Music as a Universal Language

I like this rushed paper! Fishing aside!

Check Boxes

Music, as good as it can get, is a thing known to the world. From the start of civilization to the emergence of globalization, music’s presence is very evident. One may say that music can be found everywhere, which is indeed true. It has captured all curves and angles of the world, embraced people’s lives regardless of culture, place and time. We are all witnesses to the development and modernization of music. However, music, in its intrinsic value, is not growing. With all due respect to the classical and old music, it just continues to expand. Name them: we have different qualities, forms, types, genres and classification of music. They are objective in the sense that they can be found on different written accounts describing or talking about music. Music became a discipline, an institution. Music became an entity that need to be studied. Furthermore, it became a language that could be parallel to out own arbitrary language. It is a language in its own right. But we question, is music a universal language? This time, the objective approach to music becomes subjective. Let us see whether or not music is a language understood by all—once played, everyone could understand or at least relate to the message it wants to convey.

Let us set the standards for universality. In an interrogative form: What are the factors that make something universal? I have identified four factors of universality: Composition, Understandability, Expression and Externality. First is the factor of composition. Composition means the elements present in something. A thing could be universal if the same elements are found in any kind of the similar thing throughout the world. Second is the factor of understandability. Understandability means the factor in which listeners or those who experience music would be able to understand any kind of music anywhere in the world. Third is the factor of expression. Expression means the ability to express anything and everything that even spoken language cannot. Fourth is the factor of externality. Externality means the sphere outside the human body. Being universal doesn’t only concern with human per se even though we have to focus to our own perspective.

COMPOSITION. Let us analyze the different music on different cultures on different places in the world. We have the rock and roll and rhythm and blues music of the West. In the east, we have intricate and platonic meditation music. In the Philippines, we have our festive and tribal music. On an empirical level, there are apparent differences. One may easily differentiate one from the other. But when you take a look at it, the elements that composed them are the same. Musician-researchers have found out that music is composed of seven main notes, regardless of anything. Rock could have complicated variations of tones and blues could have a limited time intervals. On the other hand, ancient Chinese music could have high-pitched notes and Filipino music could have a smaller number of notes being used. But at the end of the day, they are all cultivated from the seven different main notes. I can think of an allegory: The allegory of the color wheel. In the color wheel, we have three primary colors. Then the combination of them would yield the secondary color. Then further combinations would yield to the tertiary or intermediate colors. But the choice of colors doesn’t stop there. We have the spectrum of colors, hue, contrast, brightness, name them. Same with music: We could find a lot of varieties but the core remains similar to each and one of them. With all of these explanations, we put a check on the factor of composition.

UNDERSTANDABILITY. As mentioned earlier, we have different varieties of music. The question to be tackled now is: Can anyone understand any musical composition? An ethnomusicologist (The one who studies music vis-à-vis culture) would argue that if you want to know or to get a picture of a culture of a specific group of people, listen to their music. Indeed, culture reflects their music. A further question would be: Could someone understand a foreign music? Just take this example: An American listening to an African music and vice-versa. We assume that both parties do not have background to the music that they are listening to. Do we think that they would able to comprehend the message it want to convey? The answer is not every time. Human are genetically predisposed to compose simple music in a universal manner. An example would be lullaby music. Ethnomusicologists say that lullabies in different cultures are very similar. Slow in pacing, simple and half the way of the spectrum of being monotonous and being polyphonic. But on the other hand, since culture is very complex and involves many different factors that may seem radical to another culture, music as a reflection of culture would be complex too, even more complex. One can not understand that a specific musical piece is intended for appeasing their Gods, intended for cultivation or rice fields or for showing love and affection. The differences are perspectives tend to divide the listeners. On this factor, sadly, we do not put a check on it.

EXPRESSION. If there is one apparent purpose of music, it is to covey emotions. We have a lot of musical pieces intended for different purposes. We have love songs, funeral songs, dance songs, celebration songs and what have you. Through music, everyone is entitled to express their emotions that even spoke language cannot convey. Some may say that “words are not enough to describe what I feel” or “I can’t get the right word to define my feelings”. But the solution lies in composing music, or even listening to it. The one who works in this area is the soul, not the mind. You can feel different forms of happiness like excitement and bliss. And forms of sadness too, like sorrow and grief. This needs no further explanation because I believe that everyone concedes that music is the ultimate form of expression! Box checked!

EXTERNALITY. More than the human realm, we need to consider other entities. Yes, this factor may be really weird but this could further prove music’s universality. In recent findings, plants would are exposed to classical music tend to grow faster and healthier relative to similar plants grown in a normal way. The explanation is too scientific but it boils down to the fact that even them appreciate such sound. Even animals do so, with an astounding ability to hear sounds, animals would obviously appreciate more than we do—now that’s funny, but true.

At this part, we got three out of four factors checked for the test of universality. Now, we have this question: For a something to be universal, should all the factors be checked? That’s a philosophical matter but we need to answer. For me, since being universal is a big credit, I believe that all factors must be considered. But at the end of the day, it is still a subjective matter. And moreover, an analysis should be done more than the objective nature of these factors. My stand is that music is a universal language with warranted limitations. Limitations are inevitable, but at least, they are understandable and very trivial. Furthermore, it doesn’t affect the very nature of music’s universality.

“Music creates order out of chaos. For rhythm imposes unanimity upon the divergent; melody imposes continuity upon the disjointed; and harmony imposes compatibility upon the incongruous”

-Menuhin

“Music exalts life, enhances life and gives it meaning. It is both personal and beyond the personal, it remains a fixed point of reference in an unpredictable world. Music is a source of reconciliation, exhilaration and hope that never fails.”

-Anthony Storr

This work by Alfred Miguel M. Aguado is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.