What Is Music?

Music is the expression of emotions, thoughts and ideas through sound. It is the universal language that can name the ineffable and communicate the unknowable, connecting us to the deepest part of ourselves and each other. Music is in everything: our bodies, the movement of planets and stars in the galaxy, the communication of animals, even the vibration of water or wind. Music is the invisible force behind human evolution, inspiring ideals that can resolve animosities between cultures and races and create a culture of peace.

Production

Getting from the raw talent, ideas or songs of an artist to a finished musical product can be a long journey, and it is the producer’s responsibility to chart the course. They find artists to work with, and then help them translate their desires into a technical language that the recording engineer can understand and implement. This is especially important when a project involves complex orchestrations or electronic sounds.

There are many things that can make a piece of music more interesting, including its rhythm, harmony, vocal allocation and color. There are also more esoteric aspects of music, such as the use of silence or gesture. For example, Mauricio Kagel’s Con Voce (With Voice) involves a masked trio silently miming playing instruments.

Artists can also add their own personality to their music through their expression. This can include stressing certain words or adding vibrato to a note. In addition, style can put more weight on one aspect of music over another. For example, rock music tends to emphasize the craftsmanship of the performer, while funk puts more emphasis on intricate rhythms and grooves.