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Music is a form of art which plays an important part of our everyday life. Throughout human history, even in the old ages, people used some forms of instrument to create music, as a means of entertainment. Though, is entertainment the only purpose for music in our lives? Maybe most of us never noticed, but music can affect our mood, our productivity and also the way how we feel.

Music as a political tool

One of music’s best qualities is that it can unite a number of people closer together, to support a single aim. In 1985, music was the means that united the whole world against world poverty. Thanks to the success of Live Aid concerts, in 2005, Bob Geldof did it again, and organized another worldwide concert, Live Aid. This time he wanted the whole world to send a message to all the G8 world leaders to “Make Poverty History”. The event consisted in 10 concerts all around the world, 150 bands and 1250 musicians. Apart from concerts, there were a couple of other concerts and songs released from groups of international artists to deliver messages and raise awareness.

Music helps you concentrate and relax

Although classical music is not in everyone’s good books, it can help a person relax and concentrate. There’ve been studies that proved that if pregnant women listen to classical music; it simulates the babies’ minds. Apart from that, the woman herself will relax; therefore the baby will relax as well. Low volume classical music can help everyone concentrate, be more productive in an office, and at the same time keep a relaxed mood. A person is more productive when he listens to some relaxing music in the office, such as classical music. It is also proven that when a person listens to loud and fast music, such as house and techno music, it is much harder to concentrate on what is being done.

Music to motivate you

Ever noticed that at the gym they always play music? Fast, loud music helps you get the energy you need when tired, to give that little extra and make proper training. Usually house music is the music of choice during training sessions, because the type of beats used in such music encourages one to move around, and helps you give that little bit extra to make some proper much needed training after a day at the office.

Music as an artist’s medium

And what about music in films and animations or cartoons? To really appreciate this, try to watch an old movie without background music, and notice that you won’t get into the film itself as much as you do in today’s film. A simple test to see the effect of music on humans while watching a film is a scary movie. If there is a part of the movie where people shout and scream, most of the time is the music used in the film that prepares the human brains that something scary is going to happen. Try to watch a scary movie but without sound, will you get scared as much as you did when you watched it with sound?

As seen above, music plays a very important role in our every day life. Some people might not notice it and they simply live on with this fact, but for people who love music, should start appreciate more every kind of music genre, as they all have their purpose and time in life. There are much more purposes for music in our lives, not only the above, but it would be impossible to list them all. After all, what’s better than some old school soft rock music, while having a beer in a bar next to the sea with some friends?

Cat Steven’s “Wild World” was his first American Hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard Top 40 charts in March of 1971. But it turns out that the real meaning behind this song is not what most people assume it to be. Stevens (born Steven Georgiou and known as Yusef Islam since 1979 after becoming a Muslim) finally revealed what the song was all about only a couple of years ago.

Originally, some people understandably assumed that the song refers to Stevens’ two year relationship with American actress and model Patti D’Arbanville. This is understandable given that Stevens’ previous album Mona Bone Jakon leads off with a song titled “Lady D’Arbanville” which is full of imagery about a lady that the singer loves and who is now “dead.” The real truth about the song was told by Stevens/Islam himself while a guest on The Chris Isaak Hour in 2009. In Islam’s own words:

“I was trying to relate to my life. I was at the point where it was beginning to happen and I was myself going into the world. I’d done my career before, and I was sort of warning myself to be careful this time around, because it was happening. It was not me writing about somebody specific, although other people may have informed the song, but it was more about me. It’s talking about losing touch with home and reality – home especially.”

Here’s a few other facts about the song you might find interesting:

1. In talking about the lyrics Islam commented: “It was one of those chord sequences that’s very common in Spanish music. I turned it around and came up with that theme – which is a recurring theme in my work – which is to do with leaving, the sadness of leaving, and the anticipation of what lies beyond. There is a criticism sometimes of my music, that it’s kind of naive, but then again that’s exactly why people like it. It goes back to the pure childish approach of seeing things almost for the first time. A kid can say things like, ‘Why is a cow?’ You shouldn’t put those words together! But if you do, then it makes you stop and think.”

