Vernacular Music Essay

Music has been a part of the human existence since prehistoric times. Prior to the written word, music was used as a method to pass history from generation to generation. Music was created by voice or by crude instruments by those who wished to make it easier to remember information. Over the ages, music has developed into two broad categories cultivated and vernacular. Vernacular music is traditional defined as a more natural experience of music and is the original type of music created by our ancestors to tell stories before being able to document these in writings. Today, this style of music is more closely related to the popular music created by the artists of the age. Vernacular music does not require any specific type of training and is associated with a style of music is more free flowing, and played by ear and emotion …show more content…
The second category is cultivated music. This type of music is defined as a style in which a composer spends thought and time to give a specific structure to an entire piece. Classical music and the symphonies from this genre are in this category. Cultivated music requires training and understanding of music, is more rigid in form, and is related to the more aristocratic portion on society. Two concerts were reviewed to determine the similarities of the two categories of music. Yuja Wang’s beautifully performed take on Rachmanioff Piano Concerto No.2 as an example of Cultivated music and The Beatles Live in Melbourne as an example of Vernacular music. Vernacular and Cultivated music, although fundamentally different in style and form, both through the use of musical elements elicit emotions, provide influence to other artists, and provide an escape for the listener from reality for a