What Is The Purpose Of Music?3

by Pandie Suicide

As I was working out feverishly at the gym the other day, to an aggressive drum ‘n’ bass tune by the outfit Concord Dawn, my heartbeat racing, wrapped intrinsically in with the million BPM’s of the track’s drumbeat, a question occurred to me that I have never in my life really thought long and hard about.

Why is music especially good for an activity, such as exercising, and why some sorts of music, rather than others? Why is it that they play no slow jams at LA fitness??

[Oui Suicide in Soft Rhythm]

But then a wider theme engulfed me, confused me, kept me working at that elliptical machine with more fury, finesse and determination than ever before. What is the purpose of music, I wondered. What’s the point? Why do we like it and what do we do with it?

I posted this first question on my Facebook and the answers I received, though exceptionally interesting, were few and far between (yes don’t you love the research methods of the 21st century?):

“To breathe life into life” – Caesar Garcia

“It’s the glue that keeps everybody from killing each other” -Sy of Mach 2.8 Entertainment

“The purpose of music is every purpose” – Pandie Suicide

But then I had to drill down some more, these are all beautiful and most possibly true purposes of music as in the 21st century in the parts of the world which I have experienced, but where did all that come from, was it always like this, were man and woman’s first ancestors, whether you believe that to be Adam and Eve or one of our primate relatives, music connoisseurs like us? Did they even have music? Do other primates, chimpanzees, monkeys, other animals in general make music? Where the hell did music come from, what was it used for and why? What the hell was the evolutionary purpose of music???

Ancient uses of drums in times of war by tribal groups around the world, and the infamous “battle cry” of various peoples could be considered uses and purposes of music, but would they have gone into battle anyway, even without a “woop” and a crazy drum beat to get them going? And more importantly, if music was used in such a violent way, is that its complete purpose? I had to do some research to see what I could find out the answers to all these questions that kept multiplying in my mind as answers. Question after question. Theory after theory.

Birds sing, but is this music? According to an article in National Geographic, Mozart allegedly rewrote “a passage from the last movement of his Piano Concerto in G Major to match the song of his starling…the bird’s song, biomusicologists argue, was music before being “composed” by Mozart.”

This same article talks about the study of prehistoric flutes, up to 57,000 years old, and carved from bone that “indicate the importance of music to our cave-dwelling ancestors…the music instruments were more complex than the hunting tools.” So music did exist with our ancestors, and some believe animals do create music. But then why do we like certain musics above others?

“There may be a “universal music”: one that unites all composers—human and animal… The “impenetrable vagueness” of music…seems to signal that the roots of music lie closer to our ancient lizard brain…that music has a more ancient origin even than human language.” (National Geographic)

Perhaps music is the universal language of the world. But which music?? Do we all speak different tongues, from Bach to the Beastie Boys? I mean it feels as if we are getting a little closer to finding some answers, but there is still some ways to go.

At least I can explain my love for death metal by putting it all on my ‘lizard brain’ I guess?

I should have stopped my research there, but I didn’t . “The only thing we “learn” from hearing an item of music played is that the particular item has certain subjective effects on us. If the composition of music is a “communication” of some important information, one would have to wonder why the ability to communicate this information is restricted to that tiny percentage of the human race that actually knows how to compose new music.” (Phillip Dorell)

Well…perhaps he has a point too.

What do you think, dear readers, what IS the purpose of music?