How Music Has Changed Through Time
Music has had a profound impact on our society and culture. However, our culture also has changed music and how we perceive it. This article will focus on our history with music dating back to the first note ever heard.We will look at the relevancy of the music and the impact it had to the future of song writing. As well as many different genres of music. We will start with the first ever recording of music (yes, animals sang before us but we will focus mainly on humans).
The first ever music and instrument dated back to as far as 43,000 years ago according to History. It was a flute made of bone and ivory, however it was not the first song. The first song ever composed is believed to be Hurrian Hymn №6 back in 14th century BC. This music was written for a Greek goddess to honor Nikkal. There is no 100% interpretation of the song, but many composers still performed it and with a full orchestra.
The first ever recording of music was much more recent. Many people believe that the first recording was by Thomas Edison in 1877, when he recorded Mary Had a Little lamb. However, in 1860, Scott de Martinville recorded Au claire de la lune and sang to it, while recording it on a phaunatogram. This was his invention that recorded sounds like music. This was only discovered in 2009, hence people still believe Thomas Edison was the first person ever to record sound.
This of course, skips composed music. In the 1700’s, classical music was very valuable and wonderful, while having many famous people compose great pieces. These composers include Mozart and Beethoven, who are still recognized as some of the greatest musicians to ever live. They influenced many musicians and people today, as their music flourishes to those who listen and enjoy classical music. It is still regarded as a very fancy and intricate type of music, and it is not for everyone.
As classical music and folk songs thrived, new types of music were introduced. This included soft rock, jazz and blues. Instruments were isolated and blew in popularity, while classic still doing very well. This brought a new generation of music listeners that listened to that music their entire life. This music brought many famous people to the scene including Elvis Presley, Charles Mingus and John Coltrane. This is a very well time in music and will leave a lasting memory to those who have listened to it.
The next generation in music was Rock and Roll and old rap. This generation was really into their music and they were really territorial on what they liked. This produced bands Van Halen, Metallica and 2pac. You had many different types of stereotypical people like the hippies and hard rock people. The music during this generation left a HUGE impact on the writers today, often inspiring them to write their own music. This was most likely the biggest music generation as there was a huge population spike and this generation has many other types of entertainment.
The early 2000s brought more famous people and bands on the scene. While it did not have a new type of music, it modernized and structured pop music. They had bands like the Back Street Boys and Justin Bieber, although he came to the scene a little later. This music made many people happy and brings nostalgia to them too. This did not last as long as other generations but it is still a very important and curious one.
The music now has come a long way since the first sound ever recorded, changing in tone and complexity. The music now opens to many people, who have plenty to choose from. It is very strange, but you can tell from when the music was created. We have rap that is very modern and we have pop and rock that constantly evolve. There are also branches that are created from genres very often, like off-beat rap. Our generation has very big potential to change music forever if we are invested in it. However, we have bigger issues to worry about than changing music.
One type of music I have not mentioned is gospel music. I will discuss this briefly as I do not want to get into religion. However, even this music has evolved and helped many people around the world feel Jesus Christ and God. It is very important to Christianity and expresses people’s faith.
I think that music will start growing more than it has ever before. As our population grows and many things change, we can still enjoy music no matter what. There may be many instrument to create it, but the idea of music will never get old. That is why people enjoy music so much. It can be a safe haven for many people who are sorrow, or are hurt. People use it to not lose sanity and it reminds us on why we should enjoy life and what is given to us.
What was the greatest time for music?
I think that there is not a specific time that was the most important for music. Every single generation contributed and evolved music to shape it into what it is today. Music is one of the greatest and amazing things in life and it is much more complicated than on the surface. It has journeyed with us for thousands of years, bringing joy and sadness to many people around the world. Even with the language barrier, we can enjoy music for the rest of our lives.
Sources:
- “First Ever Recorded Song — Listen to It and Prepare to Be Terrified.” Mandatory, 30 Dec. 2018, www.mandatory.com/culture/669691-listen-to-the-first-ever-recorded-song-and-prepare-to-be-terrified.
2. Andrews, Evan. “What Is the Oldest Known Piece of Music?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 18 Dec. 2015, www.history.com/news/what-is-the-oldest-known-piece-of-music.
