Communication
Abstract
Music has evolved with the times, and has a new meaning and role in the development of society. Before the 16th century, music was confined to religious sermons and other church practices. However, in the 16th century, there was a distinct change in the role of music. The emergence of Protestants saw music change from the practices of the Roman Catholics. The Renaissance witnessed the emergence of a new style of music; the birth of music that was a more vocal accompanied by a mixture of secular music. The Roman Catholics used music for their Mass and the motet, and while the Mass continued with the ancient practices and was predominantly part of their sacred music, motet was new. The Mass, set of musically in a polyphonic setting, is accompanied with music and song sung in a rhythmic manner. The tone was subtle and the flow of music remained constantly in sync with the choir. This practice has stood the test of time; it still continues to play the same way even today in Roman Catholic churches. Today, music has evolved to the extent of it becoming a medium to highlight social issues. While the music remains rhythmic, the purpose has changed considerably.
The Role of Music
This paper takes a look at the role of music as an instrument for conveying religious and social messages. There is a belief that music can play a significant role in societal development; be it in education, science, politics, entertainment, and advertising to name a few. Music has been known to sway moods and instigate love, as it can stimulate a whole range of emotions and perceptions and propagate peace and harmony. Music hasn’t changed since its discovery, but has changed in its intent. Music has evolved over the centuries, and today, while music continues to entertain us, it has changed in structure and manner. This paper shows how music has evolved over the century’s right through the Middle Ages where words were chanted to the accompaniment of a single string; to the experiments people did using instruments that made queer sounds; to the music played in palaces; to the streets of contemporary civilization.
Dean (1997), in Listening to Sacred Polyphony c.1500 highlights how he was able to establish the literal position of the motet. He bumped into evidence that showed that in the papal chapel, motets were interpolated with the Mass immediately after the choir sang the plainsong offertory. This ‘ritual’ was performed at the end of the Mass or Vespers in place of ‘Deo gratias’ (p.612). He also clarifies that there is reason to dispute the theory that sacred polyphony was an essential component of the rituals employed during the late Middle Ages. It could have been more accidental. There is strong evidence to suggest that ecclesiastical and courtly communities were hostile to the use of sacred polyphony (Dean, 1997).
In this article, Music in the Renaissance by Rebecca Arkenberg (2014), she starts by saying that music was an essential part of civic, religious, and courtly life in the Renaissance. The social, cultural, political and religious events in Europe between 1400 -1600, along with the interchange of ideas within them, led to a change in the styles of composing and disseminating of music and the growth of new musical genres and musical instruments. The early Renaissance music, states Arkenberg, was used to compose for use by the church, and it consisted of the polyphonic masses and motets. However, by the end of the sixteenth century, the patronage for music was split among the Catholic Church, Protestant churches and courts, wealthy amateurs, and other music composers for whom, music was money.
A new vision emerged during this period says Arkenberg (2014) during which music enthusiasts studied ancient Greek treatises on music that saw a close relationship between music and poetry develop, and how it inspired a listener’s emotions. The amalgamation of music and words (lyrics) can be seen in the compositions of the Italian madrigal and later the operatic works of Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643), says Arkenberg. The next level of change can be seen in Caravaggio’s Musicians and Titian’s Venus and the Lute Player, where, musicians sing to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. It was during the Renaissance that vocal polyphony prospered. While the vocal style gradually emerged, a number of musical instruments began to emerge as well. Secular music didn’t follow ant predefined style or pattern, as self-styled musicians began to experiment with different kind of music that suddenly found favour with their audience. During the latter half of the Renaissance, music was played using a variety of vocal, instrumental, and mixed ensembles. While the all-vocal, all male cappella groups sang sacred music in churches accompanied by a musical instrument, secular musicians had their own style and music. Instruments like portative organs, lutes, fiddles, cornetti; hunting horn; pipe and tabor; harp and jingle ring; rebec, and citterns were used (Arkenberg, 2014).
In Preventing Socio-Political Conflicts and Building Peace Block: The Role of Music (Odunuga, 2013), the article highlights the role of music in developing peace and harmony. Music, as an integral part of children’s peace education, provides children with the “expressive, emotional, intellectual, social and creative needs of all children,” says Odunuga (2013). Because children love music, music is used as a tool to provide their early learning experience needs. The author goes on to say that a large number of children’s’ learning material are made up of songs that enhance their mood. He believes that by bringing music to children, it will help them develop their cognitive skills. Music can also develop their overall growth, as by singing and dancing with music, they can exercise their body and mind, leading to a healthy mind and body. Music, says Odunuga, is a great reliever, and it’s not uncommon to see people who are stressed out listening to music.
