Music refers to instrument or vocal sounds or both combined to produce beauty of expression, form or harmony of emotion. Making the art, a collection of coordinated sounds, involves putting tones and sounds in order, and occasionally combining them so as to come up with a unified composition.
People who creatively make this art organize sounds to achieve desired results. The art is made of vibrations, silent moments and sounds and is not always pleasant or even pretty.
Music is used to relay a wide range, emotions, and environments. Typical characteristics include melody (series of synchronized pitches forming the primary line of a tune), harmony (several lines of musical tones that serve as subordinate to and complement the melody) and rhythm (repeated patterns of actions in sound or the placement of sound in time).
Music, just like all fine arts, touches the body, feeds the soul and hence brings many benefits to our lives.
Importance of music
- Music is pleasurable to listen to. It is pleasing to listen to songs which explain why we are willing to pay a lot of money to stream and download our favorite songs.
- Lowers stress and boosts health. When you listen to music you experience decreased levels of a hormone called cortisol that is associated with stress.
- It improves sleep. Studies show that students who listen to relaxing music prior to going to bed sleep substantially better than those who do not.
- Relaxes patients before and after surgery. Listening to relaxing music as you wait for surgery reduces anxiety.
- It is a universal language. When music is being played everyone understands and starts dancing to it. It, therefore, unify people despite language difference.
- It creates ambiance. It supplements any other experience that you have including partying, sporting events and movies.
- Enhances brain function. Some people focus more when there is background music in their places of work. It is inspiring to listen to songs when you are busy doing something.
- Bring about positive emotions. If you want to be happy, listen to songs that facilitate this mood. Similarly when you lose a loved one, listening to music can lessen your grieve.
- Enhance verbal skills. Music education stimulates the child’s brain in such a way that it helps improve visual, verbal and communication skills.
- Promotes imagination. Immediately you start listening to music a vision is created in your head fitting that particular piece. It, therefore, fuels your imagination increasing your creativity.
- Reduces pain. Listening to pre-recorded or putting a patient on music therapy reduce pain particularly for geriatric care and intensive care patients.
- Sharpens memory. In nursing homes, musical therapy is utilized to help the elderly recall past experiences.
- Enhance exercises. Songs can boost aerobic exercises enhance physical and mental stimulation and increases general performance.
- Provide comfort. Music has been found to be effective in coping and expressing feelings like loneliness, fear, and anger particularly in patients with serious diseases on end-of-life care.
Conclusion
Music is a major part of our lives. From the songs that we listen to while heading to work to the ones we listen to in the movie, it invigorates our moods, fuel our imagination and lowers our anxiety. It has been used all over the world ever since the early stages of human history for different purposes. No single human culture on the planet has ever existed without songs. Studies have subsequently, shown that the art indeed has many health benefits.
By: Joni Kim
EdgeArticles 