Culture And Music Essay

People have always used music as a way to express themselves. Music can be a reflection of a person’s culture and the things that are important to them. Different cultures have their own unique styles of music, and often the lyrics of songs reflect the culture’s values and beliefs.

In many cases, music is also used to communicate messages about social issues or politics. Some songs become popular because they express the feelings of a large number of people, and can help to unite a community around a common cause. Music can also be used to spread awareness about important issues and to inspire people to take action.

Ultimately, music is a powerful tool that can be used to express any range of emotions and ideas. It can help us to better understand ourselves and the world around us, and can even bring people together to make positive change.

Culture is an idea or way of life that we live by, and it affects us all, regardless of where we reside or what we do. We constantly exist in various cultures and don’t even realize it. The impact of music on how we are influenced by our culture is obvious. As a result, the fact that music is present in every culture, whether you listen to ballads or rap music

Music is a reflection of our culture because it has the ability to express what we are feeling and going through in life. Music helps us identify with our culture and is a way for us to share our experiences with others who may have gone through similar things.

Music can also be used as a form of communication between people from different cultures. It can help break down barriers and bring people together. Music is a powerful tool that can be used to reflect our culture and the way we live. It can also be used to bring people together and help us understand each other better. Music is an important part of our culture and should be appreciated for all it does for us.

Music is one of the most important parts of culture; it’s a way for people to express their beliefs and ideas. Music has been a significant force throughout history, influencing all aspects of human life. The influence of music on society may be seen in its influence on all areas of people’s lives, from thoughts and attitudes to emotions and behaviors. Every feeling imaginable, from sad to joyful to mellow to angry to peaceful, and so on

Music has been used as a form of entertainment, a way to pass the time and as a source of inspiration. Music can be traced back to prehistoric times. The first music was probably made with natural objects such as rocks, sticks and leaves. Percussion instruments were the first type of instruments developed. These instruments make noise by being hit or shaken. The oldest percussion instrument is the drum. Drums were probably invented because they imitated the sound of thunder or other natural sounds.

The first melodies were probably sung by cavemen and women using their voices. cavemen and women banging two rocks together may have also made music. Music has always been an important part of human life. Music is created for many reasons. Some music is created to praise God, some to tell a story and some just for fun. Music is a part of every culture in the world. Each culture has its own way of making music.

In today’s world, music, in particular, contributes to certain lifestyles and attitudes. I’m constantly curious about what the next generation has in store for the wonderful world of music. It was do-wop and swing music in the Fifties, when America experienced its first encounter with Rock & Roll. Peoples’ lives were secure and happy, which is reflected by this do-wop bebop music. In the Sixties, Rock & Roll collided with American culture as a whole, paving the road for a major cultural bridge created by people like The Beetles and Elvis Presley.

Music in the Sixties was more then just a reflection of peoples attitudes, it was a way of life. People rebelled against what their parents and society had to offer, they wanted something new and fresh and music gave them that opportunity. Music is always changing and evolving and each generation has its own unique sound that is a reflection of the time period in which they live.

Music is the soundtrack to our lives, it reflects who we are as people and tells the story of our culture. Music will always be a part of our lives, it is ingrained in who we are as human beings. It is a language that we all understand, no matter what country we come from or what culture we identify with. Music brings us all together and is a reflection of the human experience. Music is a powerful tool that can change the world, one song at a time.

The sixties were a time of peace, love, and happiness, and so music once again reflected this mentality. The Beetles and Elvis were the first real musicians to break into the mainstream and gain a sizable following. That rebel rock ‘n’ roll, grow my hair long, and shake my hips seed was planted in our culture. This caused a snowball effect that carried into the 1970s and 1980s when America’s youth embraced drugs, sex, and rock ‘n’ roll. It gets better; music acquired fresh significance in people’s lives worldwide.

Music became the voice of a generation. Music has always been a reflection of culture and it will continue to be so into the future. The different forms of music have always represented the ideologies and values of the time period it was created in. Music is not only a form of entertainment, but also a reflection of the cultural norms and values of the society in which it is created.

It can be used to communicate messages about important issues and topics, as well as to capture the feelings and attitudes of the people living during that time period. In some cases, music can even be used to inspire social change. For example, “We Shall Overcome” was a song that was popularized during the Civil Rights Movement in order to promote the idea of equality and unity amongst all people.

The history of American music is a great example of how music can be used to reflect the cultural values of a society. In the early 20th century, jazz music became popular in America. This type of music was considered rebellious and “bad” by many people because it challenged the traditional values of that time period. Jazz music was often associated with speakeasies and nightclubs, which were considered to be places where immoral activities took place. However, jazz music also represented freedom and creativity, and many people saw it as a way to express themselves freely.

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Poet and Harvard Professor Henry Wadsworth Longfellow famously said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” A new Harvard study suggests he may have been right.

The study, a collaboration among psychology research associate Samuel Mehr, human evolutionary biology graduate student Manvir Singh, alumni Luke Glowacki and Hunter York, and Associate Professor of Psychology Max Krasnow, found that people around the globe could identify lullabies, dancing songs, and healing songs — regardless of the songs’ cultural origin — after hearing just a 14-second clip.

The finding suggests that not only is music deeply rooted in human nature, but that some types of songs transcend cultural boundaries. The study is described in a Jan. 25 paper in Current Biology.

“It seems like all humans make music in some way or another,” Mehr said. “But there’s not great empirical evidence for whether or not the different types of music they make share features across cultures. One way to test that is with this type of naïve listener experiment … and the results suggest that, in some cases, the answer is yes.”

The findings are based on a wide-reaching experiment in which 750 online participants in 60 countries listened to brief excerpts of songs collected from nearly 90 small societies around the globe, including hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, and subsistence farmers.

Participants then answered six questions, rating each clip on a six-point scale according to whether they believed the song was used for dancing, soothing a baby, healing illness, or expressing love. Two additional uses — mourning the dead and telling a story — were included as controls.

A data science postdoctoral fellow with the Harvard Data Science Initiative, Mehr said the data showed that — despite participants’ unfamiliarity with the cultures, the random sampling of each song, and the short duration of the samples — people were able to reliably infer the songs’ functions, and their ratings were consistent across the globe.

The findings ran counter to expert expectations.

Mehr, Glowacki and Krasnow had also surveyed academics — including ethnomusicologists, music theorists, performers, composers, psychologists, and cognitive scientists — about whether they believed people would be able to identify the song types.

“We gave them an idealized version of the experiment we ran,” Mehr said. “Imagine you have unlimited time and resources, and the ability to record every song that’s ever been sung from every culture, and could take those and play them for people all over the world.

“The question we asked was, if we play those recordings for people, are they going to be able to tell … this is a lullaby or this is for dancing?” he continued. “Predominantly among ethnomusicologists, the answer was no. And not only that, but they predicted that people’s responses will be inconsistent with one another. That’s not what we found.”

Singh also wanted to know whether listeners were recognizing certain non-musical characteristics of the songs — lullabies are typically sung by one woman, for example, while dancing songs more often involve a group.

“The question then was if people are able to do this, how on earth are they doing it?” Singh said. “How is it that a guy in Tallahassee can recognize a dancing song from a hunter-gatherer tribe from Southeast Asia whose culture he knows nothing about?”

To test that, the team conducted a second study. This time, they asked listeners about a number of contextual and musical features, ranging from the number and gender of the singers to the tempo and melodic complexity of the song.

“From all these, we get a very simple and rudimentary analysis of each song,” Mehr said. “It turns out when you ask people these very simple questions about songs, they agree with each other very highly. Even on really subjective musical features, like melodic complexity, they tend to make consistent ratings with one another.”

When data from the two studies were combined, the results showed that songs of the same function shared similar characteristics — lullabies, for example, tended to be slower and melodically simpler than dance tunes — suggesting that something about musical characteristics crosses cultural boundaries.

“It seems like all humans make music in some way or another. But there’s not great empirical evidence for whether or not the different types of music they make share features across cultures. One way to test that is with this type of naïve listener experiment … and the results suggest that, in some cases, the answer is yes.” Samuel Mehr

Mehr said the researchers were able to draw their wide-reaching conclusions because the songs used in the study were drawn from the discography of the Natural History of Song , a Harvard-based project that creates rigorously constructed databases of ethnographic text about music and audio recordings of music.

“We assembled all of the examples of music in a systematic way, so that inferences drawn from the whole discography are generalizable to humans as opposed to merely the cultures that were studied,” said Mehr, who directs the project with Singh and Glowacki, who is now a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse. “This has been a problem in music research in general. The studies that have been pitched as studies of universality in music have typically included only a handful of cultures, or didn’t systematically sample different genres of music in a principled fashion.”

Going forward, the team hopes to conduct more in-depth analysis of the music collected for the Natural History of Song, and do additional studies to improve the inferences about music’s ability to cross cultural boundaries.

“One weakness of this study is that the listeners we’re sampling from are people on the internet, so they all have access to things like YouTube, and they probably are all familiar, say, with Taylor Swift,” Mehr said. “Do the results tell us about the design of the human mind, or do they tell us about what modern listeners hear in the music of the world?”

To address that, the team is working to translate the studies into more than two dozen languages and run online experiments in many more countries. Singh and Glowacki are also working to bring the study into the field by playing song excerpts for members of small-scale societies in Indonesia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere.

“That is the most exciting part,” Mehr said. “Because these are people who have had little exposure to the internet or radio or Western culture. The only music they know is their own music. We’ll find out whether they share the same conceptions of form and function in music with our English-speaking internet users.”

In the end, Mehr said, the study and others like it will enable scientists to form a foundation for answering a number of long-running questions about music and its evolution.

“That’s one of the most important contributions we’d like to make to the field,” he said. “This kind of basic, cross-cultural fact-finding about human behavior is the first step in developing a new science of music.”