2. Wild World was one of the songs that convinced Islam to release a Greatest Hits album of his earlier work as Cat Stevens.

3. Stevens was not the first to release his own song. Jimmy Cliff had a version of the song that was released months before Stevens released his own original version on the album “Tea For the Tillerman”. Cliff’s version was a top ten hit in England. Steven’s own version wasn’t released as a single there.

It would be the most optimum by far for any musician to have music lessons from an early age, routinely and progressively. It goes without saying that quality of instruction is of utmost importance, as per an earlier article. A good instructor instills the musician with a solid foundation of fundamental truth, and cultivates the blossoming of virtuosity, all in a systematic manner that is not strained or rushed, but follows a line of organic development. To give the analogy of cheesemaking, if the talented student is the rennet, the instructor is the milk.

Having good instruction is so integral that it is customary for even word-class classical performers to publicly acknowledge the primary teachers who brought them up, such as in biographries, concert programs, liner notes, etc. It is usually a hallmark of prestige for the performer to validate their instructors in such a way. It is a feather in their own cap. A good instructor who is the primary one to bring up the musician is worth his/her weight in gold.

But what about those talents who are entirely self taught? Look, we understand that life produces various circumstances and that people come from all walks of life, some privileged, some underprivileged. For example, a child may possess an innate talent and passion for music, yet they may be from an environment so underprivileged that their parents or guardians may not even be able to afford lessons, let alone an instrument. Many try their best to realize their dream somehow and do the best they can within their ability. This is usually the factor behind self-education.

While there are some definite huge talents who have manifested themselves this way, the truth of the matter is that their spectrum of ability and potential could have blossomed tenfold, had they had the advantage of nurturing instruction. Think of the ingenious old man who lived in the Mississippi Delta during the early turn of the twentieth century, who had nothing but a guitar, a pick and his own voice. And look at what soulful art he created on his own. Now, think if that same individual had the advantage of a quality instructor who taught them about music and cultivated their talent for maximum potential. Their soulful expression of their art is inherent. That would not change. But their breadth and power to express that would put them on an even higher plateau, perhaps another Mozart.

There is another factor where some musicians feel they do not need instruction, that it will only impede their creativity and undermine their artistic integrity. This stems almost exclusively from bad instruction. As covered in one of my earlier articles, bad instruction does more harm than good. No instruction is almost better than bad instruction as poor teaching can ruin one’s musical appreciation. Good instruction does the exact opposite of what some fear, in that it empowers and brings out maximum creativity and ability to express one’s artistic integrity.

Interestingly enough, the ones who most commonly shun instruction are those musicians whose proclivity or gift is in composing or songwriting, more so than those who are virtuosic with an instrument or voice. There is a human tendency to be impatient when it comes to creativity. Obviously, this is more evident in creative minds. This is because the life force can “create” something instantaneously. Close your eyes and envision something, no matter how fantastic, elaborate or surreal. You envisioned it within seconds, didn’t you? That’s how the basic essence of you works. Those whose passion is to create something aesthetically, such as a composer or songwriter, for example, operate their minds with such lightning speed. To then learn such basic things as notes, etc., seems tedious to them.

The truth of the matter, however, is that music, while spiritual in nature, requires material world components to manifest, such as soundwaves, timing, etc. So as fast as it is to envision a creative concept, it is quite something else to transfer it into actual music that is heard by others and not just inside the composer’s head. The good instructor will know exactly how to cultivate this in the talented mind and bring it out with its maximum energy and force.

The accomplished musician who has been fortunate to have a main instructor who has almost mentor status will hold that person up as a trophy, because they are not only crediting them, but are showing their own prideful identity as a musician. If one fails to do this, it is an indicator that they are not actually as accomplished as they purport themselves to be.

Music is passion

Music is energy

Music is joy

Music is creativity

Music is eternal

Music is love

Music is soul

Music is life

Music is one of the greatest creations of human kind in the course of history. It is creativity in a pure and undiluted form and format. Music plays a vital role in our daily life. It is a way of expressing our feelings and emotions. Music is a way to escape life, which gives us relief in pain and helps us to reduce the stress of the daily routine. It helps us to calm down, an even excites us in the moment of joy. Moreover, it enriches the mind and gives us self confidence.

