Post 2: Music is a Universal Language

Music has existed for thousands of years as far as humans know and has continued to exist to this day. It has also developed and grown with changes in humanity, nature, technology, and much more greatly affecting the music. Music has also managed to stay relevant for years and has lasted through instances of oppression such as censorship and critics while continuing to develop during these times as well. One of the prominent reasons is that music is a universal language, culturally universal, and anybody can speak it, anybody can understand it, and anybody can learn to understand it.

Music is a universal language because it is the core of expression. Regardless of language and words, sound and melody are powerful enough to envoke many different feelings and thoughts upon its listeners. It’s a phenomenon we still can’t quite fully explain scientifically (atleast I cannot) but we can definitely feel, comprehend, and be conscious of it. Even physically, it is the core of expression because of the human voice. Without any material objects, the voice stands alone and can sing and vocalize stories as well as communicate concepts or ideas while doing so. It’s also the least removed from its original state of being and is most likely the oldest instrument. The voice is also something we often take for granted using it basically daily and having it rooted inside of us. From 1996 to 2001 the Taliban banned music in Afghanistan. Many Pashtun women who lived in rural Afghanistan were mostly illiterate and used Landays (a form of folk poetry often sung along with a hand drum) to express themselves. Landays are 22 syllable couplets with 9 syllables in the first line and 13 in the second that often reflect feelings of grief, home, separation, war/conflict, love, and humor. They often tackle subjects of daily life that Pashtun women aren’t normally allowed to express or speak on out of fear of harm or retaliation. These poems are vital to this community because it is one of the only forms of self-expression they can control and own themselves. Unfortunately, being caught reciting poetry or singing could put you in serious danger. Singing as a woman is also associated with impropriety in Afghan culture which often means women had to hide their singing and only sing around family or friends. Poetry and music is so powerful that the knowledge and feelings created by these art forms often threaten oppressive regimes/leaders that seek to limit their people and prevent them from truly being free. If music wasn’t a universal language and didn’t carry this power, the Taliban wouldn’t have cared to ban music. Music and poetry still manage to flourish during times of oppression and can be some of the most meaningful and powerful works created.

Music is such an influential and powerful force that it can unite a whole group of strangers. In this instance, it’s at the spiritual core of humanity. It can compel people with complete differences to see through differences and get together to comprehend and enjoy the harmony of sound. For example, during/after a 27 chorus solo by Paul Gonsalves on the Duke Ellington song “Dimuendo and Crescendo in Blue” at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956, the audience went wild and a riot broke out. Ellington tried to calm the crowd and organizers even tried to end the show because of this but the audience did not like that suggestion. the power of music does something to us as people that makes us see through each other in ways we are normally unable to do. Ellington played Jazz music, also known as American Classical music or most importantly, Black American music. Jazz is a form of musical language that is very similar to the language of Esperanto in that it is universal, not specified to a certain group of people (but originates from a certain group of people), democratic in nature, and is found throughout the world. Jazz musicians have not only used their platform to communicate the struggles in the Black community and the world, but have also used it to make outright moving music. Jazz is important in American identity and its roots and history should never be overlooked as all music’s roots. Music is so powerful it becomes an identity. One of the reasons can be summed up by a quote. In Amiri Baraka’s book Black Music, he says “most jazz critics have been white Americans, but most important jazz musicians have not been.” Music is this powerful that it can cause appropriation and appreciation as well.

Music is also a universal language because of its form as sound. Music stimulates one of our senses: hearing. Senses are detrimental to the way we perceive the world and with that information it would make sense that music greatly improves our understanding of life and the world around us by feeding into that primary sense. That is a very primitive way that music is universal. Music is at the core of us primitively, physically, and spiritually. Given all these factors such as its similarities to language, primitive form, connection to humanity, and continued growth, it’s no surprise that music is a universal language either and will continue to communicate ideas and flourish with humanity.