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Music Learning and Teaching in Culturally and Socially Diverse Contexts pp 3–22 Cite as

The Importance of Exploring How Culture and Society Impact on Music Learning and Teaching

  • Georgina Barton 2  
  • First Online: 14 August 2018

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Music is heavily influenced by the society and culture in which it is produced. Consequently, the ways in which music is taught and learnt are also impacted on by social and cultural values and beliefs. Acknowledging how music traditions are guided by such socio-cultural processes and knowledges is important as the modes and methods of transmission and acquisition may differ from context to context. In institutionalised settings such as schools and universities the value of knowing what modes are privileged over others, and why, means that teachers can better address diverse students’ understandings and values attributed to music learning. There are a multitude of ways that music can be acquired and this chapter introduces how society and culture can shape these approaches. The chapter also provides a synopsis of the following chapters and purpose of the entire volume.

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Barton, G. (2018). The Importance of Exploring How Culture and Society Impact on Music Learning and Teaching. In: Music Learning and Teaching in Culturally and Socially Diverse Contexts. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95408-0_1

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essays about music culture

Guide on How to Write a Music Essay: Topics and Examples

essays about music culture

Let's Understand What is Music Essay

You know how some school assignments are fun to write by default, right? When students see them on the course syllabus, they feel less like a burden and more like a guaranteed pleasure. They are about our interests and hobbies and therefore feel innate and intuitive to write. They are easy to navigate, and interesting topic ideas just pop into your head without much trouble.

music

Music essays belong to the category of fun essay writing. What is music essay? Anything from in-depth analysis to personal thoughts put into words and then to paper can fall into a music essay category. An essay about music can cover a wide range of topics, including music history, theory, social impact, significance, and musical review. It can be an analytical essay about any music genre, musical instruments, or today's music industry.

Don't get us wrong, you will still need to do extensive research to connect your opinions to a broader context, and you can't step out of academic writing standards, but the essay writing process will be fun.

In this article, our custom essay writing service is going to guide you through every step of writing an excellent music essay. You can draw inspiration from the list of music essay topics that our team prepared, and later on, you will learn what an outstanding essay on music is by an example of a music review essay.

What are Some Music Topics to Write About

There are so many exciting music topics to write about. We would have trouble choosing one. You can write about various music genres, be it country music or classical music; you can research music therapy or how music production happens.

Okay, forgive us for getting carried away; music makes us enthusiastic. Below you will find a list of various music essay topics prepared from our thesis writing service . Choose one and write a memorable essay about everyone's favorite art form.

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

Music essays can be written about an infinite number of themes. You can even write about performance or media comparison.

Here is a list of music argumentative essay topics. These edge-cutting topics will challenge your readers and get you an easy A+.

  • Exploring the evolution of modern music styles of the 21st century
  • Is it ethical to own and play rare musical instruments?
  • Is music therapy an effective mental health treatment?
  • Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Creativity in electronic music
  • The Relevance of traditional music theory in modern music production
  • The Role of musical pieces in the Transmission of cultural identity
  • The value of historical analysis in understanding the significance of music in society
  • How does exposing listeners to different genres of music break down barriers
  • Exploring the cognitive effects of music on human brain development
  • The therapeutic potential of music in treating mental disorders

Why is Music Important Essay Topics

Do you know which essay thrills our team the most? The importance of music in life essay. We put our minds together and came up with a list of topics about why music is so central to human life. Start writing why is music important essay, and we guarantee you that you will be surprised by how much fun you had crafting it.  

  • Popular Music and its Role in shaping cultural trends
  • Music as a metaphorical language for expressing emotions and thoughts
  • How music changes and influences social and political movements
  • How the music of different countries translates their history to outsiders
  • The innate connection between music and human beings
  • How music helps us understand feelings we have never experienced
  • Does music affect our everyday life and the way we think?
  • Examining the cross-cultural significance of music in society
  • How rock music influenced 70's political ideologies
  • How rap music closes gaps between different racial groups in the US

Consider delegating your ' write my essay ' request to our expert writers for crafting a perfect paper on any music topic!

Why I Love Music Essay Topics

We want to know what is music to you, and the best way to tell us is to write a why I love music essay. Below you will find a list of music essay topics that will help you express your love for music.

  • I love how certain songs and artists evoke Memories and Emotions
  • I love the diversity of music genres and how different styles enrich my love for music
  • I love how music connects me with people of different backgrounds
  • How the music of Linkin Park helped me through life's toughest challenges
  • What does my love for popular music say about me?
  • How the unique sounds of string instruments fuel my love for music
  • How music provides a temporary Release from the stresses of daily life
  • How music motivates me to chase my dreams
  • How the raw energy of rock music gets me through my daily life
  • Why my favorite song is more than just music to me

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Music Therapy Essay Topics

One of the most interesting topics about music for an essay is music therapy. We are sure you have heard all the stories of how music cures not only mental but also physical pains. Below you can find a list of topics that will help you craft a compelling music therapy essay. And don't forget that you can always rely on our assistance for fulfilling your ' write my paper ' requests!

  • The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing stress and pain for cancer patients
  • Does pop music have the same effects on music therapy as classical music?
  • Exploring the benefits of music therapy with other genres beyond classical music
  • The potential of music therapy in aiding substance abuse treatment and recovery
  • The Role of music therapy in Addressing PTSD and Trauma in military veterans
  • The impact of music therapy on enhancing social interaction and emotional expression in individuals with developmental disabilities
  • The use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
  • Does musical therapy help depression?
  • Does music reduce anxiety levels?
  • Is music therapy better than traditional medicine?

History of Music Essay Topics

If you love analytical essays and prefer to see the bigger picture, you can always write a music description essay. Below you can find some of the most interesting topics for the history of music essay.

  • The Significance of natural instruments in music production and performance
  • Tracing the historical development of Western music theory
  • How electronic music traces its roots back to classical music
  • How the music industry evolved from sheet music to streaming services
  • How modern producers relate to classical composers
  • The Origins and Influence of Jazz Music
  • How folk music saved the Stories of unnamed heroes
  • Do we know what the music of ancient civilizations sounded like?
  • Where does your favorite bandstand in the line of music evolve?
  • The Influence of African American Music on modern pop culture

Benefits of Music Essay Topics

If you are someone who wonders what are some of the values that music brings to our daily life, you should write the benefits of music essay. The music essay titles below can inspire you to write a captivating essay:

  • How music can be used to promote cultural awareness and understanding
  • The benefits of music education in promoting creativity and innovation
  • The social benefits of participating in music groups
  • The Impact of Music on Memory and Learning
  • The cognitive benefits of music education in early childhood development
  • The effects of music on mood and behavior
  • How learning to play an instrument improves cognitive functions.
  • How music connects people distanced by thousands of miles
  • The benefits of listening to music while exercising
  • How music can express the feelings words fail to do so 

Music Analysis Essay Example

Reading other people's papers is a great way to scale yours. There are many music essay examples, but the one crafted by our expert writers stands out in every possible way. You can learn what a great thesis statement looks like, how to write an engaging introduction, and what comprehensive body paragraphs should look like. 

Click on the sample below to see the music analysis essay example. 

How to Write a Music Essay with Steps

Writing music essays is definitely not rocket science, so don't be afraid. It's just like writing any other paper, and a music essay outline looks like any other essay structure.

music steps

  • Start by choosing a music essay topic. You can use our list above to get inspired. Choose a topic about music that feels more relevant and less researched so you can add brand-new insights. As we discussed, your music essay can be just about anything; it can be a concert report or an analytical paper about the evolution of music.
  • Continue by researching the topic. Gather all the relevant materials and information for your essay on music and start taking notes. You can use these notes as building blocks for the paper. Be prepared; even for short essays, you may need to read books and long articles.
  • Once you have all the necessary information, the ideas in your head will start to take shape. The next step is to develop a thesis statement out of all the ideas you have in your head. A thesis statement is a must as it informs readers what the entire music essay is about. Don't be afraid to be bold in your statement; new outlooks are always appreciated.
  • Next, you'll need a music essay introduction. Here you introduce the readers to the context and background information about the research topic. It should be clear, brief, and engaging. You should set the tone of your essay from the very beginning. Don't forget the introduction is where the thesis statement goes.
  • One of the most important parts of essay writing is crafting a central body paragraph about music. This is where you elaborate on your thesis, make main points, and support them with the evidence you gathered beforehand. Remember, your music essay should be well structured and depict a clear picture of your ideas.
  • Next, you will need to come up with an ideal closing paragraph. Here you will need to once again revisit the main points in your music essay, restate them in a logical manner and give the readers your final thoughts.
  • Don't forget to proofread your college essay. Whether you write a long or short essay on music, there will be grammatical and factual errors. Revise and look through your writing with a critical mind. You may find that some parts need rewriting.

Key Takeaways

Music essays are a pleasure to write and read. There are so many topics and themes to choose from, and if you follow our How to Write a Music Essay guide, you are guaranteed to craft a top-notch essay every time.

Be bold when selecting a subject even when unsure what is research essay topic on music, take the writing process easy, follow the academic standards, and you are good to go. Use our music essay sample to challenge yourself and write a professional paper. 

If you feel stuck and have no time our team of expert writers is always ready to give you help from all subject ( medical school personal statement school help ). Visit our website, submit your ' write my research paper ' request and a guaranteed A+ essay will be on your way in just one click.

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FAQs on Writing a Music Essay

Though music essay writing is not the hardest job on the planet, there are still some questions that often pop up. Now that you have a writing guide and a list of essay topics about music, it's time to address the remaining inquiries. Keep reading to find the answers to the frequently asked questions. 

Should Artists' Music be Used in Advertising?

What type of music is best for writing an essay, why do people love music, related articles.

