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The Impact of Music on Society

Music plays an important role in human society by bringing people together for celebrations, mourning, and other events. Throughout history, music was a natural part of everyday life for most people. Understanding the role of music in society provides insight into human nature. Music transcends language and fills expressive limits. It also has relationships with other arts, medical science, and the economy. According to music experts, music is a form of organized chaos that allows people to express and experience emotions in a way that words cannot.

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Waqas Irfan
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
91 views5 pages

The Impact of Music on Society

Music plays an important role in human society by bringing people together for celebrations, mourning, and other events. Throughout history, music was a natural part of everyday life for most people. Understanding the role of music in society provides insight into human nature. Music transcends language and fills expressive limits. It also has relationships with other arts, medical science, and the economy. According to music experts, music is a form of organized chaos that allows people to express and experience emotions in a way that words cannot.

Uploaded by

Waqas Irfan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Explain The Role Of Music In Our Society

“… Whenever humans come together for any reason, music is there, weddings,
funerals, graduation from college, men marching off to war, stadium sporting
events, a night on the town, prayer, a romantic dinner, mothers rocking their
infants to sleep and college students studying with music as a background….”
- Daniel Levitin 

Throughout most of the world and for most of human history, music was
as natural an activity as breathing and walking, and everyone participated.
Concert halls, dedicated to the performance of music, arose only in the last
several centuries. Understanding why we like music and what draws us to
it is therefore a window on the essence of human nature.

One of the really fascinating things about music is that technically- in a


very literal way- it doesn’t exist. A painting, a sculpture or a photograph
can physically exist, while music is just air hitting the eardrum in a slightly
different way than it would randomly. It provides us with a strange self-
generated celebration of the human condition in the face of a universe that
is ancient and vast beyond our understanding. A great piece of music has a
lot to do with being in the right place at the right time.   There are timeless
pieces that hit the zeitgeist, and change people’s thinking… but are
relevant to the time. If Mozart was alive today, and was composing what
he composed during his lifetime, it might not have the same impact now as
it had then. At the moment it was being created, it broke a boundary, did
something new, grabbed us in a way we hadn’t been grabbed before… and
as we look back over time, we can see this is why things withstand time.
Why do we still chill when we hear Sinatra, or Presley or The Beatles or
Mozart! It’s because at that time, they were breaking through, taking us to
a new place. It’s getting harder and harder in today’s world.
Music and Language
Music transcends the limits of language. The English and other languages
are vast, but still there is a limit to them. Music comes in to fill those limits.
It looks at the way we can’t express ourselves through the spoken or
written word and makes up for the lack. It definitely is an extension of
language. It is the only language that speaks emotions.

Music and Other Arts


There is a symbiotic relationship that all the arts have with each other.
Photographers listen to music, musicians look at photographs, and
everyone can be friends. One of the things I love about a pseudo-
interdisciplinary approach to arts is that when a musician walks into an art
gallery, they tend to have quite a lot of innocence when exposed to the art
as they are not a visual artist. When musicians walks into an art gallery to
look at paintings, they’re not concerned with how they were made, nor are
they jealous of the artists career, they are just having a very direct and
honest reaction to the work. In this sense, some of the favorite musical
opinions come from non-musicians as they tend to see things more
innocently and naively- in a really healthy way.

Music and Medical Science


Music has unlimited powers, is a well established fact. It has both soothing
and healing abilities. Just as the application of balm relieves our brain of its
ache and tension, such as music can relax the tense muscles of our body.
The melodious notes of music have the capacity to cure the mental or
physical fatigue of a weary person. Music has miraculous powers for
treating certain mental ailments such as anxiety, abnormal excitement or
depression. It is also helpful for the treatment of patients suffering from
insomnia. It has excellent exhilarating power. It can be compared to
mother’s love. Just as a child forgets everything and feels joy in mother’s
lap, in the same way we forget all worries and anxieties in musical
environment.

Music and Economy


Alongside the social and philosophical context, music plays an important
economic role. Conservatively it is estimated that the broad industry of
music contributes over US$ 160 billion to global GDP- around the size of
the entire New Zealand economy.

Music According to the Masters


Let’s take a look at some of the most incredible minds in this field. Let’s see
what they have to say about music.

Hans Zimmer
(International Award Winning composer and music producer who has composed
music for over 100 films)

“Music is organized chaos! ….but not necessarily in a bad way, as organized


chaos can sound pretty good! For me, the operative word in music is play. I’ve
never been very good at ‘growing up’- and in fact, that was reflected in what I
did last night. I went into a room with a bunch of musicians- we sat down and
we just started playing, we didn’t even need to speak with each other. That
level of communication, trust and friendship is phenomenal. It’s one of the most
special things in my life, and I feel that anyone who can’t have experiences like
that may be living a less fulfilling life. I won’t be giving it up anytime soon!”

