Music

What is music?

This seems like a pretty straightforward question to answer, but like most things we take for granted, it can actually be pretty tough to define. At its core, music is a collection of sounds placed together in a manner designed to be contemplated by other human beings.

Not all music has lyrics, although most of the stuff we humans download, purchase, or stream nowadays does come with words. There are almost always certain elements, though, like a melody (the central tune of the song) and a rhythm (the “beat”).

Sometimes, music will have a second tune that compliments the melody called a harmony, but not always. Lots of songs also have varying quiet and loud parts, often called dynamics.

Music exists in every civilization on the planet today, and it has been present in every culture ever to exist, at least as far as we know. Few things will tap straight into a raw emotional state for me than to listen to a particular genre, and this feeling must have seemed magical to ou…