MUSIC: THE ART OF STORYTELLING

Groan. Grunt. Whine. Can you believe that those three were the first sound of music? It all started when an early caveman started to make those sounds and was later followed by the hitting of rocks and logs. It wasn’t long before the sound was polished to resemble the music that we have today.

Music has been around since the dawn of time. It is something that everyone could count on for entertainment. In the earliest year, man used music to celebrate natural phenomena and one of such event is to celebrate rain. Music had been used to sell, to soothe, to give a message, but it has also been used to show the differences between the cultures of each genre of music.

As it continues to evolve during the years, music has always told us a story. Music has told stories of wars, loves, relationships, hardships, happiness, frustrations, celebrations, but most importantly, music has told stories of life. Some music tells its stories through lyrics, but some music did not even use a single word to express its stories, just using melody is enough to bring it to life.

‘Always’ tells a story of a man in deep repentance. He was a playboy and took his girlfriend for granted. So, when one day, she left him, that was when he realized that he loved her but it was too late. She already had another man. He can only wish that she would give him another chance. Songs like this show the love and hurt that can come from it.

However, in contrast, in ‘Dazed and Confused’, the singer claims to be dazed and confused by the woman, but it is actually his state of mind, which is in denial and indulgence, that leads him to this state of confusion, and keeps a woman who is being abused also is in a state of extreme emotional and physical dazed confusion. A lot of people don’t realize that this song gives abusers a powerful context in which to inflict their abuse. Songs like this tells the story of real happenings that affect life today.

Music can be a very powerful tool. Through music, it can unite people from around the world; however, it can be as deadly as it is good. Some songs has lyrics contains violence that can effects especially young listeners. They would think that being shot at is cool, which in reality, is not. However, there are songs that can unite people from around the globe to work together and help each other, such as the song ‘We are the World’ that brings together 16 various artiste to help the Haitian after the earthquake.

Songs, while changing over time to style and genre, still do the same thing as they did when music was first discovered. Songs tell us a story to entertain us in some way, as they were always meant to. Can you imagine living in a world without music?