ECHOES OF THE PAST

The culture and history behind our

Music is everywhere. You probably listen to it all the time - while on the bus or in your car, walking around, at home, or finishing up a magazine article two days after the deadline. But what were the steps to create this amazing system of sounds that we now take for granted today?

The roots of music had already grown before the seeds of humanity were even planted. What we think of today as music was probably created when humans and chimpanzees split off from a common ancestor at the very least, but music is language. Or perhaps that’s not that unexpected at all; we’ve communicated via music since time immemorial.

“When it comes to languages, there’s always language barriers,” said Anthony Harris, a piano teacher. “People sometimes can’t communicate with each other well, but we always seem to agree on stuff when it comes to music.”

Based on historical records, music was very prominent in ancient times. From the moment a writing system was established, music seemed to be one of the very first things likely to have been created long before this. Prehistoric music frequently consisted of drums and other percussion instruments. It’s theorized to have played an unexpected role in ancient human society - to appear. Civilizations across the world enjoyed music. China, Greece, and India especially developed complex song forms. Music was used for religious festivals, marriage and funeral rites, banquet gatherings, as well as for enjoyment in general. The transmission of music ideas and instruments between different cultures was also often shepherded by the Silk Road. As civilizations began to rise and fall, so did their unique ways of creating music. The last part of this musical “antiquity” would be defined by the Medieval and Byzantine eras, where music was often used for religious purposes. However, music would stay relatively uninteresting until the rise of the Renaissance.

The Renaissance - a rebirth of European culture, art, and technology. Often considered the beginning of Western classical music, the Renaissance shaped the music that we have today. Containing a clear melody and balanced harmony, Renaissance music created trends that would carry on to the modern era. Following the Renaissance came the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras. Baroque was classified by its polyphony; where multiple melodies were used simultaneously. Classical was identified by its homophonic texture; where there is an obvious melody with accompaniment. The Romantic period forwarded music becoming much more expressive and emotional than ever before. These periods have shaped the way that music is made today.

The 20th century saw a revolution in music with the development of electrical appliances. The radio and television helped broadcast music around the world, with musical performances also becoming increasingly visual. The 20th century also brought new freedom and experimentation. The invention of amps and electronic instruments revolutionized music to become more widespread and easy to access to the general public. The 20th century also saw the unprecedented spread of popular music, which is music with a wide appeal. With such developments in technology, music had never been more widespread.

“Classical music has definitely influenced contemporary music in every, every aspect of music really,” said Anthony Harris, a piano teacher. “As far as Western music goes, as far as the chord progressions that are used and melodies that are used, there’s lots of popular classical melodies actually adapted to pop music that most people learn.”

It’s hard to dispute the claim that everybody enjoys listening to at least some form of music. But, with great diversity comes great divide. Musical elitism is everywhere, with many criticizing others for simply not liking their own favorite genre. A common example of this is the social divide between those who enjoy listening to classical music and those who enjoy more modern types of music, such as pop, rock, and electronic music. Classical is often considered by some to be much more high-class and intelligent. There is some truth to this - classical music tends to have much more complex melodies and rhythms than modern music. However, it’s important to remember that music isn’t just what’s in the song - it’s the way that it connects to people. Many people can relate to modern music much more than that it’s important to create. Create something new. And I do believe that that is the right way to go forward.”

A hot topic in the debate of music is often whether the use of electronics within music has been beneficial or detrimental to the music industry. A strong argument for electronics being a hindrance is how they reduce the skill and talent necessary to create a good song. Technology such as MIDI and computer software can make music lazier and also lower the standards for what many will consider “good” music.

“I think recording technology has a lot to do with it. The use of computers has really changed things a lot,” said Zane Ruttenberg, musical artist. “[Before computers] You have to be able to play the song front to back perfectly to a music to show the colors of our diverse world. And there’s no point in trying to block it out; after all, it’s everywhere.

However, the introduction of methods to spread music around the world are certainly not detrimental to the music industry at all. The internet especially was crucial to forward music’s prevalence in society.

“With things like Spotify and the internet we have been able to glimpse into other musical worlds in an instant. So, I feel much more connected to the rest of the world than before and I can only imagine that will continue as new technology to collaborate continues to innovate,” said Jared Farney, a drum instructor.