Role of Music in our Life

As a child I remember rhythmically coordinating my hands to accompany the beats of “We will rock you” by Queen and feeling as if I played a role within the song. It demanded no extensive musical knowledge to participate in this song, it only required somewhat coordination to use your hands as a musical instrument. All it took was one child to dimly start the beats of the song and it contaminated the entire class; it fascinated me how slamming my hands against a wooden desk united such a disobedient class.

At a young age our parents teach us the infamous saying “stranger danger”, which eventually develops into the avoidance of all sorts of social interactions with strangers, unless there is some sort of interest – such as asking for directions, or even asking what time is it. Despite our biological needs to socialize, we tend to avoid small talk at all costs; as a result we create a barrier between our indifference and the world. That is where music comes to intervene, music is recognized for its capability of abolishing the barriers amongst one another. It’s an incredible phenomena when one is sitting on the bus and the person next to you begins tapping their feet accordingly to the beat of a song you enjoy. It automatically creates a middle ground between you and that stranger; suddenly you are intrigued as to how far your music compatibility goes. Research carried at Oxford University investigated the mechanisms associated with social-bonding through music and synchronized activity; the study revealed that this mimicry of movements is associated with the release of endorphin along with oxytocin . These neurotransmitters are associated with social affiliation or the feeling you get when you “click” with someone. The same way music can help us connect with each other, it can often help us anesthetize ourselves from reality. Music can have a tremendous effect upon relaxation, and uplifting one’s mood. After a tiresome day, the last thing you want to do is bond with the person sitting next to you on the bus. Take a second and think of a song that all it takes is 3 minutes, or more, to automatically cheer you up and write it down below:

That is all it takes: a song. You simply put your headphones in and travel to each beat of the song; eventually, it becomes hard to distinct what is your heartbeat and what is the song itself. Next thing you know your hair follicles stand on their tip, or chills, and your heartbeat begins to escalate, this is associated with the peak of dopamine when listening to our favorite songs. Accounting for one of the first demonstration of an abstract reward like listening to music — opposed to a tangible reward, such as exercising or eating a chocolate bar — that releases dopamine.

According to the Merriam Webster definition music is “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity” (1999); except, music is far more intricate. How can one define something that exists prior to human existence itself – such as the sounds of birds humming. What about those who are hearing impaired? Although they can’t hear these sounds in succession, shouldn’t their consumption of amplified vibrations count? Isn’t music the voice sound of our loved ones? Or the wind breeze that whistles within the small space between your windows? Rather than defining it, we should be asking ourselves why music?

Well, the answer is simple: human existence is a permanent condition, in which music accompanies to often make sense out of this world. The history of music can be recognized as antique as human existence itself. Although, music may not be seen as a normalized basic need it’s still a vital part of our conditions. Independently which way you incorporate music into your life – through your headphones, singing, creating your own music – as long as it is there, you are partaking in happiness in one of its purest forms.                    

Did you like this example?

945

50