Family Essay: How to Write, Topics and Examples

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Ethnomusicology: A Very Short Introduction

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5 (page 65) p. 65 Music as culture

  • Published: December 2013
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‘Music as culture’ examines the connections that ethnomusicologists make between music and culture. Culture, in an ethnomusicologist sense, refers to all forms of human knowledge, creativity, and values, and to their expression in various activities. Ethnomusicologists believe that humans make music as a constituent element of culture. To narrow down their study of music and culture, ethnomusicologists study the connections through particular themes, issues, and questions. Over the last few decades, ethnomusicologists have asked questions about urban and popular music, music's role in religious life, the economics of music, gender and music, the use of technology, music and politics, and the effect on music of migration, diaspora, and globalization.

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Last updated March 22, 2024

Every piece we write is researched and vetted by a former admissions officer. Read about our mission to pull back the admissions curtain.

Blog > Essay Advice , Personal Statement > How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

How to Write a Great College Essay About Music (with examples)

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

Ask any admissions officer if they’ve read a college essay about music, and they’ll definitely say yes. Between music extracurriculars and academic interests in music, it’s is one of the most common college essay topics.

So does that mean that you shouldn’t write your college essay about music?

Not necessarily. But as with any common college essay topic, some approaches are better than others.

Let’s get into it.

Why you should (and shouldn’t) write your Common App essay about music

As we explained in our Stanford Items exercise , writing your college essay on a common topic isn’t off-limits. In fact, most college essays share common topics and themes. Trying to find a completely unique, never-been-done-before topic is almost impossible. And writing about a quirky topic in hopes of coming across as unique usually backfires.

In other words, it’s likely that you’ll write about the same topic as someone else.

The problem arises, however, when you write about a common topic in a cliche way . Cliches are always a danger in college essays, but in especially college essay topics that tend to surface again and again.

To avoid cliches, your college essay about music needs to be deeply personal, specific, and meaningful. You’ll want to let go of any over-generalizations or truisms and focus on the details of your own story.

Because you’ll need to write meaningfully and vulnerably, you should only write your college essay about music if you have something genuine and significant to say.

The Best Ways to Approach Your College Essay about Music

College essays about music aren’t off the table, but you should be thoughtful in how you write about them. The following two approaches will help you avoid cliches and find an authentic, meaningful story that fulfills all the requirements of a personal statement .

Writing about music as an academic interest

If you’re interested in studying music in college, then you can consider writing your college essay about music as an academic interest. A college essay about your academic interest in music can show fantastic intellectual fit with a school.

Let’s say you want to study music theory or composition. You might write about a topic you find compelling, a problem you’ve solved, or even a recounting of your journey becoming interested in the subject.

Or maybe you’re an aspiring performer planning on studying music performance. As an admissions officer, I read outstanding essays about students performing their favorite pieces, creating emotional music projects, and teaching lessons to young children.

No matter your topic, your goal with this approach is to show an intellectual spark, a curiosity and passion that will demonstrate to your admissions officers that you’ll be a great addition to the music community on their campuses.

Writing poignantly about a deeply meaningful extracurricular

The previous approach is great if you want to study music, but what if music is just an extracurricular passion of yours? Don’t worry—you can still write about it.

In that case, the best way is to focus on meaning. Remember: personal statements should be deeply-meaningful reflections on your personal strengths.

To start, reflect on your music extracurricular. Is it playing guitar in a band? Playing trombone in your school’s symphony? Learning piano from your grandma? How your love of poetry turned into a love of songwriting?

Next, think about what strengths you have to showcase. If you play guitar in a band, maybe you want to highlight your collaborative spirit. If you love poetry and songwriting, perhaps you focus on your creativity.

Writing about your love of music in a way that draws upon your strengths will make sure that your Common App essay avoids the following two approaches and gives admissions officers a reason to admit you.

Approaches to Avoid

While the following two approaches aren’t necessarily bad, they are the most cliche ways of approaching a college essay about music. You might want to consider avoiding them.

An inauthentic tale of triumph

Let me tell you a cliche story.

When I was in fourth grade, I decided to join the school orchestra. I found it exceedingly difficult at first. No matter how hard I tried, I never could seem to place my fingers correctly on the fingerboard. Every sound I made mimicked a screeching cat. But I decided not to give up. I practiced every day after school and on the weekends. By the time I was in ninth grade, I had made it into my high school’s top orchestra.

Is that a lovely story? Yes, absolutely. Is it hearty enough for a college essay? No. While it tells a good narrative of growth and progress, it remains on the surface of the writer’s life. It comes across as a convenient way to brag about your strengths instead of exploring them in a genuine way. In this example, the story also focuses on events that happened way too far in the past.

A song that changed your life

This approach is by far the most common cliche in college essays about music. We’ve all been there: a favorite song that transports you to a moment in your life whenever you hear it. It makes sense that you’d want to write about yours.

But there’s a problem with this approach. Too often, it reads as trite or unoriginal, and the end result usually doesn’t say much about the writer. And when it does, the message an admissions officer gets doesn’t typically give them any more reason to admit you. Since you want your college essay to be meaningful, even vulnerable, and strengths-based, you’re better off choosing another topic that better speaks to who you are.

Key Takeaways + Examples

College essays about music aren’t for everyone. But when you get it right, you can strike the perfect chord with admissions officers (you’re welcome for the pun).

As you go, dig deep, find something genuinely personal, and try to avoid the most common and cliche ways of approaching the topic.

Want to see some examples of college essays about music before you get started? Check out our examples, The Time Machine and The Band .

Liked that? Try this next.

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267 Music Essay Topics + Writing Guide [2024 Update]

Your mood leaves a lot to be desired. Everything around you is getting on your nerves. But still, there’s one thing that may save you: music. Just think of all the times you turned on your favorite song, and it lifted your spirits!

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

So, why not write about it in a music essay? In this article, you’ll find all the information necessary for this type of assignment:

  • 267 brilliant music essay topics,
  • a sample paper,
  • a step-by-step guide and writing tips.

And don’t forget to bookmark  custom-writing.org  where you can find helpful essay tips in articles like this one.

🔝 Music Essay Topics: Top 10

  • 🎵 Music Essay Definition
  • 🎼 Essay Topics
  • ✍️ How to Write
  • 📑 Essay Sample

🔗 References

  • Compare different recording formats.
  • The purpose of music.
  • Ternary and rondo: compare and contrast.
  • Music as a lifestyle.
  • The benefits of singing.
  • Ethnomusicology as a career.
  • Evolution of the radio.
  • The importance of school musicals.
  • Music as a tool for meditation.
  • Music in sports.

🎵 Essays about Music: What Are They?

A music essay describes or analyzes a piece of music, its context, or one’s personal attitude towards it. This type of assignment requires a compelling primary argument and a clear structure.

To write well about music, you don’t have to be a professional musician. All you need is to be able to listen, understand, and evaluate it. You should also provide your interpretation and opinion on it.

Writing about Music: Assignment Types

An essay on music is a popular assignment in high school and college. However, many students find it hard to describe sounds in a written form. In this article, we will give you some tips on writing about music.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

Here are the typical tasks that you might receive:

  • Concert report. It requires describing the music you’ve heard using as many details and terms as you can.
  • Historical analysis of a piece. Your aim is to describe the historical context of a piece or its relation to the historical setting. For this type of assignment, you may need to do some research.
  • Song analysis. In this type of essay, you explore song lyrics’ meaning and show how they work together with the melody.
  • Performance or media comparison. Here you need to compare several interpretations or performances of one piece of music.

The picture shows different tasks related to writing about music.

All of these assignments require a different approach and topic. You will find topics for these types of tasks below.

How to Choose a Music Essay Topic

First things first, you need to find a suitable music essay topic. To accomplish this task, you might want to take the following steps:

  • Analyze your relationship with music . What role does it play in your life? Your topic choice will be different if you are a musician or merely a listener.
  • Think about how music influences your everyday life . For instance, you can study how listening to music affects our mental health. Impressing your readers with some historical facts from the world of music is also a great idea.
  • Try reflecting on the role of different music genres in your life . Whether you prefer rap or classical music, exploring a genre is an excellent topic idea. Topics related to musical instruments are also worth attention.
  • Narrow your topic down. Otherwise, it will be too difficult to focus your essay on just one idea.

🎼 Music Essay Topics List

The first thing you need to do is to choose your topic. We have prepared a variety of music topics perfect for research papers and short essays. You can also use them for speeches or college application essays.

Argumentative Essay about Music: Topics & Ideas

Argumentative essays about music are usually concerned with a specific music-related issue you choose to address. Just like with any other argumentative essay, you should present both sides of the topic. Also, reliable facts are a must for this type of essay.

