What is Music?

What do Hildegard von Bingen, Beethoven, Luciano Pavarotti, Bing Crosby, Britney Spears and Dr. Dre have in common? They all are part of our music experience. They may perform or write in different genres, certainly in different centuries and generations, and their appeal may be targeted at a specific audience, but they all are involved in, and with, music.

Perhaps one of the most difficult definitions is "What exactly is music? "The genesis of music, even more than other forms of history, is wrapped in obscurity. The reason for this becomes plain when as soon as one reflects upon the materials of which music is fabricated." (Wilm 1940 p. 1) It is easy to describe the materials of art and architecture- wood, or stone, marble, oils canvas, bricks and mortar. Literature and poetry are formed by words. But, what is music? Some sort of tone or rhythm literally on air waves. No one really has figured out when the first rudimentary instruments were invented. Was it Cave Man, serenading his family? Was it a hunter, blowing on a shell to alert his fellows of meat on the hoof? There simply is no specific origin of tones and rhythms which define what music is to the listener. What we DO know, of course, is that there are so many different types of music- music which has changed throough the ages just as their audiences have. If Gregorian chants are music, then so is Verdi's "La Traviata", so is "White Christmas" and today's hip hop and rap music.

(Bergeron 31). It was first founded by a small community of monks at a monastery in France around 1830, who sought to restore traditions destroyed in the course of the French Revolution (Bergeron 32). Half a century later, the chants were integrated as a part of the daily life of nuns and monks (Bergeron 32). In fact, at the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, also known as Shangrila, the chanting has continued every single day of the year for 1,500 years (Bergeron 33). Founded on this strong historical tradition, the chant that lasts for 57 minutes on the CD without any interruption can fill the listener with a sense of mystery and awe. Even though we do not understand the words when we listen to chants, our intuitive sense becomes attuned to a world where time is suspended as our tendency to rush through life is slowed down. In this new world, a feeling of peace comes over us. Instead of being caught up in our self-centered world, we become believers in greater spiritual truths and feel blessed by our existence in this world (Bergeron 34-35). In some cultures, the power of music plays a role on emotions, which lasts beyond the length of a CD. For Africans, music is completely integrated into their way of life. Africans have mu

Category: Arts - W