Music Appreciation - Essay Example

?Music Appreciation Music, according to Encarta Dictionary, is “sound that are usually produced by instruments or voices, which are arranged or played in order to create an effect”, “the art of arranging or making sounds, usually those of musical instruments or voices, so as to create an effect”. I define music as an expression of deep feelings that one may not know how to express out openly (Encarta, 2009). I used to see music as something that people used as an escape means from reality. But in truth, it is much more than that. Music is an identity, an innovation, biology, furniture, music is ubiquitous, and it embraces and captures so much more that can be imagined. Studying the different time periods such as the Renaissance, Baroque period, Classical period, all these time periods contributed in different ways to the music we have today. Take for example, the kind of music that was played in the Baroque period. Music at that time lacked coherent melody, was filled with unremitting dissonances, constantly changed key and meter, and speedily ran through every compositional device. Look at the Classical period as well. Music during this time was balanced. Nothing was too fast or too slow, or too loud, or too soft. The texture of this type of music was lighter and clearer than Baroque music and less complex. Variety of keys, melodies, rhythms and dynamics along with frequent changes of mood and timbre were more commonplace in the Classical period than they had been in the Baroque. One thing that amazes me is that back in these different eras, there was a distinct type of music that most people played, what was acceptable. In the baroque, it was fast music, in the Classical time, it was orchestrated music. In the Renaissance period, there was the development of respect for rhythm and sense of the words in texting. However, in our modern time and day, you have not necessarily just one type of music that is being played or dominant, but many different kinds, and a combination of all these different rhythms make me really appreciate the generation that we live in. This can be seen in the hit charts, in music that comes out today. Look at Alicia Keys, her music is an incorporation of both classical music and pop with a slight jazzy feeling to it. Another good example is of bands, such as One Republic. When they released their single, “Apologize”, there was incorporation of their classical music instruments, and the song in itself was a very emotional song filled with meaning. This realization helps me realize that just like how we are progressing, unlike before where people were more narrow-minded and only open to their own ideas but now we see a blending of all these different forms of music, we should be learning from the past. We should take the good and leave the bad, and bring all these good ideas together to form disciplines that will change our lives for the better. We should take the different music from different cultures and bring it together to form songs that will unite us as one and help us grow. These days, people tend to look more to Western music as the “ideal”, whatever is being done in western music, is what should be followed, but I believe this is wrong. Every culture has a rich background that they can bring to the table. I think we should learn to embrace our uniqueness, and stop trying to urge everyone to be like us. We’re connected across the planet. We can share the views of people on music, the arts, and culture via a wide array of internet-available nets capes, blogs, and interactive venues. We can access the musical world easily, purchase it, and download it. We can learn it by listening to sources, and asking questions of it, interactively. We’re also connected to cultures living locally—at home, within our families, schools, and communities. There we can quite easily make the effort to know the children we teach, the human resources that are available to give support to our teaching efforts, and the music-makers that range from the occasional and recreational to the seriously professional.  My favorite composer from the course is Antonio Vivaldi, who was a prominent composer in the Baroque period. Vivaldi, who was nicknamed “The Red Priest” because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence was widespread over Europe. Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pieta, a home for abandoned children where Vivaldi worked from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740 (Kolneder, 11-18). The reason why I am fond of Vivaldi is because he was an unsung composer in his time. He was never really as widely recognized as composers in his time, but he composed anyway. In fact, he died a pauper, without a steady source of income. He had a hard life, but that didn’t dampen his passion for music, and because he was diligent, we can today appreciate and play beautiful music from him. Today, Vivaldi ranks among the most popular and widely recorded Baroque composers (Kolneder, 19-21). Life is like that many times. We keep working and slaving away, not seeing the fruits of our labors and it can be very discouraging. But as I read Vivaldi’s story, it gave me hope and helped me realize that I should never give up. I may not see the end to what I do, but I should do it anyway, because someone that comes after me will appreciate it, and it will serve its purpose. Even though I may not be lucky as to see the results of my labors while I am alive, it is a comfort to know that maybe someone after me will benefit from it. This class has helped open my mind to the richness of music around the world. Looking at how far it has come, the different eras, different composers, it just helps me appreciate it that much more. Music is more than just melodies and tunes, the words that are sung mean something. When a composer writes a piece, it is coming from somewhere, and when someone decides to play a song or sing it, he/she needs to understand the message that the composer wanted to bring across, and do the music justice. One thing that I would love to do is share this knowledge that I have learnt with my friends and family. I know many people who could care less about where music comes from, all that matters to them is the beat of a song and how it makes them feel. I want to help them see that there is more than that. I would love to help them learn how to truly appreciate a song. I know it doesn’t really seem like much, but when one learns to look beyond the superficial, it gives the song so much more meaning, and I want to be able to help people capture emotions that maybe they themselves are going through, that a composer may have gone through, and as they listen to a particular song, they can be calmed, knowing that it caters to their specific mood or problem. Music appreciation as you and I experience it in everyday life is a learned process. What we've been exposed to, the associations that we have with music, what our personalities are, where we're coming from -- those all very heavily influence the kind of music that we like to buy when we go to a store. But all of us are born into the world with the capacity to apprehend the emotion and meaning in music. Music is something that was made to be appreciated. There are many different ways to appreciate it. Try finding your folk, indie or alternative songs make the most sense when you play them softly. The volume from your stereo does not need to be always high. You get to hear the words right and the beats are never missed. It is very soothing and relaxing and acts as a great stress buster. Another way to appreciate music is sampling music from different parts of the world.  If you are visiting Africa, check out what they have. You might end up loving their folk songs. If you are in Brazil, you may try and join the carnival. By doing this you appreciate the talent and magic from different people. It enriches your experience and adds to your knowledge in music. When music is used in therapy it can reach even those resistant to other treatment approaches due to its accessibility, familiarity, feelings of security associated with it, and its capacity to express the range of human emotion. Music is a medium that reaches out to different kinds of people around the globe. It brings the African teenager boy together with the Russian mother. It ties us together. It’s important that we learn to appreciate this gift, and make the best use of it. WORKS CITED Kolneder, Walter. Antonio Vivaldi, His Life and Works. Los Angeles, CA: University Of California Press, 1970. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation Read More