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  • The influence of modern technologies on the music industry. Technologies allow artists to create and promote their songs independently. Because of this, record labels are less critical to musicians than before. However, the emergence of new technologies also gave rise to piracy . Do the positives outweigh the negatives?
  • What’s the effect of pop music on the modern generation? Today’s pop songs are usually commercial . Because of this, some people say that pop has ruined the current generations’ perception of music. Others argue that contemporary pop music expanded the possibilities of the genre.
  • Rock music makes people more aggressive . Some consider rock music merely an arrangement of aggressive tunes that foster violence. On the counter side, science has proven that people who prefer rock to other genres are calmer and more concentrated. Which position do you agree with?
  • Can people with hearing impairments become famous musicians ? Many believe that access to fame and fortune is limited for disabled people. The deaf may seem especially unsuited for the music business . Yet, the examples of Beethoven, Neil Young, and Chris Martin show that hearing problems don’t have to be an issue.
  • Will streaming completely substitute physical copies? Digitalization is on its way to replacing LPs and CDs. For most people, it’s simply more convenient. But their opponents claim that an MP3 file can never sound as good as a physical copy.
  • Some music genres can be a catalyst for violence. While their beats may be calm, hip-hop and rap’s lyrics are often aggressive and brutal. Does it have adverse effects on a listener?
  • Can a person become addicted to music ?
  • Censorship on the radio: why stations shouldn’t bleep out obscenities.
  • Is mandatory musical education in high schools practical?
  • The impact of Mozart’s music on toddlers.
  • Should a musician’s personal life affect people’s perception of their art?
  • How susceptible are teenagers to political messages in songs?
  • Music influences one’s mental and physical capabilities .
  • Are children who listen to music more intelligent than others?
  • Music genres are inherently dependent on musical instruments .
  • Is music as an art form more popular than cinema ?
  • Debate whether rap musicians promote a frivolous and careless lifestyle .
  • Many musicians became famous only because they’ve had connections.
  • Music festivals are the best form of entertainment.
  • Does music always sound better live than on records?
  • Is classical music better than modern genres?
  • Is it justified that some religions view music as a sin?
  • Typically, music defines a culture and its traditions: true or false?
  • Rap music has a strong connection to rebellious movements.
  • Jamaican music’s link to the stoner lifestyle is unjustified.
  • Synesthesia: how is music related to visuals?

Opinion on Music: Essay Topics

Opinion essays about music might seem similar to the argumentative type. Here, you are expected to write your personal opinion on a topic. Naturally, you can have many opinions on musical topics. Why not broadcast them? Keep in mind that you also need to provide reasons for your point of view.

  • Music therapy can help people with mental illnesses . It’s a well-known fact that music affects the human brain. This ability makes it perfect for treating mental health problems. On the one hand, psychologists established that listening to classical music increases one’s cognitive capacity . On the other hand, listening to heavy rock impacts responsiveness.
  • The questionable treatment of women in the music industry . While it may seem that both sexes are treated equally, women still earn much less than they deserve. Moreover, the extreme sexualization of girls persists as one of the most pressing problems in the industry.
  • Which musician or band impacted your worldview ? Discuss what makes your favorite artist special. Consider analyzing their lyrics, genre, and evolution. If you want to, add a review of one of their albums .
  • What are the challenges of being an independent artist? Typically, independent artists deal with all the financial, promotional, and distributional affairs by themselves. In the increasingly complex music business, this is not an easy task.
  • Is social media efficient for promotion? Almost every modern artist uses social media to promote their albums or songs. Users often check their networks for updates, which increases the musician’s visibility. But do such methods help in the long run?
  • Passion is the essential personal quality for every musician . If an artist is not eager to continually produce high-quality output, they’re unlikely to succeed. However, qualities such as responsibility, honesty, hard work, and creativity are also vital.
  • Is music good for stress relief?
  • How does music connect people ?
  • Analyze qualities that good musicians shouldn’t have.
  • Who are the most excellent musicians in the country genre ?
  • Is it possible to live without interacting with music ?
  • Choose three successful rappers and analyze their influence.
  • How can a musician become famous without having money or connections?
  • What are the difficulties of being in a band ?
  • Who impacted the development of indie music the most?
  • Is pop music losing its popularity? If so, why?
  • Three factors that affected your choice of a favorite genre .
  • Which artists are the most prominent in power metal?
  • Which record label is the most influential now?
  • Can Justin Bieber’s songs be considered legendary?
  • Did Kanye West introduce a new kind of rap?
  • Which rock bands lost their fame because of a scandal ? How did it happen?
  • Discuss Dire Straits’ impact on music history .
  • Who are currently the most successful women pop singers ?
  • Why are some music genres more popular than others?
  • What does success in the music world depend on ?

Topics for a Persuasive Essay about Music

Is there anything music-related you want to convince people of? A persuasive paper is your chance. Carefully craft your arguments to show your readers you’ve always been right about the beauty of cowbells. If it’s not your jam, consider these essay topics about music:

  • A seven-string guitar is superior to a six-string one. The additional string gives more room for creativity. It might be challenging to master, but in the end, the music has a fuller sound . Do you think it’s worth the effort?
  • The lyrics don’t matter as long as the melody is good. It’s possible to like songs from different countries, even if the listener doesn’t understand the language. The singing is simply part of the composition. Does this mean that what the vocalist says is unimportant?

The picture shows the information about the oldest surviving musical composition.

  • Most people living in big cities neglect country music. People from urban areas tend to think that country music is tasteless. For them, its tunes and lyrics sound too simple. Does the strong association with cowboys, farms, and long roads simply not appeal to the city lifestyle?
  • Should rap music be performed only by black people ? The genre hosts a large portion of African American artists . Not only that, but black rappers are widely considered the best of their craft. Do white artists do the genre justice?
  • Music that artists make merely to get money is soulless. Passion is a critical factor for every musician. If money is the primary driver for creating a song , the result is inevitably flawed. Do you agree?
  • Pop music is undergoing a transformation. Listeners acknowledge pop as the primary genre of contemporary music . Yet, new musical instruments are changing the game. Even the lyrics touch on more serious topics than before.
  • Indie is the new pop. Indie music is a relatively novel genre. Still, it continues to gain popularity. The light-hearted tunes paired with existential lyrics have captured the audience’s hearts. Is it possible to envision the future of music without bands such as Coldplay, The 1975, and the Arctic Monkeys?
  • The meaning of freedom for jazz as a musical genre .
  • Punk rock has recently witnessed a renaissance.
  • Exposing plants to classical music makes them grow faster.
  • Classical music: intellectually stimulating or relaxing ?
  • Is it justified that some countries legally prohibit artists from performing?
  • Is it easier for children to learn with music?
  • Can a person ever become a great artist without a natural talent ?
  • Should workplaces allow their employees to listen to background music ?
  • Jimi Hendrix’s guitar skills are still unmatched.
  • The impact of pop music on European culture and trends.
  • Kurt Cobain’s death should have been a wake-up call for the music industry .
  • Why is music beneficial to society?
  • Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s legacy can be felt even today.
  • Nintendocore is a legitimate genre that the industry should take more seriously.
  • Should you listen to a bands’ music even if you disagree with their opinions ?
  • Musicians should receive more government support.
  • Patriotic songs make people feel passionate and energetic about their country.
  • Depressive and sad tunes can worsen a person’s mood.
  • Doctors and therapists need to understand the importance of music .

Music Evaluation Essay Topics

Do you want to know how to evaluate music? The point is to divide your overall impression into several parts. Music evaluation requires much attention and concentration, so try to do your best to stay focused while listening.

Use these criteria for evaluating music performances:

Now all you need to do is choose a topic and get down to writing!

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

  • Discuss the rise and fall of hardcore punk. Many bands that started in the hardcore punk scene softened their sound over time. Why did this genre disappear from the mainstream?
  • Copyright laws are going too far . It’s getting increasingly difficult to use somebody else’s intellectual property. Creators on YouTube have to fear lawsuits for creatively repurposing copyrighted music. Moreover, laws such as the DMCA are frequently abused to generate revenues.
  • More bands should use their influence for political purposes . Renowned artists have a broad reach. Bands like Rise Against or Anti Flag use this influence to raise political awareness among their fans. Is it a fair approach?
  • Borrowing and plagiarism in contemporary music . New artists don’t emerge without having listened to other musicians. They draw inspiration from their predecessors. Thus, songs are always a mix of already existing tracks. In your essay, discuss the difference between homage and plagiarism.
  • What are the similarities between poetry and song lyrics? Songs and poems are similar in that they deliver a message to the audience. Their creation demands extensive knowledge of rhyming, literary devices, and other components.
  • Why do some musicians ask others to write lyrics for them? It is a common practice to have a crew of songwriters who create texts for performers. Sometimes it happens due to a lack of imagination or inspiration. Does finding out that your favorite artist doesn’t write their lyrics destroy the magic of their music?
  • How can popular music diversify as a genre? Pop music reached its peak. Adding and borrowing elements from different genres can be one way to diversify a streamlined genre.
  • The history of music as political propaganda .
  • Explain the difference between high and low contemporary music culture .
  • How is contemporary music related to that from other periods?
  • What are the connections between pop music and the hip-hop genre?
  • What connects popular music and contemporary culture ?
  • How does music in the United States relate to Spanish music ?
  • Analyze the evolution of Indian music .
  • Discuss why certain albums manage to climb to the top of the charts.
  • The link between social classes and musical genres.
  • Differences and similarities of music and other art forms .
  • How does a musical instrument’s origin influence its development?
  • What is the role of traditional music today?

The picture shows a Victor Hugo quote about music.

  • What are the main processes in music production?
  • How is music theory relevant today?
  • Analyze which contemporary artists’ albums had an effect comparable to that of Queen’s A Night at the Opera .
  • Eurodance: Europe’s most extravagant genre.
  • Songs and everyday life of Michael Jackson vs. Madonna: who wins the ultimate pop crown?
  • What difficulties has Eminem faced throughout his career?
  • Over-ear headphones provide a better sound experience than on-ear ones.

Topics for an Expository Essay on Music

An expository essay explains or describes a subject. In the colorful world of music, topics can range from the physics of sound waves to artists’ social impact.

