who play music to their animals, swearing that it increases milk production. Others cite recent studies showing that listening to fast music while driving can increase the chance of an accident. And then there are those who are adamant about the Mozart Effect, claiming that it boosts intelligence. While it’s true that some of these claims may indeed be overblown, it’s hard to disagree that music can have a powerful, almost hypnotic effect on our minds.
But what is music, and why are humans so absorbed by it? Every culture in our recorded history has had music in one form or another. It goes without saying that we’ll have music at all of our important cultural events, whether it’s a wedding or a wake. Composer Edgard Varese defined music as “organized sound,” but does that fully encompass what music is? Why is it that what sounds like music to some may sound like noise to others?
The technical meaning of music can be described in encyclopedias as an “art of combining sounds or sequences of notes, created by voices or various kinds of musical instruments, into rhythmic, melodious and harmonious patterns pleasing to the ear and satisfying to the thought and emotions.” But this definition lacks resonance with aficionados of some forms of music. It may be possible to understand music conceptually, rather than by definition. As a concept, we can say:
1 Music is generally understood as sounds organized with purpose, by humans or in human ways.
2 Music is a medium of communication, sharing many common points with spoken language.
3 Music is difficult to fully explain without using elements of music itself.
4 Our understanding of music does not always match how we experience, use, or engage with music and musical communities.
Is there any reason to study music when enthusiastic music lovers often claim that music is better if we don’t analyze it and just try to enjoy it? Of course there is! Music is unique in its ability to convey memories, ideas, expressions, and our aesthetic values, as well as distinguish the uniqueness of different cultures. It is these cultural aspects of music that various genres of music developed, evolved, and are passed on from culture to culture, generation to generation: Latin dance, military marches, jazz, folk, rock and roll, gospel, R&B (rhythm and blues), techno, hip hop, pop, and many others.
Despite music being “just music” for many, it remains a reflection of the cultures and societies that encapsulate it. To better understand music is to better understand ourselves, and there’s always value in that.
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