The Evolution of Music and Its Impact on Sex, Violence and Suicide - Essay Example

The Evolution of Music and Its Impact on Sex, Violence and Suicide The Evolution of Music and Its Impact on Sex, Violenceand Suicide Introduction The oldest musical tradition was that of the Indians but it is argued that music started even before the origin of life itself because the formation of the earth such as the big bang was musical (Kenney, 2010). During the prehistoric era, the Hindu tradition was characterized by musical events which are referenced in the Hindu scriptures. Classical music within the Hindu society is specifically referred to as the earliest forms of music. Other musical scholars argue that China is the cradle of music because musical instruments from the prehistoric era were found in china and they were approximated to have been used in music cultures as far back in history as the 6600 BC (Masataka, 2007). From these arguments it can be concluded that the earliest forms of music originated in Asia. Music plays an important role in the way of life of individuals within various societies both in the ancient times and in the modern times. As music evolves, its positive and negative impact on sex, violence and suicide is increasingly being felt by the world societies. This paper is an argumentative essay which discusses the evolution of music from the prehistoric period through the middle age to the modern times which are characterized by the application of technology in the music industry. The impact of music on sex, violence and suicide within the society is also part of the argument in this essay. Music has influenced sexuality since the prehistoric period up to the modern era (Kenney, 2010). The question that arises as a result of this assertion is whether the magnitude of the impact of music on sex during the ancient times is comparable with its influence on the modern day sexuality. In the prehistoric period stringed musical instruments and flutes were used to signify various aspects of societal living including love and marriage. The kind of music which was performed during the ancient times did not glorify sexual activity. However, during the antiquity period, the western cultures influenced music significantly especially in its association with sexual activities. But it argued that during this period the ancient Greece culture was more influential on the direction music followed. The Greek society was characterized my musicians whose lyrical performance had messages on sexuality (Scherer, 2001). Therefore it can be said as time music evolved its impact on sex was being experienced more and more. But it is not correct to assume that the impact of music on sex was negative. This s because there are many genres of music some of which discourage sexual activity outside marriage. The medieval period was characterized by increased influence of the Catholic Church in the society. During this period, music was in form of artistic performances which encouraged Christianity and thus discouraged ungodly activities such as immorality and sexual intercourse. Unmarried people were discouraged from sexual activity because it was considered to be ungodly and therefore against the teachings of the Catholic Church (Agbo-Quaye, 2010). The music which discouraged sexual immorality was performed during Christian fellowships. However the negative impact of music on sexual activity was experienced in genres which were performed outside the church (Turner, 2011). During theatrical performance on sexuality, musical performances which were parallel to the themes of the lays were conducted by various artists and therefore influenced the perceptions of the audience on sexuality. But it is true to say that the impact of music on sexual activity depends on the personality of the listener because same messages may lead to either a negative or positive impact on sexual behavior depending on the individual. The 20th century experienced many developments in instrumentation and performance of various music genres. During this period, radio became more popular and there was increased musical performance in the public (Martin & Collins, 2002). The 21st century music is however described as the most significant determinant of the modern day sexual behavior in the society. Lifestyles of the 21st society was transformed by rock and roll music activities which have been described by scholars as being the vehicle through which drug and sexual activity are being exalted (Agbo-Quaye, 2010). Rock, jazz and rap musicians and bands in the modern era attract girls who spend a lot of time with them in return for sexual favors. But it is argued that not all musicians are associated with drugs and sex during their performance. Some musicians glorify love through love music and blues which have motivated many couples and made marriages work. On the other hand, technology in the 21st century music has had more negative impact on sexual morality than in the past. As opposed to the ancient period when music videos and images were not possible, advances in technology have promoted sexual images in modern music which has impacted negatively on the cultural values. It is common to view musical videos in the internet which portray nude or semi nude girls who perform in a manner which glorify sexual activity. This can therefore be attributed to the moral decay in the modern society. It is however notable that some musical genres such as gospel music promote morality through video technology of musical performance. Violence has been in existence for a long time and it is demonstrated by the ancient slavery, crime and inhumane acts against humanity. Music has also played a role in the development violence both in the discouragement of violent acts and promotion of violence (Considine, 1996). The prehistoric times are characterized by fighting which was motivated by war songs. Early Christian