Themes > Arts > Music > Elements of Music > Generalities > Preliminary Ideas

by Danlee Mitchell and Jack Logan, Ph.D. Music has been an important part of the activities of humankind since the beginning of recorded history. It is likely that music existed as an essential tool of human culture from the time higher consciousness first formed in humans. Today music plays a vital and important role in the lives of human beings. It is found everywhere in our world -- on television and radio; in our homes, automobiles, airplanes, and offices, and it manifests itself on various levels of intellectual and emotional activity as one more stimulus in the vast ocean of stimuli gathered by our senses daily. Humans use music variously -- for everything from personal entertainment to contemplative activities. Music has the power to influence psychological aspects of behavior both consciously and unconsciously and acquiring a knowledge of music may create a deeper sensitivity in humans for their environment and social culture and it is believed to enrich life generally. There are many diverse cultural groups that comprise the fabric of humankind, each with their unique musical instruments, practices and styles. Many of these cultures will be considered in the following pages to reveal the relationships (both similarities and differences) these cultures have to the Western world. Indeed, the Western world has consisted of vastly different cultures from one chronological time period to another. For example, a great number of cultural distinctions may be drawn between the Baroque and Classical periods in the West. Through modern communication devices (e.g., telephones, facsimile machines, airplanes, and others), Earth has become a smaller planet. In the future a knowledge of the various peoples of the World and their cultures will be an essential ingredient in everyone's education. In this interrelated "world village" music will become an important force in developing understandings among various cultural groups. This introductory material focuses on "the essential elements of music" as these elements relate to a more detailed understanding of music and musical materials to be found in later portions of this work.

Information provided by http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/M151/Elements_of_Music1.html