Music is a powerful form of communication that can inspire and promote human beings in different ways. Whether it is used to calm an anxious child or as a motivating tool before a job interview, music has been an integral part of every culture in history. Today, cutting-edge scientific research is proving that music can help increase the human ability to concentrate and achieve more complex tasks. It can also reduce blood pressure and relieve pain.
The simplest definition of a song is a combination of melody and lyrics, often with a beat or rhythm. Some people also include harmony and timbre in this category. Timbre is the characteristic sound of a musical instrument or the way in which one’s voice sounds. Historically, songs have evolved over the centuries, and their characteristics differ from culture to culture. Irish folk songs, African storytelling songs and Christian hymns are all quite different from rock music, but they all fall into the general category of song.
Many philosophers have sought to explain the nature of music, and the ideas and emotions that it can evoke. These philosophers range from Plato, who believed that earthly music was a shadow of the ideal, to Aristotle, who held that music could express universal truths. Some of these philosophers focused on the intrinsic qualities of a musical work, while others viewed music in terms of the social, moral and spiritual values it could engender in human society.
It is important when writing about music to be aware of how your opinions and conclusions might affect the reader. If you approach the subject from an inductive perspective, you should focus on establishing the facts about a specific musical piece and its composers before attempting to draw conclusions or judgments. It is possible that practically anything in the composers’ lives might have affected their music, but you should limit this to the work or works you are discussing.
A misunderstanding of the nature of music can be disastrous, as it can lead to a lack of appreciation for a particular genre or style. This can be particularly problematic for musicians, who must rely on the listener to gauge their artistic value and to understand the meaning of their music. It can also be dangerous for writers of articles about music, as it is easy to make assumptions and then find yourself at the wrong end of a highly emotional debate. It is not uncommon for a musician to be so angry at an article that they demand changes or even that it be pulled from publication. This type of incident is not only embarrassing for the writer, but it can also have legal implications.