Music is an interesting form of communication that's main purpose is to tell a story or a message. Just like in regular speech, we talk in order to get a point across or tell someone an important piece of knowledge. Music is the same way. Composers and singers don't just write a song because they think it sounds good, or should I say successful composers and singers don't do that. Musicians that go far in life and are known for great music, but incorporate an even greater message. Some pieces of music are composed for religious reasons, some for social stances, and others for love or the lack of it. Regardless of the meaning of the song the lyrics and beat have a reason, a purpose. That what makes music intriguing because each song is different and creates a different feel or vibe to the listener.
When we think of classic music what's the first thought that goes to mind? For me it's that the music is either going to be about religion or be very proper. Now what does proper music mean? When sung proper music normally consists of long, tall vowels and between five to seven parts. These songs are performed with very accurate precision and have many intertwined parts. This is because when written only the wealthy and elite could listen or perform this music so it had to fit the lifestyles of those people. Also the sound is normally very dark which shows professionalism, and the consonants are sung with such purpose that every word can be heard from an audience member.
Unlike classical music is jazz. First established around the 1930's by African Americans in the years directly after the Great Depression. The genre started in the southern United States and was sung for people to understand the struggle and purpose of blacks in society. The style of jazz is different compared to all other pieces of music because singers are allowed to improvise and scat their own syllables to create a different feel in a song. Many jazz songs have a particular part, normally bases, who don't even have words so that the syllables they sing instead can sound like an instrument. The cool thing about jazz to me is that no matter what you can always improvise and will never be wrong. When the African Americans made it in the 30's I can guarantee you they didn't practice time and time again trying to get something to sound perfect before chanting it down Bourbon Street. They just sang whatever came to their heart and that's why the meaning of jazz is so amusing. This style of music gave more respect to a whole class of people and is still performed daily everywhere in the world. Crazy how music works huh?
A final genre of music is rock and roll. This style really didn't get started until the 1980's but was created for entertainment of the public, and to create a style so people could dance to it. Groups like Journey, Foreigner, Styx, and Aerosmith went absolutely viral during this era. Obviously these groups did this profession for the fame and the money, but their music is still popular now, in 2016. At every show choir competition I've ever been to "Don't Stop Believin'" or "Dream on" has come on the radio at some point. This music creates an energy in a room and lets people express themselves in different was ever known before. And from this genre of music things such as rap, country, and pop have all evolved. That's today's radio, the compilation of the last 50 years of music.
Over time things change, even music. The purpose behind these genres are fascinating and the thought put into each piece of music is mind boggling. If there is one thing I know for sure it's that music will never grow old because it is always adapting and recycling. From this day forward the culture of music can only grow because it will never be able to deteriorate.
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