Jackson (n.d) in Hip-Hop Influence on Art and Society, talks about the emergence of raps artists who public with their denouncement of the negative effects of the economic and political policies of the Reagan-Bush administrations. Jackson says that these rappers, instead of being mere spectators among the thousands of protestors, chose to show their support to the protesters by letting their music talk. Hip hop music at that time was growing in popularity because of its style, and the way lyrics were written to express and communicate everyday problems. The rappers produced songs such as ‘The Devil made me to do it,’ ‘Fight the Power’ and ‘Who Protects Us from You.’ Jackson says that the music inspired millions of people worldwide and brought about an awakening; Hip-Hop music had inspired a political movement. Talking about hip-hop music, Jackson says that the unusual music was accompanied by performers trading gold chains for African medallions, and their designer clothes changing to utilitarian wear. The wave of hip-hop became the toast of the disenfranchised urban youth, quotes Jackson. The rappers received rave review, with the media calling these rap artists the most visible young Blacks in society who were the new political spokesmen of modern society. The protest, incidentally, was called for the acquittal of four police officers who were caught on camera, beating Rodney King, a Black motorist.
In The Role of Music in Education: Forming Cultural Identity and Making Cross-Cultural Connections, Louise Pascale (2013) reflects on the evolution, development, and outcomes of the Afghan Children’s Songbook Project. This project she says will reintroduce Afghan and Afghan expats to children’s ethnic songs, and thereby unify and strengthen the community through music. The idea of introducing such music to these audiences is to bring them together through a common medium. In the article, Pascale explores the suppression and revival of music in Afghanistan after the Taliban was thrown out of the country. She questions the ethics of certain sections of the Afghan society by saying, when Americans sing as though it were the last thing they were ever going to do, and do so from the bottom of their hearts, should Afghans be robbed of their music? Music is just singing; it is not frivolous as the Taliban thought it to be, music doesn’t just strengthens our souls, it builds community, it gives voice to those needing to be heard, and it allows individuals to express themselves in creative, imaginative ways. She goes on to say that music can keep cultures alive. Music can bring communities together and maintain cultures and identities, she ended.
Music plays a significant role in communicating ideas, and this media has been used by musicians to expostulate societal deficiencies and ignominy right from the 1960s. Music is loved and heard by all sections of society, and while there are a number of types of music available to satisfy the palate of every music lover, the function of music remain the same; convey a message. Be it in the form of country music, rap, hip hop, jazz, rock, indie, western, classic or just about any other form of music, they all target one important aspect; the aspect of educating and transmitting information to their audience. Music is used in education, in psychiatry, in religious sermons, in advertisements, in movies to convey mood, and a host of other areas.
Since the mid-1990s, the criticism on hip-hop music is on the music's negative and antisocial characteristics. Despite all the criticism surrounding the emergence of the hip-hop culture, the long drawn hair, caps turned backwards, knee-length trousers have come to symbolize the freedom of expression. So popular has this form been that hip-hop music has brought about the much needed focus surrounding issues affecting America’s black community. Songs such as ‘The Devil made me to do it,’ ‘Fight the Power’ and ‘Who Protects Us from You,’ has inspired millions of music lovers worldwide, and brought about an awakening of sorts. This even prompted Public Enemy’s Chuck D to refer to hip-hop music as the ‘CNN’ of the Black community (Gladney, 1995).
One thing that connects music to people is its power to inform. It has been used as a medium to communicate with people. Right from the end of the sixteenth century, when the patronage for music was split among the Catholic Church, Protestant churches and courts, wealthy amateurs, and other music composers for whom, music was money; music has been instrumental in providing information and instructions to its audience. Today, whether it is rap, jazz, indie, pop, rock, western, western-classic, hip-hop or just about any music that they hear, they transmit information that castigates politicians and society, or delivers religious sermons.
References
Arkenberg, R. (2014). Music in the Renaissance | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Metmuseum.org. Retrieved 31 October 2014, from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm
Dean, J. (1997). Listening to sacred polyphony c. 1500. Early Music, 611--636.
Gladney, M. (1995). African-American Review: The Black Arts Movement and Hip-Hop. African American Review, 29(2), 291-301.
Jackson, M. Hip-Hop Influence on Art and Society.
Odunuga, A. (2013). Preventing Socio-Political Conflicts and Building Peace Block: The Role of Music. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 4(2), 703.
Pascale, L. (2013). The Role of Music in Education: Forming Cultural Identity and Making Cross-Cultural Connections. Harvard Educational Review, 83(1), 127--134.
