Helene Goldnadel: Music as an Artistic Expression The Arts is an integral part of any culture that encompasses a broad discipline, which includes the visual arts, the literary arts and the performing arts. Whatever the genre, whether it be classical, country, rap, rhythm and blues, hip-hop or pop, music is an art. In fact, it is a type of performing art.
In performing arts, the artist is a performer, who stages an act or showcases his talent before an audience. He uses himself, meaning his facial expression, his body movement, his very presence to aesthetically appeal to his audience.
Helene Goldnadel says that like any other type of art, music is an artist's means of self-expression. The composer/ songwriter express himself and his emotions through song. This does not only take skill and talent; it takes heart as well. Composers/songwriters have revealed time and time again how they have to be inspired in order to be able to write a song. Some said they have to be in love, happy, exuberant to be able to compose a hit song while others said they have to be sad, lonely or heartbroken. Whatever the case, the emotion has to be genuine and the expression, honest and sincere.
Composers and songwriters convey their emotions through the melody and lyrics of a song. Whether they were happy, sad, and lonely or in love when they wrote the song should be reflected in the song's melody and lyrics. The audience should be able to understand the emotion conveyed by the song. When happy, the song may have a fast rhythm coupled with lyrics that emphasize positive, joyful thoughts. When heartbroken, the song may tend to be more soulful, slow in rhythm and the lyrics could depict hurt and pain.
Hence, both the melody and lyrics are important. For a recording artist or singer to do justice to a song, he has to master both the tune or the melody and the lyrics. The singer has to learn to enunciate the words clearly so the audience will understand each word. Otherwise, a good song can turn into waste. It will have no meaning.