What is music to you?
Last night, while in the car with my cousin and a bunch of friends, we had a slight dispute over the music we listened too. They didn't agree with my playing foregin language songs on the car radio and wanted to switch to other radio stations. Their excuse being that they couldn't understand what is being sung.
There are people like me, who appreciate music, regardless of the language used to sing the songs; but there are those who claims that it is pointless to listen to songs you do not understand.
The absurdity. I cannot disagree any more than I already can.
To me, you do not have to understand the meaning of the song intellectually to love the song. Even if I do not understand what is being sung, I always believe in the capability of the soul to feel the emotions of the songs through the singer's voice. That is why, I also believe that a successful singer is a singer who can strike the hearts of others with their voices and infect others with the emotions they are singing with. If you cannot feel the songs, it is either 1. the melody of the song is bad. 2. the singer's not eloquent enough. 3. you don't know what is the true meaning of the enjoyment of music.
I generally understand three languages: English, Chinese, and Malay. But I enjoy Japanese and Korean songs more than any of my main languages'. Despite not comprehending the lyrics, I love the flow of music. Thumbs-up to the development in the Korean music industry, especially.
Mozart and Beethoven's music is liked globally. It's instrumental. No lyrics. Does that mean it is not worth listening to? Today, we have spectacular music writers like Kajiura Yuki (Japanese), Nobuo Uematsu (Japanese) and Yiruma (Korean). Their music widely used in dramas and animes - widely accepted and loved. You have Vanessa Mae (Singaporean) and Joshua Bell (American) -examples of celebrated musicians.
Hence, where does the barrier in music lies between individuals? Should there BE a barrier in music?
Some would get offended by my statements. However, I think it is a sad thing if you do not know how to appreciate music just because it is in a language you cannot understand. I feel it is absurd. If it is good music, it is good music. At least give it a try and not just condemn it.
Allow me to provide you a few analogies. It is likened to saying that because you do not understand French, you refuse to go to France for a holiday or a business trip; it is akin to a man who has never eaten durian before and already claiming that it is 'not nice' just because it is 'smelly'.
In order to words, total naivety.
I have listened to Chinese, English, Malay, Indon, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Latin songs. How many languages of songs have you listened too, hmm?
Music, mon'ami, is universal. It is a wonderful blessing from the Big Guy Above.
*Please note however, in my context for music, Black metal and other satanic forms of music are not included.
14 comments:
waaa...
didnt know you were that upset...
anyways agree to you and ur "philosophy", tho i think u can still develop it a bit more. make it deeper! ;p
P.S. Support you on that last line!
Wahaha it was typed out as a spur of the moment thing. I just MIGHT do an in-depth another time. Lol But it is my opinion for a very long time. xP
Don't forget about instrumental guitar pieces!
Try looking up Andy Timmons for a change. You'd be blown away by his music. =D
Lol! Ok, I'll look Andy Timmons up. Sure thing. Hehe
I can't agree with you. How music is appreciated is totally up to an individual. I put a lot on emphasis on lyrics, they're important to me. Still, it's true on the being skeptics part lah, that people haven't tried yet comment. Then again, honestly who isn't a sketic,we all think we know better.
I know you have to agree with all the above okay! Listen TO MY OPINION HERE OI! It's the best around!
Agreed Joyce! : ) Well, you know music is all about..music..if not it'd be called words.. hahahaha.. : )
Eh sophia, music isn't all about lyrics.
If you rely on lyrics too much, you'd be stuck in one redundant cycle.
Example: Song with no lyrics. Bad. Must listen to other song.
You see? Music isn't about the appreciation of lyrics. Anyone can make lyrics up (heck, even the most horrible of song writers can) but those who can appreciate music for what it TRULY is, has made a HUGE step in evolution.
But lyrics do matter as well. Haha, my opinion la! Jangan marah ah!
Music is not only about music. If it's based on your opinion, music means listening to something without voice in it. So now music is only limited to that? Music is totally up to an individual in my opinion. There are others out there who take music as a whole, lyrics and all included. Some (obviously many here) take it as only the instrumental pieces perhaps. Then, who's right? No one of course. I can even say music is in the wind, are you to correct me then? If my soul feels it in the wind, so be it, I'm happy. Just as if I feel happy with lyrics, so be it. And you be happy with yr music(as you define it as wordless). There isn't even supposed to be a discussion in the 1st place cause it's totally up to individual
Well then, music is basically everywhere. And yes its totally up to an individual. But I never said music is in any without voice. I can even tell you that every piece of a musical instrument has a voice, a sound that emanates from it. You have your lyrics yes and it is a beautiful compound in a song and some of us (maybe a few)have our other "voices."
And looking back to your other comment, music IS truly in the wind. Or more specifically air. But it would suck in space since its only a vacuum there. And "my' music, as how you perceive it (wordless)may be without lyrics but it brings forth a deep meaning.
As does silence. Silence is a music of peace. And no words are needed.
To Joyce: Sorry if is is getting a little out of hand. Being music lovers, we memang gila punya.
I'm surprised that my post actually stirred up quite some stuff here. To clarify things a little, my stand is that while lyrics is important, it is rather secondary to the actual piece of music itself. If you look carefully into it, you will find that lyrics without music are mere poems. Words with music turn into a song lyrics. My emphasis is on the fact that music is beautiful as long as they are good music. It has nothing to do with the lyrics. I do not like people who pass judgments over a song without even trying to listen to it just because they know it is in a different language.
Reening> "but those who can appreciate music for what it TRULY is, has made a HUGE step in evolution." and what would that be?
Sorry, perhaps my previous comment was more for Larry
Seriously, it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I wasn't even thinking when I wrote this comment out. Funny how little matters can evolve into big discussions eh?
Music is meant to be appreciated, to stir emotions. It's based on individual preferences and different music appeals to different people due to differences in personalities.
The many different genres in music is sufficient to show that there is a wide variety of styles in music which appeals to many different audiences.
Who's to say that one piece is better than another, when it is all a medium of an expression of one's emotion. A successful piece would be a piece that transfers that emotion whether with or without lyrics, heavy or soft, uppity or moody, whatever it might be; and that will depend on the listener.
But there should be awareness created as there is much prejudice with certain styles of music. Be it international music that "makes no sense" because the lyrics are not comprehensible or heavy metal "that's so loud that you can't hear anyone saying anything" or instrumental pieces that "is stupid cos there's no meaning cos there's no words" or rap "which is so quick you can't hear what they're saying". All these are typical examples of prejudice towards the different genre's of music today. But in the end, it is an expression of emotion by the writers, arrangers, singers, and that transference of the emotion will depend on the listeners, but does that mean that we can be prejudiced?
Well said. =) A great conclusion.
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