Do We Value Music As We Should Be Valuing It?
This blog entry is inspired by a friend of mine’s Facebook post asking if we value music and appreciate the art-form as a top influencer in our daily lives. Furthermore, are we valuing the artists and composers behind the creation of this music?
How much do we consciously value music and its creativity around us? Do we realize how much musical creativity surrounds us all the time and how it plays such a major role in our everyday lives?
Let’s remind ourselves of this with examples of how much music is a part of all of our everyday experiences. Let’s refresh our appreciation of the things we consciously appreciate and make our unconscious appreciation of music, conscious.
Think of all the platforms where we value music in our lives:
Music is found on many platforms. Think of the films, commercials, video games, cartoons, YouTube videos, documentaries, even the news are filled with music. Think of all the places you go where music sets the mood of the location. What about restaurants, shops and shopping centers, places of work and places of service? And what about all the times you are put on hold on the phone and music is played over the phone while you wait for your turn? Do we realize how much we value music as a culture?
Music gets us through emotions:
Music helps us get through emotions. It’s a support to our mental health. Have you ever noticed that when we all feel anxious about life, work, school, health, or perhaps our family’s well-being, we turn to music during those times? Maybe it’s when we’re depressed or dealing with depression on a regular basis? Many times, we turn to music to help us get through emotions. Somehow it helps us get through things, so we keep using it. We make it an essential to our lives.
Do we realize how much we value music in these times?
Music influences visual experiences:
Music helps create visual experiences. Have you ever thought of what it would be like if the greatest football touchdown in history was played on our tv and phone screens without music? It wouldn’t nearly be as great an event without the dramatic music to support the emotion we should be experiencing in that moment.
Furthermore, what would it be like if you watched cooking shows, make-up tutorials, or maybe any other YouTube channel without music? It would feel empty and quite frankly, a little boring, wouldn’t it?
What if Star Wars films were created without music? Would it make the show slightly more ridiculous, watching dramatic things and hearing people say dramatic things but not hearing dramatic music to support it?
And what if the advertisements we see on tv all the time were without music? Like, if the people talked the same but there was no music in the background? It wouldn’t be so appealing, would it! We wouldn’t be as inclined to buy those Nike shoes. They’re not so cool without music!
Music helps social environments:
Music brings people together. It fills in silence and helps eliminate awkward feelings. Think about a wedding without music? Wouldn’t the silence be a little awkward if the bride walked to the aisle without music?
Music brings people together. It fills in silence and helps eliminate awkward feelings. Think about a wedding without music? Wouldn’t the silence be a little awkward if the bride walked to the aisle without music?
What about a night club with no music? People standing around talking to friends or hitting on strangers, or worse, dancing without music…. Definitely awkward!
Music influences people’s feelings:
Music shapes feelings. It makes us feel something. It helps guide our feelings to what we want our feelings to be or what someone else wants your feelings to be. There is so much phycology intertwined with music, the human brain and the human experience.
And because music shapes feelings and feelings shape health, music therefore supports good health. Think more about this. If music helps guide mental health and mental health guides so much of physical health, then music effects physical health. On a side note, that’s why we have music therapists and music therapy in the world too.
People mostly remember how they felt in a situation, more than the situation:
Going back to music shaping feelings, people don’t always remember things that were said or things that happened, but they will more often remember how they felt. Music helps create that feeling and that memory.
Have you ever thought of these things? Do we consciously value music like we should?
Do We Value Music Artists?
Lastly, in this blog article, we wanted to bring music artists into the spotlight. After having read through the first portion of this article I hope our readers will have been able to open their minds to an even greater appreciation for music than before. Now consider the creator behind that music. Don’t forget these artists who help shape your everyday life! Support them because what would life be without them?
Are we supporting music artists?
How do you support music artists? Firstly, be aware of who they are. Who created what you are hearing or what you like to listen to? Is the artist someone you can become a fan of? Is their music something you can learn to appreciate more and more as you follow the music artist and learn more about them?
Secondly, be a consumer of their creativity! Attend their concerts and buy their products. These are the easiest ways to support music artists. Just consume! More than that, be an intentional consumer.
Thirdly, share the music you value with others. It makes sense that the more people know, follow and consume a music artist’s creations, the more support that artists receives to be able to continue putting out the kind of work they do.
Sharing your favorite music and artists is also something that influences culture and the every day lives of people. As subconscious of an influence music might at times be, it’s immensely influencing on society!
Supporting music artists equals influencing the world.
Music can also be internationally influencing. Some music goes viral or gets picked up by certain other countries who may not even speak the same language as the music produced. That being said, know that when you support an artist, you could also be influencing the world!
That’s how infiltrating music is to the human existence.
So, can we leave you with this final big thought?
