In China, the role of music is closely tied to the narrative and ceremony of the nation. In fact, Confucius assigned music a high place in government, considering it to be a reflection of the society it serves. Moreover, good music cannot be faked; no one will believe in the pretense of great music if they listen to it. As such, music can help in building social cohesion and fostering a sense of global consciousness.
This theory suggests that expressiveness of music is a function of its disposition to elicit an imaginative response and a literal expression of emotion. However, expressiveness is not limited to this single characteristic; the music must be accompanied by an agent that expresses that emotion. The resemblance between the dynamic character of music and emotion must be strong for it to be expressive. Thus, a good theory must address all of these two aspects of expressiveness.
The human voice is a unique musical instrument. When airflow from the lungs sets the vocal cords into oscillation, singers produce a variety of sounds. The tension in the vocal cords and the structure of the vocal tract influence the fundamental frequency. In the twentieth century, new electric technologies facilitated the dissemination of music through sound recordings. The phonograph became a popular medium for new music. The emergence of the radio made classical music accessible to the lower classes.
Although many different definitions of music exist, they are all rooted in the same fundamental concept – the value of music depends on the experience of listening to it. Music is experienced in many social settings, from quiet moments in solitude to grand concerts, including formal dress, drinking, and dancing. It can even be experienced by people with disabilities by causing physical vibrations. There are even deaf musicians, like the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Evelyn Glennie, a percussionist, is a notable example.
Most philosophers reject Kivy’s position but admit the tension between music and emotions. Music takes an intentional object, which is constrained. Fear requires the belief in a threatening object. Similarly, music has a second dimension, the sensual dimension. In other words, it is not a form of language but a sensation. Its experience is experienced in the present. It can guide a person’s emotional state. It can also guide the actions of other people.
Early medieval music did not look anything like the modern music notation that we use today. It consisted of neumes, which consisted of pitch and note, and rhythmual notation did not begin until the twelfth or thirteenth centuries. The Christian Church also ruled Europe for 10 centuries and determined the future of art, literature, and music. However, the influence of the Christian church is largely responsible for polyphony. It became increasingly difficult to perform polyphonic music, as compared to monophonic chant, and eventually led to its eventual demise.
The earliest instruments used for music are the chelys and double pipes. The two earliest organs were made in Alexandria around the 2nd century BCE and were monophonic. A single note played a chord, while the larger church organs used a tuning system called Blockwerk. In this case, each key played a chord or a group of fourths, fifths, and octaves. It’s not known how the ancient Greeks first played music, but the first instruments are probably still there.