Music surrounds our lives at different moments of lives, whether we hear it on the radio, on television, from our car and home stereos. Different kinds of music are appropriate for different occasions. We come across it in the mellifluous tunes of a classical concert or in the devotional strains of a bhajan, the wedding band, or the reaper in the fields breaking into song to express the joys of life. Even warbling in the bathroom gives us a happy start to the day. Music has a very powerful therapeutic effect on the human psyche. It has always been part of our association with specific emotions, and those emotions themselves have given rise to great music.

The origins of Indian music can be traced back to the chanting of the Sama Veda nearly 4,000 years ago. The primacy of the voice, and the association of musical sound with prayer, were thus established early in the history of Indian music. Today, music is available for us in different forms and the choice for music varies from person to person just as the reading choices vary from one another. There is folk music, classical music, devotional music, instrumental, jazz, rock music, pop music, hindi movie songs and many more.

In the modern world, Music has gained an honourable designation of ‘HEALING WITHOUT MEDICINE’. Doctors feel that music therapy has been helping them in treating many people with problems like dementia, dyslexia depression and trauma.” Many children with learning disability and poor co-ordination have been able to learn, and respond to set pieces of music. Many people with genetic disability have found a new light in the form of music.

Dance critic Ashish Khokar cites an experiment as proof: “Music is produced from sound, and sound affects our sense perception in many ways. Even fish in an aquarium were once made to listen to different kinds of music and it was found that their movements corresponded with the beat of the music. Mind you, fish do not hear, they only felt the vibrations of the sound through water. So you can imagine what a profound effect sound and music might have on the human mind.”

Anand Avinash, founder of the Neuro Linguistic Consciousness workshop who has researched music therapy says,”the mystics and saints from ancient to modern times have shown how music can kindle the higher centers of the mind and enhance quality of life.” Mantras, or chants used in the West, repeated monotonously, help the mind to achieve a sense of balance. A combination of the sounds in Sanskrit mantras produce certain positive vibrations and elevate the mind to a higher lever of consciousness.

We all know that meditation cleanses the system of its negative energies and vibrations. And music is a powerful aid to meditation. In many meditation workshops, music is used to make people more aware of their moods and feelings. People are made to lie down and empty their minds and then listen to the music which is systematically changed so that they can fit through different emotions and state of consciousness.

Many people also believe that any music you respond to positively will work for you, regardless of its content. Thus, even pop music might work wonders for you.

Music affects all of us in some way or the other. It also is the most common interest of many people. People who love music, listen to it while traveling, reading, meditation, walking, some even have soft music while working in their busy routine. It helps them to relax and escape from the stress of our day-to-day lives. It can transport us to another time or place and it is a great feeling of seeing or doing or experiencing something different. People have special music corner for themselves and some people give importance to listening in silence and some people love to read with light music and even some people love listening to music before sleeping. Many people love listening to music in bathroom because they feel it is one of the few rooms in the home where privacy is routinely respected. Some people also love to sing in the bathroom and are called ‘bathroom singers’. Music has now become a part of our life as it serves different purposes for each one of us.

• It serves as an entertainment tool. For instance, in an occasion or event, music plays a vital role that makes the event to be lively for the people. Similarly, it creates cordial relationship among the people.
• Moreover, it serves as a tool for corrective measure. Music tell the people on the habit that is uncultured so that such behavior can be for better. Furthermore, it is an agent that is used to educate people. Music can easily convey message to the friends and enemies.
• It serves as tool for settling dispute between two or more people. It often helps to put an end to disagreements after listening to related meaningful songs. Music is played for the group to show harmony among them.
• Music also serves as a source of income to human life. It is a profession of particular classes of people like lyricist, playback singers, music directors, musicians, musical instrument players, djs etc.
• Lastly, music serves as a message or symbol that indicates the occurrence that is going on in a particular place or event. For instance, If bad occurrence happen in a particular place the type of music played their will show the audience or listens what happened in that event. The type of music played will justify to the listeners what actually going on there.