What is Music?

Dictionaries and encyclopedias define music as "an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner." It is also defined as "any pleasing and harmonious sound" and "the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments." (Source: wordnet.princeton.edu) There are a lot of definitions for music and it will take a whole book to explore the subject of music. If there is one true definition of music it is this; music is universal and yet it is also relative and subjective. What may be music to one may not be so to another. For me music is the singing of the birds, the whistling of my husband as he takes a shower, the soft humming of my little girl as she quietly plays, the beautiful sounds a pianist produces as he touches the keys of a piano... Take a moment to ponder what the meaning of music is for you.

Origin and History of Music

There are many theories regarding when and where music originated. Many agree that music began even before man existed. Historiographers point out that there are six periods of music and each period has a particular style of music that greatly contributed to what music is today. Here are some resources for you to better understand the history of music. Links are arranged chronologically and is a great primer to learn more about every stage of music development.

Medieval/Middle Ages
Music during the Middle Ages is characterized by the beginning of musical notation as well as polyphony. During this time, there were two general types of music styles; the monophonic and the polyphonic.

music has a significant affect on its listeners. it is used to inform the masses. music can influence the way we dance, dress, talk and it also sets the tone for cultures.

Answer1
I think that music of a particular time seems to reflect the opposite of what's going on in society. For example, think of Mozart's music, it's some of the most beautiful music ever written, same with Beethoven. Now both of these composers lives weren't exactly easy. They suffered, lost their families and were constantly struggling, with either money or social acceptance. Now we have bands like Black Sabbath, and Cradle of Filth.....just look at these names. And the music seems to be written always about really bad violent things, sometimes sad...etc etc. Music is a form of art. How will it affect society? Well, music is one of those things that is

uncapable of sustaining life, but things like music, art, poetry....these are the types of things that we stay alive for. I'm not sure on how it would effect society, but I know that in some cases, depending on the type of music it would be good, and on some others, it would be bad. The more aggressive the music, probably the more grumpy the people who listen to it if you know what I mean. Answer I think that music affects society by the type of music people listen to which tells them wich emotion that they will be feeling. Now in days the music we listen to is more about violence and aggresive action. So I think that we should pay attention more to the types of music that contributes to the types of emotion people are thinking about.

Answer2
" If you want to measure the spiritual depth of society, make sure to mark it's music." -Plato

Answer3
Music has long been an expression of people from different cultures around the world. The oldest artefacts that show people playing musical instruments are found in Asia and are around four thousand years old. Other archaeological findings suggest that different cultures around the world have always focused on their own special instruments and unique methods of playing them. However, no matter how much music may have differed in different parts of the world, it seems that music served a general common purpose: to bring people together.

Answer4
Music brings people to communication. Different people like different music, the fans of one genre make social groups and movements (think of rockers or hippies, these people are connected through the music). Music is created by cultures and music creates cultures itself. Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_music_affect_society#ixzz1YA9xv5cf

Popular Music And Its Effect On Society

Popular Music and its Effect on Todays Society In todays society the teenager has more rights than ever before. Along with these rights come responsibility, independence and the development of good judgment. It is the belief of many people that all of the afore mentioned qualities are destroyed in the lives of teens due to popular music. Today, pop music remains one of the most controversial issues in modern society. Because

adolescences are seen as being highly impressionable their negative actions are constantly being evaluated and traced back to sources of culture, and since pop music plays such a huge role in the lives of most teens, it is an easy target to place the blame. The criticism of popular music begins with the rock star. Many will argue that teens who are struggling to fit into society see rock stars as idols . One main reason that this occurs is because of the accessibility of what these rock stars are publishing. Think of all the things that teenagers have in front of them everyday; radio, television, clothing, billboard advertisements, etc. all of which are covered with popular musicians. Because of their tremendous presence, teens begin to perceive rock stars as extravagant people with no boundaries