Name: Anonymous 2007-02-10 1:46
The Importance of Music
The importance of music is its power to transcend time, emotion, culture, and language as we connect with others. Like food and water, music has nourished man for generations. Singing a centuries-old song about the power of love, the magnificence of God, or the beauty of the earth even in a language we do not speak can bring tears to our eyes. Music’s power connects us across the barriers of time, culture, and language.
Transcending time, the works of such composers as Mozart, Handel, and Bach have been performed for centuries by countless musicians, evoking the wonder and amazement of all who listen and perform. We still enjoy the works of Handel with the same sense of awe his contemporaries must have experienced. With the same notes, the same words, perhaps different interpretations, the very first singers of The Messiah undoubtedly realized the same sense of connection with the audience and with each other that we experience today. Throughout time, the power of music has given us a sense of community, binding us to those who came before us and perhaps, we can only hope, to those who come after us.
The bond of music unites us when we gather for the ceremonies of life. Whether the occasion is a wedding, a bar mitzvah, or a funeral, music is sung as it has been sung for ages. There is comfort in familiar tunes, of course, but our festivities are much more than merely familiar. We are marking the passage from one phase of life or existence to another. We are saying we honor this meaningful occasion as we lift our voices together. We sing at birthday parties, sporting events, and holiday gatherings. And regardless of whether we are the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or Little League fans singing The Star-Spangled Banner, our music unites us.
Music also brings us together when we are in times of uncertainty. In the dark days following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, when the only emotion many Americans felt was panic, it was music that members of our Congress turned to when laws, speeches, and political stances were inadequate to express our feelings, raise our sense of hope, or calm our hearts. On the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington that day, elected officials came together, regardless of party affiliation, to reassure the country with a song. As out of tune as their impromptu rendition of God Bless America may have been, their message was nonetheless delivered in full. The days and months ahead would require the same unilateral cooperation as our country was once again encouraged and united in determination to keep our nation strong.
But our country has no monopoly on the power of music. Music connects people across cultures, sometimes highlighting our similarities, sometimes celebrating our differences. During the Cold War, when Russia was our held-at-arms-length enemy, we continued to include the music of Tchaikovsky in our holidays. When we visit foreign countries, their unique music is part of the culture we can experience, to know we have been somewhere distinct. Just as we can distinguish the scary parts of a movie by listening to its soundtrack, we can discern the emotion contained in the music of other lands, regardless of the language in which it is sung. As diverse as music may be, we can acknowledge the differences and revel in the uniqueness, the contributions of each region’s music to our sensibilities and to our understanding of their culture.
As translators of the composer’s art, musicians everywhere and in every time have had the duty and privilege of turning notes, lyrics, and time signatures into music, therefore helping the listener to become connected with the piece. Like water, music takes the shape of whatever space it occupies, leaving the listener to choose what form it takes. Like food, music has the power to nourish - to nourish the souls of innumerable listeners as well as the souls of countless musicians who have shared the event of music for ages. Going beyond time, emotion, language, and culture, music is the most powerful bond in a world in great need of harmony.
The importance of music is its power to transcend time, emotion, culture, and language as we connect with others. Like food and water, music has nourished man for generations. Singing a centuries-old song about the power of love, the magnificence of God, or the beauty of the earth even in a language we do not speak can bring tears to our eyes. Music’s power connects us across the barriers of time, culture, and language.
Transcending time, the works of such composers as Mozart, Handel, and Bach have been performed for centuries by countless musicians, evoking the wonder and amazement of all who listen and perform. We still enjoy the works of Handel with the same sense of awe his contemporaries must have experienced. With the same notes, the same words, perhaps different interpretations, the very first singers of The Messiah undoubtedly realized the same sense of connection with the audience and with each other that we experience today. Throughout time, the power of music has given us a sense of community, binding us to those who came before us and perhaps, we can only hope, to those who come after us.
The bond of music unites us when we gather for the ceremonies of life. Whether the occasion is a wedding, a bar mitzvah, or a funeral, music is sung as it has been sung for ages. There is comfort in familiar tunes, of course, but our festivities are much more than merely familiar. We are marking the passage from one phase of life or existence to another. We are saying we honor this meaningful occasion as we lift our voices together. We sing at birthday parties, sporting events, and holiday gatherings. And regardless of whether we are the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or Little League fans singing The Star-Spangled Banner, our music unites us.
Music also brings us together when we are in times of uncertainty. In the dark days following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, when the only emotion many Americans felt was panic, it was music that members of our Congress turned to when laws, speeches, and political stances were inadequate to express our feelings, raise our sense of hope, or calm our hearts. On the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington that day, elected officials came together, regardless of party affiliation, to reassure the country with a song. As out of tune as their impromptu rendition of God Bless America may have been, their message was nonetheless delivered in full. The days and months ahead would require the same unilateral cooperation as our country was once again encouraged and united in determination to keep our nation strong.
But our country has no monopoly on the power of music. Music connects people across cultures, sometimes highlighting our similarities, sometimes celebrating our differences. During the Cold War, when Russia was our held-at-arms-length enemy, we continued to include the music of Tchaikovsky in our holidays. When we visit foreign countries, their unique music is part of the culture we can experience, to know we have been somewhere distinct. Just as we can distinguish the scary parts of a movie by listening to its soundtrack, we can discern the emotion contained in the music of other lands, regardless of the language in which it is sung. As diverse as music may be, we can acknowledge the differences and revel in the uniqueness, the contributions of each region’s music to our sensibilities and to our understanding of their culture.
As translators of the composer’s art, musicians everywhere and in every time have had the duty and privilege of turning notes, lyrics, and time signatures into music, therefore helping the listener to become connected with the piece. Like water, music takes the shape of whatever space it occupies, leaving the listener to choose what form it takes. Like food, music has the power to nourish - to nourish the souls of innumerable listeners as well as the souls of countless musicians who have shared the event of music for ages. Going beyond time, emotion, language, and culture, music is the most powerful bond in a world in great need of harmony.