Rusty Reuff
(Chairman of The Grammy Foundation)
“For me, music is the language, which allows us to express  emotion. We each
have emotion inside of us that we need to get out, and ones we need to
experience; and often words are not enough. Music is that vehicle to express
emotion, when words don’t suffice. Think… Why do we put music behind
slideshows we make at home, in sound tracks to movies? To change our mood
when we get in the car? To help us deep think? Music is that language  that
helps us express and experience emotion.”

The Five Examples

“Meet John Constantine”


Movie: Constantine
Composer: Brian Tyler
Genre: ‘Clichéd and Religiously Formulaic’
Link: [Link]

“Is She With You?”


Movie: Dawn Of Justice
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Genre: Alternative Rock
Link: [Link]

“Daydreaming”
Artist: Radiohead
Album: A Moon Shaped Pool
Genre: Ambient
Link: [Link]

“Kirpi – The Song”


Artist: Buddha Bar
Genre: Chill out
Link: [Link]
“Ab Meray Paas Tum Aai Hou”
Artist: Jagjit Singh
Genre: Ghazal
Link: [Link]

Conclusion
Incredible as it may sound, I fear the people of the future will forget the
role of music in their lives. I honestly can't remember the last time I talked
to a young person who was really interested in a particular band, composer
or artist. People seem to spend their free time doing anything but listening
to music, and the way media promote certain music styles and performers,
matches with the inevitable progress of the music. A world without music
would be unimaginable; a huge chunk of the social communication
mechanism would be gone.

As Friedrich Nitezsche said, “…Without music, life would be an error.“

Common questions

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Music transcends language by filling in the gaps where spoken or written words fall short, serving as an extension of language itself. It uniquely expresses emotions, enabling individuals to convey feelings that words cannot fully capture . This emotional capacity of music is utilized in scenarios such as soundtracks for movies, where it enhances the emotional experience beyond what visuals and dialogue alone can achieve .

Music is considered a vital language because it uniquely expresses and facilitates emotional communication when words are insufficient. Prominent figures like Rusty Reuff highlight that music allows us to experience and express emotions in ways that words cannot, serving as a vehicle for emotional communication across various contexts, such as films and everyday activities .

Hans Zimmer describes music as 'organized chaos' that thrives on the playful element of creativity, suggesting that the unstructured exploration in music fosters creativity and innovation. This dynamic interaction allows musicians to communicate and create art collaboratively without constraints, promoting a flow of ideas and innovation that is crucial for fulfilling creative potential .

Music functions as a therapeutic tool by possessing soothing and healing properties that can alleviate physical and mental stress. It can relax tense muscles, reduce symptoms of mental ailments like anxiety and depression, and assist in treating conditions such as insomnia. Music’s therapeutic efficacy is comparable to the comfort provided by a mother's love, enabling individuals to forget worries and find joy .

Philosophical perspectives assert that music is a fundamental component of the human condition, reflecting our emotions and experiences. It is seen as an essential part of life, offering a self-generated celebration of humanity and an avenue for emotional exploration. Friedrich Nietzsche argues that life without music would be a grave error, emphasizing its indispensable role in enriching existence and fostering social communication .

Music supports emotional and psychological well-being by providing a calming effect that alleviates stress, anxiety, and depression. It creates an environment akin to maternal comfort, helping people forget worries and promoting a sense of joy and tranquility. The ability of music to tap into deep emotional states facilitates therapeutic healing and enhances overall mental health .

Music contributes significantly to the global economy, with the industry estimated to add over US$ 160 billion to global GDP. This economic impact is equivalent to the size of the entire economy of New Zealand, indicating the substantial role music plays in global financial systems .

Music influences social interactions and cultural activities by being an integral element in ceremonies, events, and daily life, creating shared experiences and emotional bonds. It is ubiquitous in settings like weddings, funerals, and sporting events, enhancing emotional experiences and promoting communal participation. Music acts as a unifying force, fostering social connections through its presence in varied cultural contexts .

Music shares a symbiotic relationship with other art forms, facilitating a pseudo-interdisciplinary approach. Artists from different disciplines, like photographers and musicians, engage with each other’s work with innocence and honesty, devoid of technical biases. This interaction enriches creative experiences and leads to unique interpretations, highlighting the interconnectedness and mutual inspiration between various artistic expressions .

The historical context of music creation is crucial to its enduring impact because music that breaks boundaries and introduces novel elements resonates with its contemporary audience. Compositions like those of Mozart were impactful because they tapped into the zeitgeist of their time, influencing people’s thinking and remaining relevant across generations due to their ability to capture and transform cultural and emotional currents .

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