Theories About the Functions of Music

Music is an indispensable human activity. However, opinions on its purposes and functionality vary widely and remain contentious.

From Brooklyn mash-out posses jolting you awake to Guru’s gruff tough-love flow, music can evoke all kinds of feelings: from wonder and amazement to anxiety or anger. Numerous empirical studies have explored its function using open surveys or researcher-defined collections/dimensions.

Origins

Music’s exact origins remain a topic of fierce discussion, with theories ranging from evolutionary theory and its correlation with certain animal mating calls, to cultural development as being possible sources of its development.

Music has the ability to influence culture, society and revolution. Music has also been used as an effective form of protest against war and oppression.

Early hunter-gatherer music consisted largely of vocalized body percussion instruments like drums and bullroarers. Like Blackfoot and Sioux tribes in North America, early hunter-gatherer songs utilized vocables (non-lexical vocal sounds used instead of words) rather than words for songs. They performed group musical performances such as religious/ritual activities or initiation rites; dance performances; as well as singing lullabies by caregivers to infants or children. For advanced musical expression notation is used where symbols represent individual tones as well as groups thereof – just like Blackfoot and Sioux tribes do today!

Functions

Over the years, scholars have advanced several theories regarding the various functions music may serve. While some theories derive from evolutionary accounts or experimental aesthetics and uses-and-gratifications approaches, other perspectives consider experimental aesthetics or uses-and-gratifications approaches as sources.

Researchers have examined potential functions of music using open-ended surveys or interviews. Some studies have also used predetermined collections or dimensions of musical functions taken from literature research or face validity as starting points for exploration.

No matter their method, these studies have produced varied findings regarding the number and nature of musical functions. Scholars have attempted to uncover an underlying structure through statistical methods such as factor or cluster analyses; other scholars have employed methods which reduce variables by employing factor or cluster analyses. At present, research suggests there are four basic functional dimensions: social (such as communication or self-expression), emotional, arousal-related functions as well as terminatative functions that involve alternate tonic/dominant harmonies to affirm tonal centers.

Instruments

Musical instruments are any device which produces a musical sound. These devices can be divided into various families depending on how they make sounds; such as percussion instruments, stringed instruments, keyboard instruments and wind instruments.

Percussion instruments encompass drums, bells, castanets, and various types of drums (side, tenor, bass, tabor and bongo drums) among others. Percussion instruments can be played by tapping or striking them with hands, feet or objects such as mallets; other percussion instruments may require tapping from multiple sources.

The xylophone is an iconic percussion instrument with wooden keys and metal resonators that generate different pitches. Other members of its family include marimba (a larger version) and vibraphone, both featuring similar metal bars with disks that rotate when played to produce different pitches. Each instrument also has its own distinct character known as its “timbre,” making them easily distinguishable as baritone sax, harp or kazoo!

Entertainment

No matter where or when we listen to music, whether singing in the shower, dancing with friends, or listening to their favorite tune while doing chores – music can bring great enjoyment and relaxation. Many use music to help escape into their own imaginary world, such as through video games that feature fast-paced musical compositions that keep players engaged as they evaluate and fight through stressful scenarios.

Local musicians offer an entertainment-education service tailored specifically to their local community, which challenges dominant forms of behavior change communication which don’t reflect its values and beliefs (Dutta & Dutta, 2019). Music produced by these artists can serve as an effective medium to spread social change messages and mobilize the general population through it – becoming recognized opinion leaders who mobilize public support. Furthermore, popular musicians may provide a forum through their music to communicate health and development messages to wider society.