  • The importance of Blues music in the late 19 th century and now . Blues originated in the 19 th century American South. It was an outlet for African Americans to express their sorrows. Later, it exceeded by far the cultural boundaries that confined it.
  • The role of music in prison camps. Singing was an essential part of life in the Nazi concentration camps . One of the most well-known songs of that time is called Peat Bog Soldiers . In your expository essay, explore why prisoners started singing and how it developed.
  • How did Chester Bennington’s death impact the music industry? Linkin Park was a giant in the business for decades until depression made their lead singer take his own life. The event sparked debates surrounding mental health and pressure in the creative industry. What long-lasting effects did these discussions have?
  • How did Baroque music reflect the zeitgeist? Compared to the Renaissance period, Baroque was in all aspects very pompous. The artists of the Sun King’s time didn’t shy away from the extravaganza. This ideal is especially prominent in architecture. How does music fit into the picture?
  • Investigate the development of musical harmony. The Ancient Greeks already had an idea of some tones fitting together better than others. However, it wasn’t until the 1600s that tonality became a crucial part of music theory.
  • Music in commercials: an analysis. Songs and jingles are commonplace in TV commercials. But what are they good for? In your essay, you can compare the success of advertisements with and without music.
  • What causes music trends to change? It’s easy to define various eras of music . Naturally, the invention of new instruments has influenced this development. What other factors played a role in these transformations?
  • Why is 4/4 a universal beat?
  • Examine the origins of The Star-Spangled Banner .
  • The effects of dissonance on the human mind .
  • How do staccato, legato, and other forms of articulation influence the perception of a musical piece ?
  • Discuss the significance of music in video games .
  • Music drives people’s motivation.
  • Explain the calming effects of nature sounds .
  • How does music influence literature ?
  • Celtic music is known to have an extraordinary impact on the psyche. How does it work?
  • How does music impact the discharge of hormones such as dopamine?
  • Music therapy is suitable for those who have bipolar disorder .
  • What made Falco such a unique artist?
  • How does the perception of a silent film differ from that of a movie with sound?
  • A rock concert by Kansas: How the relevance of live concerts changed over time .
  • Is being able to read music important for a composer ?
  • How did Beethoven write music after losing his hearing?
  • Should all songs have proper rhythm and structure?
  • Why do so many indie artists become commercial?
  • Is it essential for song lyrics to rhyme?

History of Music: Essay Topics

If you’re interested in the evolution of music, you’ve come to the right section. Historical research reveals the significance of music throughout time. Unsurprisingly, songs and melodies have been part of human culture for centuries. Dive deeper into this exciting subject with one of the following ideas:

  • How did the Catholic Church influence music development in Europe? During the Middle Ages , religious movements had a significant impact on music. Consequently, composers used to create more sacred music. It became a way of personal expression since it often contained religious texts. 
  • The cultural meaning of Renaissance music and its influence on other styles . During the time of the Renaissance , sacred and secular music heavily impacted each other. As a result, more variety emerged. The chanson and madrigal, for example, became popular around Europe.
  • Research archaeological findings of early musicality. The search for the oldest musical instrument delivers thrilling insights. Archaeologists have excavated a flute made of ivory and bird bones, dating approximately 43,000 years ago. They found it in a cave in Germany where Neanderthals lived.
  • History of early music and appearance of musical instruments. The beginning of the human culture was the turning point of musical instruments’ appearance. They were primarily used for spiritual rites; typically, they were horns or drums for ceremonies.
  • Louis Armstrong’s contributions to the jazz world. Jazz originated in New Orleans and was a favorite among African Americans. Louis Armstrong’s improvisations forever changed the genre, making the soloist-improviser the center of the performance.
  • The phenomenon of pop music and its origins. Popular music dates back to the second half of the last century. It comes from the US and the UK. Its main peculiarity lies in the variety of tunes and lyrics .
  • Native American music before the discovery of the New World . Incas and Aztecs had particular styles of music. Findings show that these ancient civilizations used instruments for ceremonies. Researchers also discovered that various American cultures mingled, thus creating new techniques.
  • The use of string instruments in classical Greek songwriting.
  • Famous composers of 18th century Italy and their influence.
  • Mozart vs. Beethoven: comparison of techniques.
  • Deliver a thoughtful analysis of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony .
  • What role do acoustic instruments play in jazz compositions ?
  • Explore the history of the Ocarina.
  • Due to what circumstances did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart become one of the greatest musical geniuses in history?
  • Influence of the Romantic period on modern music .
  • How and why were the swing era and jazz connected?
  • Rock and roll as an international language in the 20th century.
  • Explore the rise of techno music.
  • Is there a historical connection between music and math ?
  • How did music become a staple subject in many schools?
  • The greatest musicians of World War I .
  • Industrialization and its effect on music development.
  • How did female producers such as Kate Bush impact the music industry ?
  • Analyze Frédéric Chopin’s contribution to classical music .
  • Music evolution in ancient Greece vs. the Roman Empire .
  • How does archeology help to uncover musical traditions ?
  • Tupac’s influence on modern rap music .

Classification Essay about Music: Topic Ideas

In a classification essay, you explain how a whole relates to parts or vice versa. To do it, you need to divide one broad category into several subcategories. Each classification paragraph focuses on one subcategory, so you need to find a key feature that will be your basis of division. For example, you can divide music by genre, volume, musical instruments, etc.

Here is our list of musical topics for this essay type:

  • The most popular types of alternative music among teenagers. Naturally, teens like different kinds of rock and experimental music . Try to dig deeper and ask some teenagers about their preferences to get a clear picture.
  • Types of modern dance music . Describe the tendencies and popular genres. You can also focus on a specific country.
  • The most popular types of jazz music in Europe . Although jazz emerged in the United States, this genre became recognizable all over the world. You can analyze the most popular streamed songs, or the concerts and other mass events.
  • Rock music in the ’70s. You can describe the genres, styles, or types of performers. The concerts, clothes, and lifestyles are also suitable for this topic.
  • Blues musicians of different time periods. Analyze the lyrics, the musical instruments they used, and how long their careers lasted.
  • Classification of music for children . Some of it can be for dancing, development, or just listening. Research the purposes of different kinds of music for children.
  • Types of music used in films. The soundtrack is one of the main things we remember after watching a movie. There can be popular songs or tracks composed specifically for a film .
  • Rock bands that represent different subgenres.
  • Rap subgenres in the United States.
  • Periods of classical music .
  • What motivates people to start a musical career?
  • Different kinds of music for relaxation.
  • The industries where composers work .
  • Types of opera singers and instrumental music .
  • Different professions in the music industry .
  • Unpopular genres of independent music.
  • Different types of music listeners .

College Essay about Music: Topics

When you apply to your dream college, you need to write an impressive essay. Admissions officers pay attention not only to your grades and achievements but also to your personality. Your writing can indicate your motivation, academic interests, and how well you fit into the college. Writing an essay about “music in my life” is a great way to demonstrate your passion and creativity.

Choose one of these topics related to music for your college essay:

  • The role of music in your life . Describe what music means to you, how often you listen to it, and how it helps you in life. For example, you can write about inspiration, motivation, or the sense of freedom that it gives you.
  • What are the essential aspects of music for you? Try to write down everything you like about music. It might be melodies, lyrics, vocals, or mood. You can choose several aspects if you feel that you can’t decide.
  • The time when music changed your life. In this essay, you can pick one occurrence or describe how music changed your life gradually. It’s important to indicate where you started from and where it led you.
  • How do you see the future of the music industry? Demonstrate to the admissions officer how well you know the art and the business.
  • Your role model in the music industry. You may write about the qualities of the person you admire and why you want to develop them in yourself. Remember that admission officers want to read about you, not your idol.
  • How did your musical taste change over the last ten years? Describe the evolution of your preferences. Explain why you have changed some of your past choices. Do you think your musical taste has improved?
  • Your favorite musical genre .
  • Does listening to music help to heal body and spirit?
  • What is the best music performance you have ever seen?
  • Why do people become fans of particular musicians?
  • Your favorite song lyrics .
  • Can people be judged by their musical taste?
  • Why is music an essential part of human culture?
  • Quote about music that appeals to you the most.
  • How can music education help you in the future?
  • Do you prefer listening to music or performing it?
  • How can music change your mood?
  • Why you want to become a musician.
  • Which culture has the most beautiful ethnical music ?
  • Is music more of an art or business?
  • What are the essential parts of musical education ?

