Culture And Music Analysis

Music is found in every culture, past and present; some music is used for ceremonies and others are used for enjoyment. Music is used to bring together families, friends, and strangers. Without music, understanding one another is difficult, especially understanding another culture. The history of music dates back to approximately 55,000 years around the continent of Africa. From prehistoric music to modern music, the idea of music is still used today to express feelings and used in ceremonies. Music brought different cultures together and helped the cultures understand one another. From Ancient Egypt to Ancient Rome, music was used for communication, passing family history, and traditional stories. In the Renaissance period, music played an …show more content…
Although every culture has musical influences, in the United States, the students who are enrolled in the music programs are not as diverse as the population of the United States. It is found that race and ethnicity is associated with music participation, Caucasians were overrepresented, while Hispanics were underrepresented (Elpus 4). The social and economic background also influences whether the students participate in the music programs. Although Caucasians are overrepresented in music participation, the No Child Left Behind program did not stop the Asian students from participating in the music programs like some other ethnic groups. In fact, the No Child Left Behind program made it easier for the Asian students to enroll in the music programs. Many of the Asian students participate in orchestra, where they learn the fundamentals of music, and majority of the music are classical pieces. By teaching classical music, students will have a better understanding how contemporary music derived from classical music. Learning how contemporary music derived from classical music is essential because the students also learn the cultural importance of music. By teaching students culture through music, students will have a better communication with other musicians, and it will also benefit “face-to-face communication in physical environments” (Tobias 6). Because the United States is a melting pot of different cultures, it is crucial for students to understand another culture, especially when going out to the real world in search for a job. Communicating is important in today’s society, and by teaching students the cultural background behind a music piece, the students will gain more knowledge on the culture of where the piece of music derived from. Music tells a story about a specific culture. The stories told are religious, tales, or historical. The