Music is defined as ‘any sound produced by either vocal or instrumental (or both) activity to generate harmony and/or convey emotions’.
Music is the use of sound to create patterns. These patterns can evoke and stir up emotions and images in listeners’ minds such as excitement, or joy.
It is an art of the sense of sound, which expresses emotions and ideas via the elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre and resonance. Lyrical music involves the synchronization of words and sounds put together.
Music defines the soothing tones as well as the sounds, either in a single line (melody) or more than one line (harmony), that are created by one or more instruments and/or voices, or both. It is an organized melodious sound in succession that produces a composition having unity, harmony and continuity.
Music involves a pattern of sounds and melody produced by various musical instruments, voices and their combinations to give a feeling of pleasure and entertainment to the audience who are listening to it. Music can be played on numerous instruments, belonging to numerous categories such as:
- Percussion instruments.
- bowed wings,
- Stringed instruments.
- Wind instruments.
- keyboard instruments.
The human voice may also be described as an instrument. The word music can also refer to musical notes as written down on a score.
Types of music: Music can be divided up into various genres, such as jazz, classical, hip-hop, blues, reggae, and so on.
The importance of music is discussed below:
- Outlet to convey your deep seated feelings: Music gives you a way to convey your feelings to the targeted audience who are listening to it. Instrumental or vocal, every form of music is brimmed with emotions and feelings, which cannot be expressed in plain words.
- Serves to elevate moods of people: Music soothes people. Music is not only a form of entertainment, but is also considered a therapy. If you are feeling bogged down or low, listening to your favorite genre of music can do wonders to elevate your mood. Music works to uplift your mood like nothing else and is the best therapy to abolish melancholy. Music is the natural anti-depressant, which can push away sorrows and lighten up your mind with its healing powers.
- Favorite pastime: Music is the permanent solution to boredom. Music comes under the universal category of ‘favorite pastime’ of most people. Time flies when you listen to your favorite songs. If you are lonely and have nothing to do, music will always be beside you to be your best buddy. Just turn up the volume and enjoy its company and say goodbye to loneliness.
- The best hobby to take up: Music is not only for listening, but you can also enjoy playing instruments or singing yourself. Music is an artistic hobby to nurture and most people love to cultivate music. This creative hobby will make your life happier and your free time more enjoyable. Keyboard, guitar, violin, drums, etc. are some of the popular musical instruments played by people with a hobby for music.
- Gateway to potential career opportunities: If you are good at any form of music, you have a career opportunity waiting for you. Making a career out of music is a dream for a lot of aspiring singers and instrument players. Playback singer, member of a musical band, instrument player, stage concert artist, disk jockey, lyricist, music director, sound recording jobs, etc. are some of the many opportunities available in the music industry to take up as a career. A career in music is fame and money personified.
- Essential component of movies: Movies are incomplete without music. Especially Indian movies cannot thrive without good music. Also, movies all over the world are filled with music like background scores and as a part of thematic music. Music gives life to movies and spices them up.
- As a religious measure: Music is also used in the religious aspect. Religious festivals have us singing praises to God in the form of musical choirs. Musical prayers are a way of seeking blessings from the Almighty in every religion around the globe. Music not only pleases humans but also God! Religious music is a different form altogether. Holy songs and verses written from time immemorial are still sung by people to please Gods. Some of the Christmas carols are so popular that they are part of kids` school curriculum as well.
- Helps concentrate better: Slow and soothing composition of music helps us in improving our concentration powers as well. Most students like to play some music to focus better while studying for their exams and this actually helps them in a positive way. Music can have you concentrate only to it and eliminate all other distractions from your mind. This is the very reason why some of the meditation centers play soothing background music for their visitors. Spa parlors also play music in the background to help people relax.
- Defines the existence of dance: Without music, dance forms wouldn`t have existed of course! Dance is a form of art, which is completely dependent on music. Music is not only an entertainment form in itself, but it also gives rise to dance.
- Brings out the creativity in man: The ability to create good music is the best creativity of man so far. This hidden talent in people comes out to entertain people in masses. Music unites everyone and is a common factor among people all over the world. Music is omnipresent and is loved by one and all.
Good and melodious music is like Nature. It nurtures human beings and makes them feel good from within. You can judge people by the taste of their music. Music defines people in more ways than one. The resonance sound that music creates soothes people, God and nature alike! There is no escaping from the power of music. Every feeling of a human being can be captured in music and conveyed to the masses in the form of a melody. Thus, music can be said to be the first love of a human being and it completely brings out the creativity in them.
Whether we can play a musical instrument ourselves or not, there is no denying that music can truly enhance our lives. Music also spreads peace and harmony between people and nations. So keep listening to good music and ‘Make music not war’.
Contributors: Purbita, Laura
Compiled by Editor.