Articles and Stories

February 24, 2014

Music plays an important role in our everyday lives and influences our mood. Happy music can make and keep us happy, sad music can intensify a sad outlook on life. Music is all around us and not a day passes without some kind of music in our life. Every commercial contains some music or a jingle and every TV show starts with a tune. Music is heard in many elevators, on busses, trains and airplanes. Music is taught in schools and every year there are awards for best musical performances and best performers and songs.

Physicians use music to relax patients during painful procedures, dentists nowadays offer headphones with music to patients to sound out the drilling noise. Therapy uses music from an early age on; even unborn children may be introduced to music with the hope that higher IQs will be achieved.

Music is played at every traditional venue. It is used to serenade a loved one and is performed at major family events. We sing songs at birthdays, we start a marriage with music and we lay a loved one to rest with music. Every other celebration in between is accompanied by music.

For as long as history has been recorded, music has been around and was used at ceremonies and at different festivities around the world. First, indigenous music was played with rattles, drums, flutes and conch-shell horns as part of religious celebrations, to ask the gods for a plentiful harvest, for health or to deter evil spirits. These instruments developed into sophisticated ones, which are still used today.

Different cultures developed their own musical styles and to this day, there are countries known for a specific folk style that only exists in that country.

Spain, for example, is known for Flamenco.
France has the Musette accordion music we associate with romance.
Germans yoddle or sing Umpapa songs and the Irish have their step dance.
The Sitar is a classical instrument played in India.
Australians play the didgeridoo instruments.

Switzerland’s long alp horns, previously used by shepherds, have now become a national symbol of the country.

Mexico is known for its Mariachi music.

It is interesting to see how music has influenced cultures and vice versa. For example, when the Spaniards discovered America, they introduced violins, guitars, harps, brass instruments and flutes that quickly replaced native instruments. These European instruments were introduced for use during religious ceremonies but were quickly adapted to secular events. Indigenous peoples learned to play and craft these instruments, often modifying their shapes and tunings. In addition to introducing these instruments, the Spanish were also responsible for the concept of musical groups along with costumes for the players to make them stand out.

To learn about a country and a new language, it is advisable to also listen to the music of that country and to try to understand it. Music can tell us so much about heritage, tradition and culture as it is such a big part of our everyday life.