The Value and Nature of Music
In this essay I wish to portray the value of music firstly to me and then to people I have asked and also what different styles of music do for them and my self and I will also ask what is the nature of the music that they like and how it affects them on a day to day basis and the question I will ask them is what music means to them and what values does it hold. I will ask 10 people and use there answers to write this essay. I would like to start by saying that all people in this essay were asked prior to writing about them and that I am not using any of the people’s real names for confidentiality.
I value music very much as I have always played and listened to various styles of music. On my shelf at home I have different styles of music ranging from classical to R n B to rock. So I feel I have a wide taste in music. I have also played many different styles on my 3 main instruments as I play clarinet I have played classical and jazz on that. I also play bass guitar and I have played blues, rock n roll, heavy rock etc. on that and I am a drummer and I have played samba, rock, funk, jazz and many other styles of music. I enjoy playing all of these as I find it helps me to relax and control my emotions as I let my emotion out in the style of music I play, music is an age old way of expressing emotions through sound right back from the cave man days to the times of Jesus and the Tudors and Victorians right through to today’s music. The most popular style changes from generation to generation but we would still call it “pop” music as that’s what is popular at the time.
Their for the nature of the music I choose to play is one of my emotions thus giving the listener (if any) the sense that I am happy or sad or excited for example, if I played some twelve bar blues on my bass it would probably remind you of sadness or the slave trade that would up set you but if I played some funk it would probably lift your emotions to make you happy like a major or minor chord has that effect different styles of music also have that effect.
Other people I asked gave me different responses. One guy said that he only values his own style of music and that all other music has no value. This person is defiantly close minded about the type of music he likes and that all other music is I quote “crap” and that the nature of his music was the way of life. Looking at the way the guy was dressed I think he listened to hardcore rock music and that he was a bit gothic (I say a bit I actually mean a lot) I also got told by some people that they find the nature of some music unsuitable for children as x-rated lyrics stop younger children listening to it. I agree with this as music is for everyone not just the over 18’s so music that includes x rated lyrics should not be aloud to be produced, and of the 10 people I have spoken two 8 agree with me.
In the nature of music i would say that on a day to day basis I listen to approximately 4 – 5 hours of different styles of music. And with my choice of track my mood changes and so does the quality of the work I am doing at the time. For example I am currently listening to some drum and bass. So I am typing quite fast and my mood is bouncy, But if I was to listen to some more relaxing music such as some r n b or some blues music the speed I type would slow down and the mood I am in would drop from being quite happy to a bit down and lazy feeling so I would probably take a break from my work. I asked the same 10 people how they use music in the nature of their life.
Below are some of the responses I received
1) I use music at work because it helps me through the day
2) I don’t use (to which I replied not even in the shower when your humming or whistling a song the response I got is repeatable)
3) I study music as a degree so it is in my life “big time”
4) I listen to music in the morning in my car
5) Er,,,,,,, music you mean like heavy rock (this person was a bit dence)
These responses were my favourite as it shows what different peoples views are on music.
Overall I think that the value and nature of music affects everyone is completely different and the question I am asking is does different styles of music affect the way you behave in society?
