All of us listen to music. We hear it in the car. We hear it on the radio. We hear it in restaurants, gyms, hotels, and shopping malls. We hear it at parties, concerts, sporting events, and religious services. It is difficult to walk down any street on a college campus without passing droves of students sporting a pair of AirPods as they travel to their next destination.
By now, I believe I have made my point clear: music is everywhere. We are constantly consuming it in our everyday lives. For millennia, it has permeated cultures across the globe. From Gregorian chant to K-pop, it endures as an integral part of the human experience. This begs the question: why are we as humans drawn to music?
There could be a few explanations. Perhaps it is due to the workings of our biology. Perhaps it represents the dichotomy of order and chaos that characterizes the nature of reality. Perhaps it is a catalyst of unification among groups of people. Perhaps it offers comfort in times of pain. Perhaps it distracts us from being alone with our thoughts. Or perhaps it is simply a multifarious aesthetic.
The truth is, the force which draws humans to music is a mystery. However, this does not mean we should shy away from making sense of music’s innerworkings. Quite the contrary: by studying the mechanics of music, we not only come to better understand it, we attain the ability to participate in its genesis. With the necessary knowledge, we can evoke glee, sorrow, anger, lust, patriotism, nostalgia, and other complex emotions through our musical voice.
This is the utility of music theory — the study of how music works. Rhythm. Melody. Harmony. Tempo. Dynamics. Timbre. Texture. All of these components make up the wide variety of music that is now available to us at the tap of a button. There is a reason you like the music you do, and with an understanding of theory, you can discover it.
By studying compositional and performance techniques in a variety of genres from a variety of artists, we can detect patterns and apply certain principles to our own composition and performance. In this way, we grow as composers, performers, and listeners. Music theory holds the key to the expression of self and the appreciation of others’ art. We take a step closer to understanding why music is such a prominent force in our lives. We come closer to uncovering the mystery of music.
Hi Ethan!
As someone who listens to music almost 24/7, I find this blog very interesting! Although I have found a select few people who do not find joy in music (ya know, the not-cool people of the world), I think it is safe to say it is an integral part of our world and a fascinating look into how individualistic opinions shape one complete society.
I don’t know very much about music theory, but I do look forward to learning more about it, especially about the way humans interact with it! I feel like a person’s music taste is like their eyes: a window to the soul (oooh spooky, I know)! I can’t wait to see what other ideas you propose in your blog over the next couple weeks!