Music Art

Music Art

Music refers to a form of art and cultural activity, and its medium is sound. For one to know what music entails, he/she must take into account some elements. Such elements include but not limited to pitch (that dictates harmony and melody), rhythm (tempo of the song), dynamics (Softness or loudness), and the sonic qualities of texture and timbre  (which at times become referred to ‘the color’ of the sound of music). Music definition, creation, performance, and significance vary with a community’s cultures and its social context (Ardley 102). What is deemed as music in one community may not become considered as music in another community? Music, in most cases, is produced to relay information about the identity of a particular group of people within the society; it can be a song identifying with women or a specific vulnerable group of the community. Songs can as well become produced to relay information on the ethnic background of individual people. For instance, a song can become created to show the history of a particular group of people on how they came to existence. Songs can also become designed to display the values and beliefs of a specific community. Since values and beliefs differ with communities, some communities created songs outlining their beliefs to ensure members of the population do not forget the values. The paper talks about how music reflects the identity, ethnicity, and values of people in society..

The gambler by Kenny Rogers and Prisoner by Lucky Dube are two songs that resonate well with my identity, ethnic background, and beliefs. The lyrics of the gambler by Kenny Rogers talks about knowing the time to react and time not to act. Similarly, Prisoner, by Lucky Dube, speaks of holding the idea of fighting for the rights of the citizens by highlighting some of the ills that exist in society. I identify with the two songs since they advocate for holding on to an idea until it materializes. I am a human rights activist, and I cannot keep calm when members of my community become oppressed. I will have to speak out to ensure they are relieved from the oppressor, and the two songs advocates for this as well. Secondly, I identify with the dynamics of the two songs. I identify with songs of soft dynamics which the two songs display. The two songs make a recall. The lyrics of the songs make me recall a moment in my life when I became arrested for an alleged crime I did not commit. A friend of mine reported me to a police station that I stole her money. When I went to the court for the hearing, I had to hold on to what I knew about the case as put by Kenny Rogers, and I remember the incident more specifically when I listened to “Prisoner by Lucky Philip Dube” a reggae musician.

The two songs i.e., The Gambler by Kenny Rogers and Prisoner by Lucky Philip Dube, express some of the specific beliefs and values. I believe that it is the responsibility of the Government to provide social amenities such as the construction of Schools to its citizens to ensure they get a quality education. Secondly, I believe that people should be over-excited for what they are not very sure about unless they have confirmed it beyond reasonable doubts that it is what they expect. The prisoner by Lucky Dube advocates from my first belief since it talks about the singer urging the Government not only to prisons but rather build schools where a good character can be natured to ensure a brighter society. The gambler by Kenny Rogers identifies with my second belief since it talks about not counting money when sitting at the table; instead, the counting needs to be done when alone. Counting when alone enable you to know what you have instead of counting on the table where everyone sees you and can easily excite you for no apparent reason. The rhythm of the two songs makes them move along, and it gives them a slow motion, the slow-motion allows me to capture the lyrics of the song. Both the songs reflect on my personality of maintaining courage at all times since they all talk about remaining adamant and courageous towards achieving a particular course.

In conclusion, music is an influential art when created and produced appropriately. Music should become designed to promote reasonable beliefs, Identities, and ethnic background in a community. Music should act as a positive change agent in society (Greenwald, 70). Therefore the various elements of music should be carefully considered during its production. Inadequate consideration of the music elements may lead to ultimate distortion of the intended information

Work Cited

Ardley, Neil. Music. New York [N.Y.: DK Pub. Internet resource.

Greenwald, Ted. Music. Princeton, N.J: Peterson’s, 1992. Print.