(Essay for IELTS, Daria Kokozej, 2020 – inspired by a „meme“)
As a philosopher, musician and singer myself, I think that music in its best sense is very important for the development of an individual; music is not only entertainment, music in general is art and science together, it is a foreign language, it is mathematical, one can learn about history learning about music. Furthermore, music can be very intellectually demanding, just think about jazz music and classical music, it develops the mind, heart and taste of the listener. Studies show that music like classical music and learning a musical instrument can develop a child’s intelligence. Music can also affect animals: there are even studies on how music like Mozart’s can influence cows in a positive way, so they give more milk.
The people who think that music can have a negative influence on individuals and societies cannot gasp the true importance of good music. Here one really must distinguish between good and bad music in the sense that good music is composed in a certain harmonious way, according to principles of music theory and that this music has good intentions. Bad music can be just music that is composed by amateurs who do not know their craft, or music which is provoking bad emotions out of people, loud and brutal music like death metal music for example.
Also, it is very important in my opinion which message the music conveys and which text or lyrics the songs have. If it is a message of brutality and aggressiveness or promiscuity, I doubt that such music can have a good impact on society. But if the message is a positive one and brings out only the best qualities from the listener, then music for sure can only benefit individuals and societies as it can evoke empathy, love, and gentleness, all crucial qualities so that humanity can function and live together in peace.
gloriajoan 