Music has become a phenomenal way to express your style, make a statement, or simply respond to things that are currently happening in the world.
But music is also an integral part of our culture, with a rich history that isn’t always spoken about. Here is a brief overview of some important ways that music has been used throughout history.
Important Benefits Of Music
Throughout history, music has played a crucial role in the development of society. Here are some of the benefits of music that you should familiarize yourself with;
- It enables different cultures to form
- Expressing thoughts, emotions, and feelings
- Entertainment factor
- An exchanging of experience and knowledge
- A way to motivate and inspire a call to action
- To guide and influence
- An uncanny ability to engage various communities
Music Types And Their Uses Throughout History
Prehistoric
This was a time of experimentation. The first musical instrument ever noted is most likely the human voice, but archaeologists have also found a few basic instruments that date back tens of thousands of years ago. Individuals living in the prehistoric era likely started making and using music as a way of imitating sounds in nature, for either recreational or religious reasons.
Ancient
Written musical notation was the first mark of a literate society. As a result, the music produced at this time brought musical techniques, the first songs produced with lyrics, and a wider selection of available instruments.
Music certainly played an integral part in the lives of ancient Greeks and was almost universally used throughout society. From religious ceremonies to marriages and funerals, or even staged Greek dramas, music was always used to educate and entertain.
Early To Classical
Music from the Middle Ages aimed to reflect the influence of Christianity at the time. With instruments such as the organ emerging and growing in popularity, music was commonly used as an accompaniment for praying and even completing rituals.
Renaissance composers essentially laid down the foundation for what would later turn into Baroque music. This served as inspiration for Bach and Vivaldi, who began creating music for richer ensembles and later orchestral pieces during the Baroque era.
Music in the classical era was all about the melody and instrumentation, rather than a singular voice. It marked a turning point where music became a widespread symbol of entertainment and expression, allowing cultures to differentiate themselves.
Romantic
From the 18th to the early 20th century, many different composers including Mozart and Beethoven began to experiment with various forms, melodic ideas, innovative harmonies, and instruments.
This Classical era was the time when symphonies began to grow in popularity. It also invited the development of a brand new singing form that we now know as opera which mixed theater and music to create something unique.
As orchestra sizes steadily increased and more people began to fall in love with this sound, live music became an effective way of entertaining the masses.
Jazz And Blues
Jazz and blues were inspired by the Christian religion and African traditions. The music genre immediately became a significant cultured differentiator and quickly began taking over the mainstream.
Jazz and blues music had an impact on everything from fashion to the Civil Rights movement. It also had a great impact on the evolving nature of poetry.
The genre was entirely based upon a catchy improvisation and call-and-response structure. Jazz and blues set an important foundation for all the other contemporary genres like European classical music had done before.
Rock And Pop Music
Rock ‘n’ roll stormed the charts in the 50s and continues to dominate the music industry to this day. Originating directly from the blues form, this genre of music began to trend and influence many elements of culture and society. It also became a strong foundation for other genres and extended into the realm of pop music.
Global acts like the Eagles took inspiration from 60s rhythm and blues to create their classic rock sound. Groups like The Beatles, however, worked to merge the world of pop and rock in harmony, instead of leaving them as overlapping sounds.
Electronic Music
The development of technology and computers has allowed artists to approach music in a completely different way. They can now just use a piece of software or an electronic device to deliver the same sounds as an instrument would make.
The only downside to this is that it takes away from the creativity that artists have and put into their music by using instruments.
Summary
Music continues to have a large impact on our society, for several reasons. From providing entertainment to educating others in the world, it’s evident that music remains an essential part of life.