Other Music Essay Topics

  • Why do supermarkets play music? Think of the reasons why marketers use music in advertising and how it impacts customer behavior.
  • An analysis of Robert Wise’s The Sound of Music . Evaluate how the director uses music to tell a story.
  • The impact of music on the human brain . Examine the latest research in the mental health field and how music therapy affects depression treatments.
  • The workings of the music industry . Assess how contemporary audio technology and touring lifestyle affect musicians.
  • The role of music in different cultures. Choose and compare two countries to analyze their perspectives on the music industry.
  • Music on television . Evaluate how the music of TV shows and movies impacts the audience’s feelings and behavior.
  • Oliver Sacks’ contribution to music psychology. Explore the theories he discusses in Musicophilia and describe its influence on music psychology.
  • Should all music be available for free download? Think about the ethical and legal aspects of this issue.
  • How did music psychology help the development of music education ? Try to find a correlation between these two fields.
  • Britney Spears and the adverse effects of teen popularity. Writing about this topic, you might want to focus on how her early fame affected her life. What happened after her famous breakdown in 2007?
  • The half-life of one-hit-wonders. Focus your paper on quantitative research. How long do one-hit-wonders stay famous on average? Why do they fail to maintain their success?
  • Journalism and the music industry. Examine the effects positive or negative press had on a musician of your choice.
  • Festivals and sponsorship. Discuss the benefits that corporate sponsors and the creators of music festivals gain from working together.
  • Rock songs and pessimistic lyrics. Why do most popular rock songs have such sad and angry lyrics?
  • Discuss the development of your music taste. Write about what pushed you to change and how it influenced your life.
  • The psychology of music. Examine what someone’s favorite music genre can tell about their personality.
  • Is ASMR music? ASMR artists make quiet sounds to soothe their audience. But can we really consider it music?
  • A historical analysis of jazz. Explore how African Americans influenced the flourishing culture of jazz that has spread worldwide.
  • The effect of classical music on children’s cognitive abilities. Supposedly, classical music is great for kids. Study this theory and make your conclusions.
  • Discuss the characteristics of modern Latin American music . Dive into its diversity and describe the reasons for its popularity.
  • How do Chinese artists make traditional music? Write about its complex creation process. Analyze the importance of articulation for composers.
  • The history of music . With this essay, explore the six periods of music history. To top it off, you can predict what music will be like in the future.
  • The music industry goes online. Discuss the importance of the internet for the industry and the challenges associated with it.
  • The magic of instrumental music. Pick your favorite orchestra pieces and find unique features in each of them.
  • Musical education: the sound of success? Does everyone need a musical background?
  • Explore the latest techniques in songwriting . Look into the song creation process of contemporary musicians. How do they get the audience to enjoy their art?
  • Compare and contrast e-pianos and keyboards . In doing so, consider their structure, sound, and features.
  • The Woodstock festival as a game-changer. How has the Woodstock Music and Art Fair influenced the current state of the music industry? Additionally, investigate how current festivals hold up to the standards set by Woodstock.
  • Music therapy for stroke patients . Find out whether incorporating elements of music therapy can support the treatment of patients who suffered a stroke.
  • How do amplifiers work? If you’re a musician, you’ve likely used an amplifier before. Now it’s time to figure out what they are actually doing.
  • The Killers’ contributions to indie rock. How would you define their style of music? What makes them a key player in indie music?
  • Analyze the music in Grease . Pick some of the most popular songs from the musical and write about their influence on American culture.
  • What’s the best way to interpret songs? Describe methods to deconstruct songs and how the music style affects this process.
  • Teufel vs. Sennheiser: the ultimate comparison. German sound equipment manufacturers are known for their cutting-edge technologies . But which brand is the best?
  • What role does harmony play in music composition? Choose several pieces of music and describe how the artists used harmony.
  • How necessary are double bass drums? Do musicians place them on stage just to impress people, or do they have actual use?
  • Compare regular festivals and free ones. Why spend hundreds of dollars on Coachella if you can go to Woodstock for free? In your essay, focus on the differences such as size, participating artists, and general entertainment .
  • A historical analysis of choral music. Singing in groups is a practice common across various cultures . You might choose one or two to work on.
  • How did The Rolling Stones influence British culture? The Rolling Stones are one of the longest-standing rock bands of all time. Naturally, this left significant marks on their home country.
  • How important are regional accents for English-language singers ? When working on this theoretical topic, include some examples and your personal opinion.
  • The world of musical instruments: medieval music . This fun essay can focus on different types of medieval instruments and their evolution.
  • Does the creative process differ for electronic and acoustic music? Look at how artists usually write songs. Do they start with the melody, the rhythm, or the lyrics? Does it depend on the medium?
  • The correlation between poems and medieval songs. Find out how composers were reinventing poetry to create songs.
  • Hip-hop and gender equality . What is the role of women in the development of this music style? Don’t forget to give examples.
  • When politics interferes with art: Eurovision. Analyze the role of the political situation in this song contest. Is there anything left of its original idea?
  • How did Vladimir Vysotsky become a beloved musical figure outside of Soviet Russia? It’s unusual for Russian-language musicians to gain fame outside of their home country. Research how Vysotsky managed to mingle in the USA and have some of his work posthumously released in Europe.
  • K-pop conquers the world . You may narrow the topic down to a specific artist. Focus on the influence of Korean music in other cultures.
  • Music school students vs. amateurs. Discuss the different experiences and outcomes of music school students and those who learn to play instruments at home.
  • Do music choices shape one’s identity , or is it the other way around? It’s an exciting question that lets you dig deep into the psychology of music.
  • The music of dissents. Energizing songs play an essential part in rebellions and revolutions. For example, analyze how protesters used music during the Arab Spring .
  • The development and popularity of electronic music . Starting from the early experiments, analyze the development of this style and its increasing influence
  • How do artists use social media to promote their music? You might want to choose one or two examples to illustrate the tools they use.
  • Organum as one of the oldest written types of music . Study the development of this music style throughout various cultures.
  • The appeal of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters. Many people consider the song one of their favorites. Examine its structure , melody, and lyrics. What makes it unique?
  • Africa’s hidden musical gems. African music is as diverse as its people. Pick two countries and compare their style. How do they differ from Western art ?
  • Did people’s music tastes improve compared to previous decades? Here, you have the chance to express your views on the evolution of people’s music preferences.
  • Is the life of pop stars as easy as people think? Share your thoughts on whether famous musicians and singers have a leisurely lifestyle.
  • Physiological reactions to different types of music . Study how your body reacts to various beats and tones.
  • Why do people tend to listen to specific songs on certain occasions? In your essay, ponder the effects of love songs or powerful anthems on one’s mood .
  • What does someone’s ringtone say about their personality ? Think about how it affects your perception of a person.
  • The impact of music on the individual’s productivity . Studies suggest a positive effect on people’s performance when they listen to something pleasant while working. But all the noise can get overstimulating. That’s why finding the balance is central.
  • Music is natural. In the depth of nature, there is music. Rain, a bird’s song, or the tapping of a squirrel’s feet melt together to create a beautiful composition . Music is everywhere—one only needs to listen carefully.

If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, you’re welcome to use our topic generator .

✍️ Music Essay: How to Write

So, you have chosen your essay title. Now it’s time to start writing! But before you begin, read the sections below and learn how to organize your work.

How to Describe Music in Writing

You might think that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Well, it is not an easy task, but we know how to cope with it.

Follow these tips while writing:

  • Make a comparison.  Explain which characteristics of a piece remind you or are identical to those of another one. It’s better to avoid comparing music from different composers in this case. Instead, evaluate and analyze two musical pieces from the same composer.
  • Describe the melody and dynamics.  You may want to use musical terms to show your knowledge and proficiency. Define the genre and what kind of instruments and tones are used.
  • Explain how it makes you feel.  You can use basic human emotions to describe the feelings of a listener. For example, it can be anger, tenderness, irritation, excitement, or nostalgia.
  • Use metaphorical language.  You may try using your imagination to create analogies. Be careful not to make your metaphors overcomplicated, as it may confuse the readers.

Essays about Music: Descriptive Words

Do you want your essay on music to be interesting and expressive? Then you may want to use descriptive vocabulary. Here are some of the terms that you can use in your essay to make it sound more professional:

  • Tempo is the “speed” of music. There are fixed expressions to define tempo—for example, largo, moderate, or presto. You can also describe how fast the music feels.
  • Timbre is the term that evaluates the “color” of music. Even if two instruments play the same note of the same volume, the sound is still different. This is how you can notice the color of the tone. For example, gentle, clear, heavy, or warm can be the adjectives to describe timbre.
  • Dynamics define the volume levels of music. The volume can be the same all the time, for example loud or soft. If the volume of music changes, you can use such expressions as “gradually gets louder” “or suddenly becomes soft.”
  • Harmony characterizes how all the notes and chords sound together. The sequence of chords—chord progression—defines how satisfying the melody is for the listener. For example, if the transitions are smooth, you can use such words as “relaxed” or “warm.”

Music Essay Outline

Like any other assignment, writing about music requires a proper essay outline that will guide you through the writing. The following sections will help you with that.

Before you start, here are some tips that will help you prepare for writing:

  • Do some prior research. Try to learn as much as possible about the piece you will be writing about. It’s also helpful to listen to the music several times with headphones to notice more details.
  • Don’t be afraid of asking questions. Consult your instructor if you’re unsure about your topic or the piece you have chosen.
  • Choose the topic that you like. If you’re passionate about a subject, it is always easier to write about it. Who said that homework could not be interesting?
  • Follow the recommendations that your instructor gives. It includes word limit, formatting style, deadline, and essay type.

Music Essay Introduction

The introduction is the section where you come up with a brief explanation of the topic. You may start it with a quotation, definition, or short statement that catches your reader’s attention and leads them to the essay subject.

A thesis statement is usually the last sentence of the introduction that defines the content of body paragraphs. It needs to be specific and not longer than two sentences. If you decide to shift the focus of your essay while writing, it’s crucial to change your thesis too.

Different types of essays require different thesis statements. Let’s take a closer look:

Music Essay Body

Your essay’s body is the most significant part of your writing. Here, you provide evidence and explanations of your claims.

The typical body paragraph structure includes:

  • A topic sentence explaining the argument for a particular paragraph.
  • An introduction to the evidence you gathered to support an argument.
  • Quotes and facts (don’t forget about proper citation!) and their explanation.
  • A connection between the evidence and the essay topic.
  • Paragraph transitions  leading your reader to the next section.

Topic Sentence about Music

Topic sentences can be used as a roadmap to writing your essay. Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence that defines what the paragraph is about. It introduces the argument or main thought that will be explained. It’s also connected with the thesis statement.

It’s essential to make your thesis easy to understand, so it’s better not to overcomplicate it. For example, here’s an unsuccessful topic sentence with unnecessary words:

As stated above, the guitar is an essential musical instrument in rock music that defines how it sounds.

Instead, you can formulate it like this:

The guitar is the most iconic musical instrument in rock music that defines how it sounds.

Music Essay Conclusion

When writing a conclusion for your essay on music, you can use the following structure:

  • Summarize the text in a few sentences.
  • Review the key points of your paper.
  • Paraphrase the thesis.

To make your essay conclusion more effective, avoid the following:

📑 What Music Means to Me: Essay Example

Now you know all about writing an essay on music! To make it even easier for you, we’ve prepared an essay sample that you can use for inspiration. Check it out:

Now all you need is to turn the music on and get down to writing! We hope you liked this guide. If you did, don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.

