Music has a number of purposes and it has been used throughout the world for centuries. Our fore-parents have had the pleasure of listening to, and probably being a part of the use of music, although the music we know today may not necessarily be what they used long ago. Music way back from our ancestors may have entailed the use of rocks, sticks etc. Drums were later introduced and as time went on we have the pleasure of having instruments like guitars, violins, piano, flutes and many more included so that what we hear today sounds like heaven on earth.
One thing, for sure in which scholars believe, is that the purpose music served long ago is not the same as today. According to an article Published by Macmillan and Co. , London 1894, music was very important during the Egyptian days. Music was found in their temples, palaces, workshops, farms, battle field and even in their tombs. It was part of their worship thus some of their Gods were associated with it, such as Hath and Bees. Musicians in those days were held in high esteem especially those associated with the royal household. Our ancestors used music as a form of communication amongst homeless and the spirits.
During slavery days they used music, mainly the drums, to communicate with the spirits. They believed this act to be a form of faith for various traditions they engaged in. (Breathiest, 1971) Breathiest also believed that they used music in the form of drumming to also send coded messages from plantation to plantation. They also used music as a means of getting by; they used it at work, play, worship, when they felt sad or fearful, even when they were happy they used music. The use of music has however advanced throughout the years.
Today USIA is used for more than mere communication amongst ourselves or with spirits, or as a means for religious purposes. Today, for most persons music is used mainly for entertainment, but music in itself serves many more purposes. The sound of music can literally make a person cry or even lift our spirits. It can be used as a form of therapy. (AC Shaw 2012) According to AC, quoting from a book entitled, The Singing Neanderthals: The Origin of Language, Mind and Body by Steven Mittens he described music as a precursor and shaping force of language, imbuing it with the motional meaning that pure semantics could not evoke.
He continued to reiterate that his “Hem theory describes primitive fertilization as a combination of holistic, manipulative, multi modal, musical and mimetic functions. ” Basically he is stating that the way we communicate started by representing nature with the sounds we can make but only when gesture and bodily expression is added. The growing sophistication of our brains eventually evolved. This however, caused music to unify humans by means of seeking ways to evoke emotions and meaning in each other with visualization and body movement.
Steven Mitten 2005) Today we see all over the internet and we hear in churches that music is used to manipulate the minds of our young people. We hear that music is embedded with secret messages and codes that may get young people to do or engage in activities that they may or may not necessarily be engaged in. We hear of singers, entertainers and producers using By Americanization said that the devil controls the music industry and uses it to get persons to follow him, sometimes unconsciously. It is also stated that these codes when listened to backwards also has a hidden message.
Whether these allegations are true or not, one thing that we do know and see regularly is that music of a particular nature appeals and draws the attention of young people. Music affects our brain. (See Fig) listening to a particular type of music can literally set the mood we would be in. The type of music we listen to can also predict our personality. It can distract us from doing things like driving, but it can also help some people concentrate when engaging in activities like studying. It can also aid us once trained to improve our motor and reasoning skills.
It helps us exercise. Belle Beth Cooper 2013) As stated, music serves a number of purposes and it can set you in a mood depending on the type of music you listen to. Philosophers, psychologists, anthropologists, musicologists and neurotransmitters have all come up with various theories that would explain the purpose of music and they have engaged in scientific approaches to get to a better understanding. What we do know is that God invented music and he made it as a means of communication, not only among ourselves but amongst the animals too.
He gave us hands to clap, the ability to whistle and make noises with our lips, he gave he animals the ability to use music to talk to each other. When you listen to a bird singing the melody is phenomenal, and it’s only a great God could do something so wonderful. Godly music can stir up our hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. In syllogism, the purpose of music depends on the listener since it serves so many purposes and affects each one differently. Music would always be around as the years pass by and in my opinion it can be used to make our lives better, although the opposite can also be true.
