I have come to notice that when asked "what sort of things are you interested in?- music is always in one's response. It has come to make me contemplate whether there exists any single person that is not interested in music or does not enjoy it. This mystery of music that engulfs an entire species has compelled me to investigate this matter. In Aristotle's Politics, he states that "it is not easy to determine the nature of music, or why anyone should have knowledge of it."" This question of "What is music?- has plagued philosophers since before ancient times. Thousands of theories have been developed to explain the phenomena of music: where did it come from, how it originated, and why it affects us the way that it does. I will attempt to briefly address a few of these theories proposed by philosophical giants such as Aristotle, Plato, and Confucius, while examining the role that music plays in Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music. .
Nietzsche's Birth of Tragedy is divided into two sections. The first fifteen chapters address the birth of Greek Tragedy which he believes took place upon the meeting of the Apollonian and the Dionysian world views. The following ten chapters discuss the current declining state of modern culture and its potential resurrection through the musical works of Richard Wagner. .
The preface of The Birth of Tragedy is written to Wagner but is also speaking to the reader. Nietzsche anticipates criticism toward his work but ensures both Wagner and the reader that the subject of art is of great importance. Written during the height of the Franco-Prussian War, Nietzsche fears that "readers will find it offensive that an aesthetic problem should be taken so seriously "assuming they are unable to consider art more than a pleasant sideline, a readily dispensable tinkling of bells that accompanies the seriousness of life.- He warns against believing that such a subject of art is simple and irrelevant but to realize "what a seriously German problem is faced here and placed right in the center of German hopes.
That's what other types of music lack. ... That's what is different in instrumental music. ... They just believe it's boring, "it doesn't even have words in it, what can it possibly mean." Or maybe they just like being bound to what they listen. ... I"m not saying rap or rock n roll or some other types of music is worthless or meaningless, it's just that people must try to see further, beyond what they just prefer. ...
"Music illuminates a person through and through. ... Manifestos decreed what truth and beauty should be. ... Why does this music sound so special? ... And that's the essence of one of Shostakovich's methods, he evokes memories in associations that the audience would already know, but changes the musical language just enough to suggest what he is feeling, what they are feeling, what no one would dare speak aloud. ... And then the brass and percussion hammer home what seems to be the ultimate dead end. ...
During the history of music, some of the most significant developments were due to religious motivation. ... HIs views on music were quite important as they played a large role in the development of Lutheran sacred music. ... What radically changed was the theological ideology of the Mass. ... His works were extremely important in the evolution of music during the Reform. Many Lutheran composers were contributors to the development of Lutheran music. ...
The purpose of this essay is to establish a difference in the amount of available music in what's hot (pop) and what is not (world music). ... What is unique or confusing about the world music section? ... What is the ratio between the pop music section and the world music section? ... What are the most sought after world music groups? ... What is world music price ranges compared to pop? ...
What do these mere two examples of musical events have in common? ... What values, if any, are the worlds teenagers deriving from this music? ... First, what does society see wrong with rap music? ... And if we hide it, what if it is discovered somehow? ... What they neglect to consider are the positive values expressed in rap lyrics. ...
What is ordinary in the life of Americans? ... Where did country music come from and what led it to where it is today? ... Although some musicians had been playing what was then known as "Old Time Music", it wasn't until August 1, 1927 in Bristol, Tennessee, that country music really began. ... As Ralph Emery says, "Country is now ..country music is what's happening ..it's fun (Emery 87). ... When people say they like country music because it tells about real life, what they really mean is it tells about their real life. ...
Music is an ever changing phenomenon. Innovators constantly push the boundaries of the definition of music. ... One of the reasons that attributes to classical music's "staying power" is because unlike pop music, where songs can be easily replaced by the next big hit, classical music cannot be replaced. ... Classical music does not have these same functions, but it has others, and there is literally no replacement for what it offers. ... Classical music cannot be replaced. ...
How many other people do you think have that same artist's music on their phone? Everybody knows that the "Billboards" artists are making millions of dollars a year and don't have to worry much about retirement, but what about the other guys? ... The music industry obtains numbers far worse. In the music industry, there are large disputes over who obtains money and who benefits from the selling of music. ... What record labels do with contracts such as these is use power to control their artists and squeeze as much money out of them as possible. ...
So I started thinking of the power that music has over me. ... What I"m going to do is try and illustrate a short and accurate history of music and the influence each period has brought; weather it was political, social, psychological or physical , I"m going to try to equally show the positive and the negative sides of the "story" The Beginning "There is nothing before Elvis" this American saying is far from rite; but nevertheless you have to give it credit for one thing: Cult. ... During this time, musicians reacted to what they saw and often the youth of the Sixties were livi...
Women are the sex symbols of music. ... The music industry has completely exploited her in her new music and videos. ... Double standards of women persist in today's music not only lyrically but also in music videos. ... Female artists promote promiscuity because it is what their audience wants to see. ... Today, she has slowly transformed into what is expected for an average female artist. ...