Further reading:

  • How to Write a Good Critique Paper: Killer Tips + Examples
  • How to Write an Art Critique Essay: Guidelines and Examples
  • How to Write a Movie Critique Paper: Top Tips + Example
  • Modern Fairy Tale Essay: How to Write, Topics and Ideas
  • 200 Creative Topics for Opinion Essays
  • 182 Free Ideas for Argumentative or Persuasive Essay Topics
  • 180 Excellent Evaluation Essay Topics

✏️ Music Essay FAQ

Music is a vast topic. An essay might deal with anything ranging from trends in the 1950s to the best guitarists of all time. Writing an introduction to certain music styles or bands is also possible. In any case, the paper should be well-structured, logical, and cohesive.

Writing about music doesn’t necessarily require any specific skills. If you’re not familiar with the theory of music and can’t play musical instruments, you can just write about the music you like. Here are some topic ideas: favorite music band, style, or how you perceive music.

You can interpret music as a topic in various ways. If you are getting a degree in this field, you might want to write something more specific and technical. If your essay aims to merely inform and entertain, write about your favorite music style or band.

If you are writing an essay for school, a good choice would be an expository essay. It doesn’t require any specific knowledge of the music industry. Title suggestions might be: “My perception of music,” “My favorite band,” “How music can change the world.”

  • What is the Music Industry? Definition and Facts: Study.com
  • What Music Do You Write To?: Writers & Artists
  • A Music Review: British Council
  • Music: UNC Writing Center: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Sound and Sense: Writing about Music: Colorado State University
  • Music analysis Research Papers: Academia.edu
  • The Power of Music Therapy: Belmont University
  • Musicology: Northwestern Bienen School of Music
  • Musicology: Areas of Study: Indiana State University
  • Music Facts: Facts.net
  • Music History from Primary Sources: Library of Congress
  • Music: Encyclopedia Britannica
  • A History of Classical Music: Part 1: The List
  • What Is Jazz: Smithsonian Institution
  • The 50 Greatest Composers of All Time: Classical Music
  • Musical Terms and Concepts: SUNY Potsdam
  • Ethnomusicology: University of Oxford
  • Music Research Process: Syracuse University
  • Journal of Popular Music Studies: University of California Press
  • The History of Pop Music in 5 Defining Decades: The Culture Trip
  • Music of the 20 th Century: Lumen Learning
  • Explainer: Indie Music: The Conversation
  • Your Brain on Music: University of Central Florida
  • Music and Health: Harvard University
  • The Psychological Function of Music Listening: NIH
  • Essays that Worked: Hamilton
  • Writing in Music: Writing Thesis Statements: The City University of New York
  • Academic Writing about Music: University of Denver
  • How to Write Song Lyrics: Berklee
  • Essay Introduction: University of Maryland
  • Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements: Purdue University
  • Writing Body Paragraphs: Monash University
  • Some Tips for Writing Efficient, Effective Body Paragraphs: University of California, Berkeley
  • Writing a Paper: Conclusions: Walden University
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Thank you very much for this post on music essay writing! You don’t know how long I looked for the helpful information on writing music essays!

Music takes an important part in my life. I wake up and go to bed listening to music. And now when I’m writing my music essay, I also listen to music. And it’s also a pleasure to read an article on how to write an essay on music!

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The Morning

The music that made us.

What happens when we re-encounter cultural artifacts that were deeply important to us and they’ve changed, or we have, or both?

essays about music culture

By Melissa Kirsch

There’s a scene in Andrew Haigh’s recent film “All of Us Strangers” where we see Adam, played by the Irish actor Andrew Scott, working on a screenplay to the strains of Fine Young Cannibals’s 1985 ska track “Johnny Come Home.” He types the scene heading: “EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE 1987.” An establishing shot. We’re going back in time.

Adam rises from his desk and goes to the next room, where he drags a bin of memories out from under the bed. Cassette tapes, ragged toys, an album of faded photos. “Johnny Come Home” is one of those songs that evokes the ’80s so acutely for me that I was already experiencing flashbacks to my own adolescence before Adam began to excavate his. I hear it and I’m returned to my childhood bedroom: the boombox with dual tape players, pink wall-to-wall carpet, a diary with a lock.

I hadn’t listened to Fine Young Cannibals in many years, but returning to their self-titled album now, I was curious to see if it would arouse the same emotions (anticipation mixed with melancholy). It didn’t do exactly that. I still loved the album, still felt moved to bop along and croon the lyrics, but I felt distant from it, as if a pane of glass had been erected between me and my younger self.

Each of us has these signal cultural artifacts. They are Those Albums — the records and CDs and playlists we listened to so deeply and constantly that we fused with them, skin and guts and heart. What happens when we re-encounter them later, when we’ve certainly changed, and perhaps they have too?

I jumped into the deepest ocean of such a scenario recently when I went to see “Illinoise,” Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury’s stage interpretation of Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 concept album “Illinois,” at the Park Avenue Armory. (It opens on Broadway on April 24.) When “Illinois” came out, I was a ripe target for its indie-rock Americana and majestic storytelling. I played it for what felt like a year straight. Even if I couldn’t quite sing along with its elaborate orchestrations, refrains from that album lodged in me. Lyrical scraps would flash unbidden, like hallucinations, in the decades to follow. (“Are you writing from the heart?”; “I fell in love again / All things go.”)

And so, meeting “Illinois” again, all these years later, I was a little nervous. The work had been transformed, from an intimate album I’d listened to on an iPod with corded earbuds that didn’t stay put into a lavish stage production with sets, actors, choreography. The stakes felt curiously high: Would someone else’s reinterpretation of the album land for me? Would the public spectacle cheapen my private affection for it? When I mentioned to my friend Tom that I was going to see the show, he was apprehensive: “That album is of monumental importance in my life,” he said, adding, “If it’s not perfect, it would ruin me.”

My experience of the performance didn’t ruin me or the sacredness of the album, thankfully. I was delighted by the delicate interpretation, the way the show’s creators had created a coherent narrative from the collection of songs, agreeing with the Times theater critic Jesse Green that, with “the verbal dials turned way down, and the physical and musical ones way up, the calibration of information, from dreamy to piercing, is pretty much perfect.”

One risk of reacquainting ourselves with an album we’ve loved is coming face to face with who we were when we identified so closely with the work: our younger selves and their (sometimes embarrassing) tastes. I was sharply aware in the early aughts of the criticism that Sufjan Stevens’s work was too precious and twee, and when I remember how susceptible I was to its wiles, I feel bashful, like I’m seeing myself lampooned in a “Portlandia” sketch.

That mix of nostalgia and novelty in meeting our old favorites again, when they’ve changed and we’ve changed too — it’s a complicated compound! Sometimes, we’re surprised. I was transported by my reunion with “Illinois,” excited to go home and listen to the album again, to add this new encounter to my archival experiences.

I’d hoped for a similar renewal when, last fall, I went to see Liz Phair’s 30th-anniversary performance of the album “Exile in Guyville,” another of Those Albums for me. I had expected an audience as excited to dance deliriously and sing along to every lyric as I was. But instead I was met with a crowd that felt cool and quiet, and a performance that, perhaps because of my vertiginous expectations, I didn’t connect with. I left sort of bummed out, still longing for the cathartic homecoming. I got it, eventually, from the original source: at home, volume on high, singing my heart out in a long, scalding shower, that reliable theater of connection and rebirth.

“‘ All of Us Strangers’ acts as a prism through which loneliness and its manifestations are refracted, like colorful light onto a wall,” writes Alissa Wilkinson.

“It feels like the album wants you to live your life to it ,” the playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury, who worked on the story of “Illinoise,” told Melena Ryzik.

In her dance review , the critic Gia Kourlas wrote that “Illinoise” is “drowning in sentimentality.”

Why live concerts make us so nostalgic .

THE WEEK IN CULTURE

Film and TV

“Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told,” an HBO documentary, delves into an event that defined spring break for Black college students in the 1980s and 1990s.

The characters in “3 Body Problem,” a new show from the makers of “Game of Thrones,” lack dimension, but the series’ scale “may leave you too starry-eyed to notice,” James Poniewozik writes in his review .

A third — and final — “Downton Abbey” movie is on the way , the actress Imelda Staunton told the BBC.

A documentary detailed accounts of a problematic working environment at Nickelodeon . Dan Schneider, a former longtime producer accused of inappropriate behavior, apologized.

An investigation by The Guardian found that three Damien Hirst sculptures, which his company had dated to the 1990s, were actually made in 2017 by Hirst’s employees.

Last year, a professor’s 30-year dream of assembling a complete set of Katsushika Hokusai’s series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” was realized. This week, the prints went up for auction .

The cast and chorus of the Met Opera’s production of Puccini’s “Turandot” sang from an improvised set after a technical glitch.

Shakira’s latest album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” deals with her divorce. “If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. That’s what I did with this album,” she told The Times .

“Wait, was that Lil Nas X?” The rapper joined the New York City half marathon at the last minute.

Kristen Stewart has embraced “naked dressing.” The bare looks confront viewers with ideas of female sexuality while “undermining the whole circus of branded celebrity dressing,” Vanessa Friedman writes .

South Dakota’s governor, Kristi Noem, has undergone a total makeover in recent years. Strategists say that her new, more glamorous look is meant to appeal to Donald Trump.

The Belgian designer Dries Van Noten announced his retirement from his namesake brand. Men’s wear aficionados are in mourning .

More Culture

The “Succession” actor Jeremy Strong stars in a Broadway revival of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People.” Our critic attended a preview .

A new Banksy mural in London — painted behind a cherry tree that had its branches sawed off — was defaced , NPR reports.

Jonathan Eig won a prize from the New-York Historical Society for his biography of Martin Luther King Jr .

THE LATEST NEWS

Russia Concert Attack

Several gunmen dressed in camouflage attacked a concert venue near Moscow , killing at least 93 people and injuring more than 100, Russian officials said.

A branch of the Islamic State, ISIS-K, claimed responsibility . U.S. officials confirmed the claim, and said they had told Russia’s government this month that the group was planning an attack.

