MUSIC

Introduction - History - Definition - Its charms kinds of music - Effect of music - Conclusion.

There is no place upon the face of the earth where people do not sing and where music is not treated as an art. Excepting only a few, all the others love music and think it as a part and parcel of their life. No music, no refinement, no culture so they think.

In the primitive age when man had no learning, no culture, when he was as wild as the other wild and ferocious animals, he sang— he sang to give out his mind, to express his feelings, whether of joy or sorrow. Music was his language in and through which he expressed how he felt. He heard the clouds thunder, saw the waves howl and found all nature expressing itself in thousand and one ways. This made him wild in an excess of feeling and he sang— sang out of the gladness of his heart.
How old music is, nobody can say. The history of human civilization has a long record of music. It is said about Orpheus that when he played on his flute, even the beasts and birds assembled to hear him. It is narrated in the Bible that when King Saul was possessed of ghosts and lost his consciousness, David restored it by playing on his heart.

The definition of music can be gathered from what has been said above. Music is nothing but a succession of harmonious sounds, vocal or instrumental. So a song (solo or chorus) comes under the category of music as does an instrumental concert. We may briefly say that any kind of melodious sounds, producing a pleasing effect upon the mind may be termed as music.

Music has appeal to the feelings. It rouses our feelings and emotions and make us forget our joys and sorrows so long as we listen to it. Its poetic jinglings and measured tunes stir the inmost depths of our heart and make us one with them. It woulds enormous power on our heart which nothing else can. This power of music made the children of Hemmelin dance in thrilling joy and disappear with the Pied Piper, leaving their all behind. It is said that some wild animals like the tiger and the deer and even the venomous serpent are moved by music.

The kinds of music is many and various. Of these mention may be made of only some. The martial music stirs the patriotic feelings of men and even causes them to leave their hearth and home and go to the battle-field to court death; religious songs make us pure, honest and religious-minded; the pathetic songs bring tears to our eyes; the love-songs enthral our heart with feelings for union or separation.
Music, as has been pointed out before; touches the softest cords of our heart. It is the food for our heart in our joys and sorrows: it satisfies the heart-hunger of all. This is why it is an object of endearment to all and is cultivated all over the world.