It is something we know and understand from birth. It makes us laugh and cry and care. It lifts us up and comforts us. It can give us a sense of community and togetherness by subcultures being created based on its genres. It can also be used to manipulate and control us. People fear and worry over the effect is has on us and our children. This is our magic and it holds us together, as well has creates barriers. Music is human's magic.
Music helps us understand one another. It is a way for us to express ourselves in a way everyone can understand, even people who cannot understand the language. Music is one of the first things people go to when they need to feel like they are not alone. Many people join together and create a group based on music. Bands and singers have fan clubs and fan sites, which is where lovers of their music go to. The fans go to the sites to express their love for the music, to communicate, and form bonds with others of the same hobbies. It unites and holds them together. William Shakespeare's play The Tempest has notes throughout it stating when and what type of music is playing. Such as in Act Three Scene Three "Sebastian: I say, to-night: no more. [solemn and strange music.] Alonso: What harmony is this? – My good friends, hark!" (The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Pg. 1151). It helps the audience understand, on an emotional level, what is going on. Directors and producers in all fields of entertainment (plays, movies, T.V. shows, etc.) use music to control how we feel and relate to the story.
So while music can be wonderful in bringing us together, it is also used to manipulate us. To be used as propaganda. In Act Two Scene One, Ariel uses music to force the party of royals to fall asleep. "Enter Ariel, invisible, playing solemn music. ... [All sleep except Alonso, Sebastian, and Antonio.]" (The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Pg. 1144). A certain type of music is often slandered and accused of treachery from the acts of someone who did harm to others or to themselves. The band Judas Priest was blamed for the attempted suicide of two teenagers because they were fans. Rap is blamed for the violence against women, for gang violence, and the decline in humanity. Parents worry over how the revealing acts of Miley Cyrus will affect their daughters. Most recently, people have formed petitions asking the government to revoke Justin Bieber's green care and be deported back to Canada because "we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture. ... He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terrible influence on our nation's youth." (We The People: Your Voice in Our Government, J.A., website). Music also causes fans of certain genres to criticize and hate each other. It is common to hear fans of rock music to judge people who like pop or rap. Music creates barriers which causes us to easily make fun of or even hurt people. Music is a source of fear and panic in many people's lives. The worry over the effect it will have on them and their children.
Music also makes us laugh. It can be a source of humorous entertainment. Stephano walks onto the stage, drunkenly singing, in Act Two Scene One "[Creeps under Caliban's gabardine. Enter Stephano, singing; a bottle in his hand.]" (The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Pg. 1146). It is meant to be funny, to cause laughter, to be comedic relief. Many comedians use music as a way to make people laugh: Jon Lajoie, the Lonely Island Group (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone), and the YouTube channel E.R.B (Epic Rap Battles). All use music as a way to make us laugh. It helps us find a way to make a hard day become a little easier, a little brighter. While some people use music to demonize one another, others remove those music-based barriers with laughter.
Our magic is music. It inspires us and encourages us with emotional depth. Some hold stories that have us painting pictures in our mind that keeps our hearts captured. Sometimes music is even a carrier of a joke. Music helps us form bonds and create communities. Music has become something we worship with subcultures we base on them. Music can manipulate, control, and be a source of fear and anger. Music is something that not one man, one culture, not even one race can covet. Music is worldwide, always changing, and uncontrollable. It is something that we will always hold close and have in our hearts. Music will never die.
Work Cited
A.,J. "Deport Justin Bieber and Revoke His Green Card." We the People: Your Voice in Our Government. We The People: Your Voice in Our Government, 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. China: Barnes & Noble, 1994. 1151 1144 1146. Print.
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Academic Papers
Non-FictionThese works are the papers I've written for my community college and university courses. Topics will range from violence in video games and literary analysis to slavery and rape. There is also some poetry in here!