nations also sang in praise of their God so that they would have victory in war. This illustrates the role of music in the promotion of violent acts in the past. On the other hand ancient societies used music as a tool of promoting peace among members of the society. The discussion of music and its relationship with violence in the society leads to the question of whether the role of music in promotion or prevention of violence is related to the developments in the music industry. It is argued that music in all its forms may act to promote or prevent violence because what matters in the message carried in the music and not the level of technology in performance of the music. On the other hand it can be said that, developments in music technology over time may heighten the graphic nature of violent images which would have a greater impact on the violent behavior of the individuals within the society. This is demonstrated by the fact that modern music videos show images of violence such as shootings in their productions (Martin & Collins, 2002). In the 1970s, peace and love dominated the themes of musical performances and production (Considine, 1996). This is different in the modern music such as rap which glory violent acts and present them as the fashionable way of lives. This has caused a negative impact on the violent behavior of individuals especially the young people. However it can be argued that violence is not an adjunct of violent musical images alone. Violence is influenced by a wide range of factors which range from genetic predispositions to the environment where an individual grows or lives. In addition, modern musicians such as those who sing love and R and B genres glorify love and peace within oneself and in the whole society. Furthermore it can be argued that music plays the role of entertaining the society and the perception of the listener on musical images and messages is the one which determines whether it would lead to violent or non-violent behavior (Zaslow, 2005). Acts of suicide where people take their lives have been recorded since time immemorial. Many people have attempted or successfully killed themselves for a range of reasons and music has been said to be one of the contributors to the cases of suicide throughout the world (Agbo-Quaye, 2010). Musical message significantly influences the mindset of listeners and thus it is not surprising that one could take own life due to music related reasons. Country music for example has been demonstrated to arouse a suicidal mood among fans or listeners (Stack, 2000). Arguably, music is not an active contributor to the incidences of suicide. People commit suicide for a range of reasons ranging from love to disease. Music may only act as a trigger of self destructive behavior in individuals would have resulted to relationship problems or inability to cope with life. Young people who attempt or commit suicide have been described as acting under the influence of impulsive fantasy which is presented by rap and rock music (Martin & Collins, 2002). On the other hand, since suicidal behavior has existed even within ancient societies which had no rap or rock genres it becomes difficult do clearly determine the impact of music on self destructive tendencies among people. However, the contribution of music towards suicidal activities is demonstrated by the fact that the rate of suicide especially among young music lovers has greatly increased over time. The lyrics of various musical performances are usually taken as religious truths which influence the psychological perception of some individuals and thus trigger depression among listeners leading to suicide (Masataka, 2007). But it can be argued that the state of an individual’s mind and the psychological vulnerability leads to suicidal tendencies. This however does not dispute the fact that musical presentation, messages, images and graphics may lead to fantasies and impulsive depression and thus self destruction within some people. Conclusion Music has played an important role in the society since the prehistoric period to the modern era. Both positive and negative effects of music are experienced. For example music has been a vehicle through which morality is promoted in the society. On the other hand musical messages and images especially in the modern period of technological advances have caused decay of sexual morality in the society. In addition, music has influenced violent behavior both negatively and positively. This is demonstrated by the war lyrics in ancient times and the violent images in the modern music videos. The increasing rate of suicide especially among the youth has been associated with music genres such as country music, rap and rock. However it is argued that self destruction tendencies are caused by psychological imbalances and perceptions in addition to inability to cope with social life. References Agbo-Quaye, S. (2010). The motorway to adulthood: music preference as the sex and relationships roadmap. Sex Education, 10(4), 359-365. Considine, J. D. (1996). Violence in popular music. Nieman Reports, 50(4), 76-76. Kenney, S. (2010). A History of the Society for General Music. General Music Today, 24(1), 4-14. Masataka, N. (2007). Music, evolution and language. Developmental Science, 10(1), 35-39. Martin, B. A. S., & Collins, B. A. (2002). Violence and consumption imagery in music videos. European Journal of Marketing, 36(7), 855-855. Scherer, F. M. (2001). The evolution of free-lance music composition, 1650-1900. Journal of Cultural Economics, 25(4), 307-307. Stack, S. (2000). Blues Fans and Suicide Acceptability. Death Studies, 24(3), 223-231 Turner, J. (2011). Sex and the Spectacle of Music Videos: An Examination of the Portrayal of Race and Sexuality in Music Videos. Sex Roles, 64(3/4), 173-19. Zaslow, B. (2005). Mozart in the jungle: Sex, drugs, and classical music. Library Journal, 130(7), 90. Read More