Music-Culture Questions - Essay Example

Music Introduction Music has been a part of human civilization since the earliest times of human existence. The evolution of music over the centuries has made it an almost integral part of human life to the extent that music stars become heroes of a country and are immortalized in memory, stamps, or statues and by their very own work. From the classical producers of music like Beethoven and Bach, the rock stars of the 60s to the boy band fever of the 90s, music has been an essential aspect of art and culture for our society. I. General Listening Profile Part A With regard to my own experience, I find it very difficult to estimate how many hours per day I listen to music especially if I include the songs running in the background while I work on my computer or when I am sitting in a lab. However, on a conservative estimate I would guess that I listen to at least 2 hours of music on a daily basis. Often, I will leave the music playing while the TV is on and mute the TV while I work on my computer with the music playing in the background. Or I will put my headphones on while I am commuting to drown out the other noises while my iPod keeps me entertained. However, I can not deny that I do begin to tap my feet even if I hear a particularly good ring tone on someone’s phone. Part B My typical listening process is passive since I let music flow over me while I am actively concentrating on checking email, working on a document, or just closing my eyes and thinking about something else. However, I would have to say about 10-15% of the time is also spent pondering and following the music where I concentrate on the words and the instruments which are being played out. This is especially true if a nice song comes up in the random selection which iTunes makes for me. Part C I do not think that any particular style or group has ever attracted me enough to make it my favorite. Luckily, iTunes has a method of sorting songs which lets me know how many times I have listened to a particular song and it seems that Youre The Top by Ella Fitzgerald is the song most played in my collection while a close second is Im Not Like Everybody Else by The Kinks. These are both very inspirational songs but with very different styles since Fitzgerald sings in a style that reminds me of classic lounge R&B while The Kinks can be categorized as a rock band. You’re The Top is a mellow song while I’m Not Like Everybody Else has some heavy beats and some very fast sections. II. Music-Culture Questions The two songs mentioned above may also find their place because they are part of a play list which I made entitled ‘uplifting songs’ however, a song which is not part of any custom play list on my computer and is highly played on my system is Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen and it seems to be a very good representation of a song I actively listen to without letting it pass over me. Part D The nature and purpose of music here is to express emotions and display what the artist is feeling. The song is almost spiritual and there are quite a few religious references to the Judeo-Christian system which many of us are familiar with. There are times when I am not sure if the song or the singer is happy, sad or just pensive but it never fails to inspire me and that I think is the essence of music i.e., it should inspire listeners in some way or the other. Part E The piece is worthy because it invokes several images from history which have relevance in legend that are certainly inspirational. I am not very familiar with the meaning behind the word ‘hallelujah’ but the way it is said and the way the chorus repeats the word in a rising voice is particularly inspiring. Since that was my criteria for selecting the piece I liked I think Leonard Cohen did a good job with this song. Part F I think that a CD or an MP3 can do justice to the song since I have listened to it on both CD and MP3. However, it might be possible to enjoy the song more if I was driving a convertible across the English country side. It might even be more enjoyable if I could listen to it in a chamber environment or a cathedral but fundamentally I do not think that the addition of a place would add much to the value of the song. At the same time, listening to the song in a death metal club might not be a bright idea. Part G The song seems to be written for those people who like soft rock or those who like to listen to inspirational music, soft rock or even country. It does not contain any fast beats or fast sections and it would be rather difficult to dance to it unless the dancers are doing a slow dance. It does sound similar to music which might be preferred by an older generation but social distinction and stereotypical points would have to be retracted before an assumption can be made about the type of people who would listen to it. Of course, a familiarity with biblical stories would only heighten the understanding of the songs and even though I do not have it I can still enjoy it. Part H I think that the availability of the music in the market certainly influences what people like in certain times. I am sure that the music produced in Turkey or Japan for that matter could be as inspirational or as fun as the music produced in America but language barriers and problems in understanding which come from the culture itself could define what a person likes rather than what they would prefer if they knew otherwise. I do not think that this answer matters a lot since regional music flavors have always been present in history and will continue to be present as long as different cultures exist. However, with the forces of globalization, this could soon change. Artists could be as popular in Pakistan or Nigeria as they are in America if the international media continues to push and support them. Read More