Role of music in our lives

Music is something that we perhaps take for granted in our daily lives, particularly when it exists in the form of background music, from advertising jingles to MTV. However, do we as society take music as seriously as we should? In this essay, I will examine this subject from the perspectives of the professional musician and the music teacher, giving my own views on the status of music today.

Taking the point of view of professional musicians, it can be easily recognized that music serves multiple functions. For rock bands, especially the ones which perform for a relatively small audience at a number of concerts and parties, it mainly stands for entertainment and source of pleasure, both from playing it and seeing other people's amusement while the performance.

Set against this is the fact that the market suffers from the declining sales of CDs. Listeners are more likely to use alternative methods of enjoying their favourite songs instead of making a expensive bargains for something that will not fully satisfy them. Among the most preferable sources used by fans of music is the internet.

From the classical performer's point of view, music would be a synonym of demanding and low-paid job, involving numerous hours of practice and playing in the orchestras for high-taste auditorium. Taking into consideration the difficulty in finding work in this sector, being an instrumentalist in the orchestra is of great value, although it brings neither a popularity nor a high financial benefits. At the same time, music creates great profit to well-known artists and pop groups. The question is, however, whether the commercial side of their productions does not harm its quality and appeal to low taste of listeners.

Music teachers would point out that their subject is frequently overlooked at schools. It is often argued that music is a crucial part of human development from early age. In actual fact school curriculums are concentrated around other areas of knowledge, such as maths, languages etc. Obviously, music as a school subject cannot compete with them in terms of practicality, but its influence on human psyche and development of emotions is undebatable.

In addition, as the teachers suggest, playing the music develops one's creativity, especially when experimenting and trying to invent new melodies. Also, listening to music is effective means of instant relax and amusement, since it is easily available to everyone.

All in all, I strongly believe that the role of music in the human life cannot be underestimated, no matter of one's personality and opinion. However, we must bear in mind that it does not exist itself, but rather as a product made by people for other people. It is our responsibility to learn to appreciate its beauty and purpose, since the world without music would certainly be more tedious.