern times, people have made countless research to get the meanings of the many kinds of music available. It is highly intimate and allows people to express a message or feeling that they might not be able to express with words, as well as revealing a deeper side of themselves.
Education
Music is universal education for all. Research has proven that musical training helps to develop language and reasoning in a person. Children activate their ability to have a retentive memory when they try singing a song they have been taught. Many schools and artists see music as a medium to educate people on the right things to do in society. Most activist campaigns that are meant to educate society on pressing issues are mostly accompanied by music. People can grasp and store messages to memory easier when it is done through music.
Medicine
It is a medicinal art for many people. Research has found that listening to music literally changes the brain. Thus listening to it triggers the release of several neurochemicals that help the brain function properly and enhances mental health. There are numerous things in music that can be focused on, to stimulate the brain. One can think about the melodies or themes, the harmony, the rhythms, how the sounds are formed, or how they all connect to one another, all while trying to figure out how the composer envisioned it.
For many people, listening to music is a means through which they can stimulate their minds and experience proper relaxation. It has the ability to regulate their emotions and moods as well as help them to properly process their feelings. When people are anxious and tense, listening to music can help calm their nerves down. This makes music a basic stress reliever for many people. People listen to music after a long, busy day to help them relax and lower their stress level. A gentle and soothing type of music is preferably what can help you calm down whenever you are stressed.
Enhances Creativity
Music enhances the creative ability of people. Whether it is learning to play an instrument, performing on stage, or singing any song, the creativity of a person improves when he or she is doing anything musically. Music teaches us how to live, how to feel, and how to understand things and circumstances. It uplifts, inspires, and gives us a boost of energy. Music has the ability to push a person beyond his or her limits and make them feel powerful. Listening to music is a very healthy thing to do and as the saying goes, music is the ultimate food for the soul.
Entertainment
It is just a means of entertainment for some people. Most of us love music just because of the entertainment we get from it. Listening to music, singing, and playing a musical instrument are common enjoyable activities that bring great amusement to people. It is the main art that helps a person to engage in dancing. It provides a rhythm that encourages people to dance; dancing without music is very difficult and boring. People attend parties and join clubs so that they can be entertained through music and dance.
The majority of concerts organized that attract millions of people are musical concerts. People attend these events in order to obtain full of delights and pleasure from music and their artists. Most events will be boring, if not for the inclusion of music. It is well said that music is escapism. Even at restaurants, music is played in the background to entertain customers and this prevents them from having a boring and quiet atmosphere. Music can also serve as a soundtrack for any activity.
Soundtracks are background music that people play to motivate and psych them to achieve a task. When doing daily tasks like cooking, driving, studying, exercising, playing games, washing, etc, people play music as a source of pleasure and motivation. It brings immense joy to a person working that, sometimes the pain involved in the work is not felt. It can also serve as an entertaining company when you are alone working or even being idle.
Music Connects People
It is a means to connect many people. When people listen to music from other cultures, they gain valuable insights into another way of life. People are able to understand each other better through music. It serves as another means of conflict resolution when other options of communication are not available. People across the globe have human-to-human connections at live musical performances.
Almost everyone recalls some wonderful concert they attended with a group of friends, and many may even recall meeting someone at one of those performances. Concerts are a fantastic place to meet people from many lifestyles. The music performed stays with us, and any time we hear those songs, they bring back the memories of the time and culture we shared with people at the concerts.
In Conclusion…
Just as the world keeps evolving and changing with time, it is no different in music. A person therefore can have infinite reasons for allowing music into their lives. The influence and meaning of music to people is not constant as there are several reasons for making music unfolding each day.
