The Sound of Music

Lately, I've had the opportunity to listen to a variety of music that I had never listened to before. From Simon and Garfunkel, Petula Clark, and Bob Darin to very lively tunes of "Tracy's Theme" or "Beyond the sea," I admit, not without some level of embarrassment, that my knowledge of music, is indeed still limited. I am a natural music lover, and I think the art of arranging sounds together is one of the most precious treasures of humanity.

I play the piano since I was around 6 years old. In reality, a 6-year-old doesn't really grasp the idea of what a chromatic scale is, or the impressionistic style of Debussy, but it's more like a game, a game of melodies and beats that put together sound pleasing to the ear. So I started my piano lessons not because I was in love with the instrument by then, but it was more to fulfill my mother's wishes and to kill some time in the afternoons.

Playing an instrument not only allowed me to develop my musical intelligence, but it also allowed to develop other areas of myself that I was unaware of. I began to grow a love for music that, only if you are a truly music lover and admirer, you would totally understand. And it is when music starts to become part of even the simplest activities of your daily routine that you realize that you can't live without it. You get up with "Good morning, good morning, how are you?," go to school and use music to learn the multiplication tables, have mom sing to you when you the food on your plate doesn't look very appealing, or even need music when you couldn't fall asleep. And that is why I consider that music as an art is not useless. For example, you don't really need an expensive picture hanging on your wall to be happy (though some people do), but it has even been proven that music can actually cure. See?

However, the point here is distinguishing between music as an art and just plain sounds. On this perspective, I can't really argue about what is good music and what is not, because it becomes relative to the listener what he considers good or not so good. Nevertheless, I have my own opinions, and they pretty much disagree with John Cage's idea that any sound can be music: "There is no noise, only sound." But now that takes us back to the definition of what music really is. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, music is the "art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity." With this definition, I am convinced that not just about any random sound can be considered as music. Forgive me, Mr. Cage, but I don't think knocking on a door is yet music.

Taking a music class this semester made me be more appreciative of the richness of all the different instruments and the variety of styles. After listening to the assigned pieces, I would find myself repeating the tunes everywhere, and being amazed at the beauty and genius of such compositions. I also learned that the human voice is one of the most pure and rich instruments, that if properly trained, can even be the cure to a king's depression. And returning to the definition of music and Mr. Cage's idea, speaking is not the same as singing, is it?

Music has been used throughout history to express many things. It has been used to express love, war, desire, solitude, passion, faith, etc. And music is also a way in which many popular legends (a.k.a early history) have been passed on from generation to generation. Music has also been used as a response to religious reforms, economic debacles and social movements. Some examples of how music has been used to respond to a particular event, is the secular cantata Carmina Burana, which is thought to have been composed for the Nazi Germans. I particularly had the privilege to listen to this majestic performance live, and I think Orff's work is one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. Sadly, many music has been composed under unfortunate conditions, but the beauty and the legacy that they represent is what prevails.

Whether it be a Chopin's nocturne or a Sinatra's ballad, the importance is to know how to appreciate the real music and the efforts behind it. In the meantime, I will continue to listen to my old favorites, but I will also incorporate many new and trendy additions to my music library. After all, music will always be what feelings must sound like.



----------------
Now playing: Billy Joel - Piano Man
via FoxyTunes