The Kremlin said that 11 people had been detained in connection with the attack, including four who it alleged were directly involved.

Other Big Stories

Catherine, Princess of Wales, announced that she has cancer . She did not specify what kind, though she said doctors discovered it after her abdominal surgery in January.

Trump’s social media company, which operates Truth Social, merged with a shell company. The deal could raise Trump’s wealth by billions , giving him cash to pay his legal bills.

China and Russia vetoed a U.S. resolution at the U.N. Security Council that called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Congress passed a bill to fund the federal government through September, sending it to President Biden.

CULTURE CALENDAR

Andrew LaVallee

By Andrew LaVallee

🎵 “Cowboy Carter” (Friday): Perhaps you’ve heard there’s a new Beyoncé album coming? “Cowboy Carter,” the megastar’s foray into country music, drops Friday, and like virtually everything Beyoncé does, it will be An Event. While you wait, “ Texas Hold ’Em ” and “ 16 Carriages ,” two early releases, can tide you over.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

By Melissa Clark

Mushroom-Spinach Soup

In New York, our stride into mild spring weather has been momentarily halted by an icy, wintry blast. That means now is a good moment to simmer up a cozy pot of soup, preferably one that’s still light, bright and filled with vegetables. My mushroom-spinach soup with cinnamon, coriander and cumin is just right for a chilly weekend. It’s brothy and warming, filled with plenty of leafy green spinach and anchored by savory, seared mushrooms and shallots. The spices add a heady, earthy aroma that makes this a bit different from many other vegetable soups. Make it soon, before the warm weather settles in; salad season will be here before you know it.

REAL ESTATE

The hunt: A young family from Santa Barbara, unable to afford a single-family home near their jobs, decided to look at a mobile-home park near the beach. Which home did they choose ?

What you get for $1.5 million: A three-bedroom condo in San Francisco; a Craftsman bungalow in Tampa, Fl.; or a six-bedroom Victorian house in Providence, R.I.

Why we age: Scientists are investigating how our biology changes as we get older — and whether there are ways to stop it .

“Anti-weddings”: For people who want to get married but don’t want to plan a classic wedding, one planner offers a solution: “ love parties .”

Stereotypes: Male fitness instructors have a reputation for being girlfriend stealers. How true is it? Trainers weigh in .

ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER

A spring style staple.

Spring is on the march, which means it’s time to shed those cocooning winter layers and lighten your wardrobe. What better way to greet the season than with the ultimate sartorial blank slate: a white T-shirt . Wirecutter’s style experts spent six months testing dozens of tees to find four standouts in a range of styles and prices. My personal favorite — an ultra-soft, slightly cropped crewneck — anchors delicate cardigans, baggy jeans and bold accessories with equal aplomb. Lately I’ve been wearing it peeking out from behind a men’s sweatshirt; as the temperatures rise, I’ll be pairing it with flowy skirts and white sneakers. — Zoe Vanderweide

GAME OF THE WEEK

March Madness: We’ve reached the best weekend of the year for college basketball fans, with games running continuously over the next two days. Below are a few highlights from today’s lineup (all times Eastern).

Caitlin Clark makes her tournament debut, with her Iowa Hawkeyes 37-point favorites over Holy Cross. 3 p.m., ABC

Florida Gulf Coast, a No. 12 seed, is on a 22-game winning streak. There’s upset potential as they take on Oklahoma. 4 p.m., ESPN News

Michigan State and North Carolina, which both looked excellent in the first round, meet in Charlotte. 5:30 p.m., CBS

Oakland, the No. 14 seed that upset Kentucky, has a chance to extend its run against No. 11 seed N.C. State. 7 p.m., TBS

NOW TIME TO PLAY

Here is today’s Spelling Bee . Yesterday’s pangrams were believing, beveling and bevelling .

Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines.

And here are today’s Mini Crossword , Wordle , Sudoku and Connections .

Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa

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Melissa Kirsch is the deputy editor of Culture and Lifestyle at The Times and writes The Morning newsletter on Saturdays. More about Melissa Kirsch

Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture Term Paper

Music and dance were known to people for a long time. From the starting point of our civilization, first people could make rough musical instruments and dance to the sounds. At first, dance would be used in religious ceremonies and rituals, for example, to call out the rain in the dry season and in some instances, before going hunting, to bring good luck and a rich catch.

Our ancestors believed that they will please the spirits and the higher forces of nature, thus they will be sent whatever it is they needed in abundance. Only after further development of the social communities and progress of civilization, people began to use music and dance as an industry for masses that was meant to please the ear and eye; it became a part of the arts.

In our time, there is a great quantity of many different kinds of genres and dance types. Many instruments that can be used to produce very unique and distinct sounds have a very advanced technological structure, so the variation of dance greatly increased. Dance is very influential on the person and there is no other medium quite like it that can have such a significant effect on the person.

Especially ethnic dance is meant to touch the deepest parts of the human soul, the emotions and can raise the mood and make it light or depress it and have a negative influence on the psyche of a person. Our family has a unique connection to the dance and music, and how it was used in the family and in social settings.

The dancing that was imagined and acted out would be aligned to people’s emotional state, life and circumstances of everyday worries and happiness. An interesting fact that has been a part of family is that it was a connection to the higher power and the spirit world because it is very original and limited in existence.

Comparing to other types of art which can be made and put on a wall or stored in a museum, the dance only exists while it is made. The modern technology has made it possible to record and store images but our family has had a very different view that has not changed with time. It is believed that in order for dancing to be fully understandable and felt, it must be played live.

This is the reason why we never record dancing and try to add variations to it every time, so that there is a unique mood and output of feelings. Very far back in the history of our family, the dance was used by shamans and has been very influential on the mind and soul of people. Sometimes, dancing would be instrumental to put people into a trance or a hypnotic state.

It is unfortunate that the majority of society forgot how to be a part of dance in such a way that it touches the inner being of an individual. The oldest musical instrument that has been in our family is the flute and the dancing associated with the sounds it made. It goes back to five or six generations of relatives but in reality the traditional Chinese dance and flute dates back to ancient times because it was very easy to make and dance to it.

The simple structure and making technique of the flute have proven to be extremely effective in creating easy listening and calming down sounds. It is a sort of long tube with a blowing hole and several holes on top that can be closed with fingers. Our particular flute is made from a rough looking wood and was not altered in any way, as it has been a part of family history.

Originally, it was used by shepherds and other herdsmen. We believe that it was made by one of the shepherds in our family. While the sheep would be going around looking for the grass that is needed for their proper nutrition, the person would play the flute and dance, to pass time and uplift the spirit.

It is believed that it started even further in the past when people would use flute sounds to create a certain atmosphere for the sheep and the whole process of being out in the nature and connecting with the environment. This made them healthier and brought luck to people and animals in their prosperity and success. It was usually made from a young plant; it would be cut off and measured by the length of the arm of a person.

If it was a young child or a man, the length would be different and this signified the connection between the musical instrument and the person. The shorter flute would create a distinct sound attributable to youth and beginnings, whereas the longer one, of an older man, would be linked with wisdom and long life full of health. Also, the holes would be made in such a way that fit the person who played, so each flute was very unique.

It is known that our ancestors would dance to the flute in social settings as well. During family gatherings or community holidays, people would gather at home or in someone’s garden, eat food, drink wine and dance. The person who played the instrument and danced made the process enchanting and original each time.

As there were no TVs, radios or any other technology that is present today, dancing and making music was a very common thing and people would be extremely good at it. The process was considered a special one, as it greatly differed from all other things that people did. Work was needed to feed the family; church was for religious purposes, and communal gatherings to decide on some matter, so all were related to the routine and everyday life.

But dancing to the naturally made music or making a new composition was the way people would communicate with their hearts and souls. There was never a negative or depressive mood around, when people played instruments, sang and danced.

It was always associated with all the goodness that people have in them and the life seemed and became simpler and better adjusted to the circumstances of existence. The following is a chart that outlines the use of dancing to the flute and some other musical instruments, as well as the purposes when they were used.

One of the specific stories that is told by the parents is about their great grandparents when they have just arrived into a new village because their previous one was destroyed by drought and heavy winds. As they were the newcomers, it was hard to adjust to life and people. Our great grandfather was a master at dancing and playing the flute and used it to their advantage.

Every morning people would come out to the bazaar and bring whatever they had from their livestock or plants—milk, eggs, vegetables or fruits. To get acquainted with people and let them know that they were good people, he would come out every morning and go to the bazaar to dance and play the flute. His particular style was very unique because he would not just start out playing dancing to any melody and continue all the time.

He would observe people and adjust to the situation and settings with the dance moves and sounds of the flute. If someone was sad he would dance and play a cheerful melody, if people had completed a trade or bargain, he would do a different dance and melody. He often made people laugh because he was a great observer and could comprehend what people needed.

Through stories such as this, dancing to the flute has become a part of the family and the legacy that has been passed down through generations. It has become a relic and it is important that every member can dance and play at least one melody, as respect to our ancestors.

  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2019, July 8). Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture. https://ivypanda.com/essays/music-and-dance-as-a-part-of-our-culture/

"Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture." IvyPanda , 8 July 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/music-and-dance-as-a-part-of-our-culture/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture'. 8 July.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture." July 8, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/music-and-dance-as-a-part-of-our-culture/.

1. IvyPanda . "Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture." July 8, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/music-and-dance-as-a-part-of-our-culture/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Music and Dance as a Part of Our Culture." July 8, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/music-and-dance-as-a-part-of-our-culture/.

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    Exclusively available on IvyPanda. Music and dance were known to people for a long time. From the starting point of our civilization, first people could make rough musical instruments and dance to the sounds. At first, dance would be used in religious ceremonies and rituals, for example, to call out the rain in the dry season and in some ...