Music in Modern Culture

Music in Modern Culture

        Music is a very important and useful tool in the way that individuals in a society learn, and to reject it would be to waste a perfectly useful resource. Although many people currently find it simpler to view music as a small footnote in humanities’ history, it is actually much more important than that. In fact, some actually consider music the reason for their continued existence. The truth is, music seems to be a driving force of human culture, and has been around since the dawn of man. The average human, all ages considered, spends several hours a day listening to music. Whether a main activity or played in the background, music has always been present. Simply put, music has an immense effect on how humans think and act, and could possibly effect intelligence. Overall, it is widely accepted that the ever increasing, wildly fluctuating popularity of the art known as music, has an amazing capacity for both positive and negative effects.

        As a background activity, music can positively effect a mood, help to increase productivity, and even bolster intelligence. Whether it is a welcome distraction from a stressful situation, or truly helps to put the listener in a better mood, music is a fast and reliable way to increase productivity. Generally, compared to a person who finds themselves music-less while attempting a job, someone who plays something that they enjoy while working will complete the task in less time, and find that they have less residual stress. The tried and true positive effect of music could help to improve test scores in a classroom setting, and even increase productivity in the average workplace. On top of improving overall mood in the society we live in, listening to music could encourage intellectual growth in children. It’s possible that this intellectual growth could sprout from the bolstered motivation mentioned earlier, providing room for further exploration and growth. Also, it is possible that the act of memorizing and counting beats may help with brain development. Whatever the actual causes of this effect, it seems that a more productive, intelligent society could develop in a musical environment.

        Though the effects of listening to music are significant, the effects of an actual, directed education in music are even greater. Children who take music lessons tend to have a greatly improved comprehension of proportional math, which is very important to learning higher level math. Also, the young individual.  would be able to explore the lyrical rhythm and content of the music, understanding both may allow them to improve both reading and writing skills. In effect, an education in music will aid a child in what can be considered two very important and fundamental areas of study. In the same way, music is capable of of bringing people back from the hypothetical brink of academic failure. It can have a great influence on motivating the at risk student towards success. Hypothetically, if one were to step outside the normal, standardized education systems in many cultures, failing students may be able to view music inspiration in many other areas of life as well. Through music, the student may be able to better express thoughts and emotions, bond with others, and feel the need for self improvement. It seems that the implementation of music education into school systems could solve many of the problems that preparation classes and core classroom studies can not.