individualsandcommunities.Consider,forexample,thestatelymajestyofamarchonGraduationDayor CanMusicHaveASpecificPurpose?
Musichasplayedanintegralpartinthedaytodayevents,ceremonialfunctions,andprivatelivesof
alullabysungtosootheananxiousbaby.Anextensionofhumanemotion,musicisoftenusedfor
utilitarianpurposes,tocelebrate,inspire,orcomfort.Thistypeofmusicisknownas utilitymusic.
Musicmayalsobeusedforreligiouspurposes,entertainment,andinthecaseofanthems,toestablish
nationalidentity.Manyattesttomusic'stherapeuticpowertoheal,reducestress,relax,orenhancemood.
Retailestablishmentsoftenusemusictolendasenseofambianceforexample,asabackdropto
shoppingordining.Formanypeople,listeningtomusicrelievesthetediumofrepetitiveworkand
exercise.In1924,musicwasfirstclinicallyapprovedasamedicaltreatment,andseveraluniversitiesnow
offerdegreesinmusictherapy,placinginternsandgraduatesinhospitals,prisons,schools,and
communitycentersacrosstheworld.
In her own words...
"The use of music can be an effective way to
consciously manage your mind, body, and mood."
Elizabeth Miles - from her book Tune Your Brain
Theuseofmusicalsocomplementsotherartisticmedia,suchasfilm.Theabsenceofasoundtrack
wouldconsiderablydiminishtheemotionalimpactofimagesonTVandmovies.Imagineascarymovie
withoutthesuspensefulmusic,anoutnumberedbandofsoldierschargingtheenemywithouttheheroic
backgroundtheme,oralovescenewithoutmusicalaccompaniment.Notonlyaresoundtracksnecessary
forartisticpurposes,theirimmensecommercialvaluemustnotbeoverlooked.Soundtrackrecordingsof
hitmoviesareoftenproducedandmarketedinthehopeofsellingmillionsofcopiesworldwide.Through
repeatedlisteningandsavvymarketing,thethemesandtitlesongssometimescometosymbolizeanera
ofsocietyorculture,asisthecasewiththesoundtracksto JawsandTitanic,tonamejustacouple.
Howismusicabletoevokesuchawiderangeofemotions?Alargebodyofevidenceaccumulatedfrom
earlytimestopresentdayneurosciencesuggeststhatmusicinfluencesourfeelings,thoughts,and
actions.Recentexperimentalstudiesproposethatdifferenttypesofmusiccanalteranindividual's
physicalandpsychologicalstates.Infact,themythologyofmanycultures,includingNativeAmerican,
Chinese,Greek,andancientEgyptiancultures,includesreferencestothehealingpowerofmusic.Thisis
music'smainpower:itssubtleandsometimesnotsosubtleabilitytoevokeconsciousorsubconscious
feelings,mentalimages,andphysicalstatesinthelistener.
MusicalConnotation
Formusictobeeffectivelyusedforaspecificpurpose,participatingindividualsmustshareacommonset Emotionand
ofexpectationsandassociationsregardingthefunctionorintentofthemusic.Inhisbook
MeaninginMusic(1961),LeonardB.Meyerreferstotheconnectionbetweenmusicanditsfunctionasa
musicalconnotation.Thisconnectionoccurswhen,overtime,apieceofmusicbecomesassociatedwith
certaineventsorexperiences,suchasthefanfareandstatelymarchforabridesweddingentrance.The
connectioncontinuestotakeplacetothepointthatwhenapersonhearsthemusic,amentalreferenceto
theeventisautomaticallytriggered.However,forthemusicalconnotationtobeeffective,everyoneinthe
socialgroupmustsharethatconnection.
Weddingphoto
Listentothefollowingfourpiecesofmusic.Whichones,ifany,evokeamusicalconnotation?
A
B
C
D
PiecesAandBmightsoundveryfamiliar;theyarebothcommonlyplayedatweddings.Piece Cisusually
playedatgraduationceremonies.However,pieceDmaynotevokeanyparticularmusicalconnotation,
althoughtoaparticularsocialgroup,itisawellknownlullaby.
Musicalconnotationisreinforcedbytheuseofcertaininstruments.Forexample,theorganiscommonly
associatedwithreligiousoccasions.However,sincecultureiscontinuouslychangingwithtime,some
musicalassociationsstaywhileotherschangeorareforgotten.IntheMiddleAgesitwastheharp,notthe
organ,thathadreligiousconnotations.Remnantsofthatconnotationhavebeenhandeddownoverthe
centuriesandcontinuetohaveaneffectasvisualsymbols.Forinstance,imagesofchubbylittleangels
playingtheharpcontinuetobeseeninartandpopularcartoons.
Insummary,utilitymusicismusicthatisusedforaspecificutilitarianpurpose,suchasaweddingor
religiousceremony,andamusicalconnotationistheassociationthatpeoplemakebetweenmusicanda
setofpersonalorculturaleventsorexperiences.
Asidefromthephysicaloremotionaleffectthatmusicmayhaveonthelistener,thereispleasure
associatedwithlisteningtomusicforitsownsake.Deepsatisfactionmaybederivedfromlisteningtothe
waydifferentelementsofmusicrelatetoeachother,independentofextramusicalconnotations.Those
whoendorsethispointofviewhavesometimesbeencalled absolutists.Absolutistsbelievethatto
understandapieceofmusic,onemustfocussolelyontherelationshipsbetweenthesoundsofwhichthe
pieceiscomprised.Forthisgroup,thepurposeofmusicliesintheinteractionsofthemusicalelements
themselves,apartfromanyextramusicalcontext,includingutilitarianpurposesandmusicalconnotations.