Janie Slaven: Music is the greatest thing since sliced bread
Nov. 23—Editor's Note: A few weeks ago, Times-Tribune columnist Brian Theodore asked his English 095 students to write about something that concerns them in their society or world, something they might like to change or something that profoundly affects them — good or bad. The class composed the works into editorials, which will be published here over the next few issues.
"Where words fail, music speaks" is quite possibly one of the most cliché quotes of all time, especially in the world of music. Many a gift for a young musician includes this phrase plastered on like a child plasters glue onto an innocent piece of paper. But clichés exist for a reason, and that's because they have at least some level of truth to it, and this cliché at the very least somewhat gets the whole "music is one of the most important things to humanity" part right.
You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't listen to music, even more so to find someone who fully dislikes music. Since the days of the hunter and the gatherer, music has been an integral way of bonding with other people, whether through listening to music with someone, or actually playing with them.
Music also has great emotional pull. It's very easy for music to change people's emotions very quickly, especially when it's at the forefront of their attention. According to Pfizer, our limbic system, which helps with processing emotions, "lights up" when listening to music. Given this, music has the great ability to help someone cope with certain feelings of anxiety or depression.
In addition, music has a great importance in human culture. It is very difficult to not think of traditional music when referring to a specific culture. Listening to music of other cultures can give one insight into how another way of life operates. Music can be, and has been, used to create a sense of unity between a culture.
It's also important to recognize music's important place in education. Studying music, whether in or out of class, has shown to greatly improve a student's academic performance, especially when started at a young age. If the student is playing in a band, whether that be the school band or otherwise, that can also lead to a great improvement in their teamwork abilities.
Perhaps more important than any point previously explored, music is just simply fun. Even the simplest of music can bring joy, and whether playing or listening, being able to take part in the simple pleasures of organized sounds can be great after a hard day of working or studying.
Overall, music's impact on humanity is not to be understated. Outside of being just fun to listen to or a fun hobby, it can also help deal with negative emotions, be used as a cultural unifier, and enhance the learning ability of students. After all, when words fail, music speaks.
