Written by: Sambriddhi Neupane - 23036, Grade XI
Posted on: 10 November, 2021
The quote above was written by Plato, an Athenian philosopher. Music is a learning, a therapy and a teaching tool. Music is a part of all of our lives, from childhood to old age. We all got introduced to music from our mother singing us to sleep. Music is therapy because of its positive changes in human behavior. Music is one of the most calming and soothing things. It is not only created by people, but it is also all around us in nature. In the mornings, when the birds chirp, the loud sound of waves in the ocean swishing, the hissing sound of trees and leaves rustling, all are the music in their way.Music has many benefits. It especially has health benefits. Music helps us reduce stress, improve mood, lessens anxiety, improves memory, improves exercise, eases pain, etc. It also has social benefits such as; it strengthens our empathy. It is also beneficial for students. Music positively impacts a child’s academic performance and assists in developing their social skills. A study from John Hopkins Medicine proved that music can give a brain workout.
Everyone has a different reason to listen to music. Listening to your favorite song can completely uplift your mood if you are feeling down. Everybody is attached to music in their own way. Everyone has a different and unique reason for listening to music. In my opinion, everyone should listen to music because it can act as a company when no one is with you. There are different types of music so we have choices to listen to the type we like.
Nowadays, pop music is very popular. Almost everyone listens to pop music these days, especially teenagers. Music has evolved and has shifted its way to the time of now. The popularity of pop music skyrocketed in the 1980s. Pop stars like Michael Jackson rose to fame in our quickly growing society. Hip-hop also gained the platform and rose to fame after the 1980s. People today still listen to songs from the ’80s. Today, you can see teenagers and youths have earphones plugged in all the time. Pop music has also played a huge role in evolving the fashion industry and style. Teenagers also try to dress up like these pop stars and this can be a distracting factor for them. Apart from these, music has healed and helped people overcome their fear, pain and stressful life.
Music has healing power and people often listen to music while meditating. It is also used for therapy. The Tibetan singing bowl also has these properties. The Tibetan singing bowl is a type of bell that vibrates and produces a rich and deep tone when played. Buddhist monks use this bowl for meditation practice. This singing bowl also produces music that is also used for personal spirituality.
As mentioned above, music has different purposes and different uses in an individual’s life. “Music is the universal language of mankind” this phrase was first said by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an American poet. And Harvard's study also states that it is a universal language. Every culture enjoys music and songs. Music serves many different purposes. So, in my opinion, it is an essential part of our life.
