Final Project- Music Brings Us Together/Music Connects People Emotionally

 Music Brings Us Together &

 Connects Us All Emotionally

Thesis

It doesn't matter what you believe in, who you love, or your political stance, music has a way of connecting people emotionally. Music is in everything that we do, weddings, ceremonies, in every store we go into, and even in our daily transportation. Thanks to the constant advancement in technology we have access to our favorite tunes, wherever we are! I truly believe that is the reason we connect music with emotions because we are always surrounded by it. Chances are, if you are experiencing a memory, good or bad, music will be involved in one way or another. So when you hear that song again, it will allow you to relive that memory over and over again. "Individuals can and do use music as an aid to relaxation, to overcome powerful emotions, to generate the right mood for going to a party, to stimulate concentration, in short, to promote their well-being. It has become a tool to be used to enhance our self-presentation and promote our development". (Hallam) How cool is it that it is scientifically proven that classical music helps promote healthy development in infants?! Music is amazing. The coolest thing about music is that it "can facilitate communication that goes beyond actual words and induces shared emotional reactions and supports the development of group identity". (Hallam) Music brings us together whether we realize it or not, in a store, at a party, or even at work.  


Music Brings Us Together 


The Great Divide By Luke Combs & Billy Strings, USA 2021


"We're all so far, so far apart now
It's as deep as it is wide
We're about to fall apart now
If we can't reach the other side
We gotta find a way across the great divide
Sometimes it seems that our convictions
Sidе of the fence that wе stand on
Makes us all too damn different to get along
But I've seen strangers love each other
Like a mother does her son
What we see ain't only all that's going on"

I heard this song a few months back, and it really hit home for me. It was right around the time I had to take a step back from social media because my feed was getting so toxic and so divided. We need music like this song to remind us that regardless of the color of our skin, our beliefs, or sexual orientation that we are all HUMAN. And humans need love, so love thy neighbor. This song was supposed to be saved for Luke Comb's upcoming Bluegrass album, but he felt compelled to release it early because of what was going on in the world.  "The all-acoustic tune keeps things lean, with a guitar-strumming a mournful set of minor chords as Combs begins his verses. As traditional bluegrass instrumentation of banjo and mandolin join the mix, Combs strikes an optimistic, if cautionary, note." (Freeman) Luke Combs has an incredible voice and the way he smoothly transitions his voice from lyric to lyric is fabulous. I believe when artists/celebrities truly voice their concerns for the world, it can make a big difference. Because they have such a large platform to get information across that it will spread like wildfire. 

Music Connects People Emotionally

Ready For The Times To Get Better By Cody Jinks, USA 2015


"It's been a too long time with no peace of mind
I'm ready for the times to get better
I've got to tell you I've been racking my brain
Hopin' to find a way out
I've had enough of this continual rain
Changes are comin', no doubt"

I know we hear this constantly but the year 2020 sucked, my daughter was born that year but everything else wasn't great. When I think of the year and all the hard times we experienced this is one of the first songs that came to mind. The song Ready For Times To Get Better by Cody Jinks is about persevering through the hard times because better days are ahead, they have to be. The beginning of the song starts with Cody singing the intro with a slow strum of his guitar.  The meter in the song is a steady 4 beats with a pretty slow tempo. This man could sing me the alphabet and I would be awe-struck. His voice is to die for. 

 
Personal Journey

Since taking this course I have learned to appreciate the sound of music versus just listening to the lyrics. All my life I have been a very lyric-heavy listener when it came to music, but since taking this course I have learned to actually listen to the sound of the music. Now that I understand the different musical elements as well it makes it easier to fully comprehend what is being displayed in the storyline of the song.  

SOURCES

Hallam, Susan. “The Powerful Role of Music in Society.” Music Makes Our Lives Magical and Meaningful, 17 July 2008, musicmagic.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/music-in-society/#:~:text=Music%20can%20promote%20relaxation%2C%20alleviate,development%20in%20the%20early%20years. 


Freeman, Jon. “Luke Combs, Billy Strings Unite for New Bluegrass Song 'The Great Divide'.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2021, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/luke-combs-billy-strings-bluegrass-song-great-divide-1121597/. 


Comments

  1. Hi Candice,
    I definitely agree that music has a way of connecting people. It's such a universal language. It doesn't matter what language you speak, where you come from, or what you believe, because we can all agree that music is amazing and has so much value in all of those things. "The Great Divide" song is a really good choice for this blog post. I understand the feeling of everyone getting divided over vaccines, politics, religion, etc. on social media. I too had to take a step back from the toxicity that was on Instagram from people I barely even knew. Great post, and have a great rest of your semester!
    - Josh Foster

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  2. I totally agree. Music is able to bring almost anyone together, from any place, or way of life. It is a large part of most every culture, and although there are differences in musical performances around the globe, it is still music, and can be enjoyed by anyone. Especially in the increasingly digital world we are living in today, like you said, you can access most any tune, almost anywhere with ease. This makes it even easier to share music and enjoy it from around the world. I really enjoyed the music that you used to illustrate your points. I hear Cody Jink’s song quite often, but I had never heard The Great Divide; I enjoyed it though. He has a great voice for the particular message in his song, and it is certainly relevant with what is going on in the world right now. It does a great job of reinforcing the fact that, while people may be different, and have different viewpoints, we are all still human, and need to work together for anything to get better. I found a very interesting article that further explained some of the ways that music brings people together, making them more receptive of each other, and even helps them to work together. It explained that listening to music, or making music, in a group often makes a person release more endorphins and feel happier than listening to music on your own. People are hardwired to want to experience music with other people, and we enjoy it more when we do. It also explained some studies that have been done on music and people. Groups who listened to music together and then were tasked with a team project had greater success than those who didn’t listen to music together. I found in fascinating that such a simple thing could have such large effects on an individual or group. Music truly brings people together, in a variety of ways, and helps to unify us. Here is the link to the article if you’re interested: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_music_bonds_us_together.

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  3. I agree with you a 100%. Everywhere we go or whatever we do music is being played whether we are cleaning, just to relax us or driving music is there. This year was a bad year with the pandemic. I think this course helped me out a bit by taking the stress off my shoulders and take a musical trip. I haven't heard of Cody Jinks. I will be adding him to my playlist. Have a great spring and summer!!

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