Music has become essential in our daily lives. There are times where I feel like I can’t do anything without music. Such as going to the gym, the long subway ride to campus or simply going on a walk. Why is this the case? Not just with me but with millions who do the exact same thing. First thing’s first, what is music? What is this thing that captivates us to the point where we feel the need to have headphones with us at all times. The need to pay monthly subscriptions that gives us the ability to play whichever song desired. Music is sound, it’s as simple as that. Sounds that give people emotions which help motivate, comfort or just flat out make you happy. Yes, a sound created by other people that expresses their thoughts, feelings, desires through this process. Can anyone create music? Absolutely but we choose not to. Instead we let others provide us with that very thing. Is it the lack of creativity? The lack of resources or equipment? The lack of talent? I could bang against a table, make a sound that I enjoy, would that be considered music? I say it is, others may not. But yes, music is a concept which has a history that dates back to hundreds of years. Indeed I am very naive about music and just think of it as a pleasant sound.
Music is everywhere. In churches being played by a choir, on the streets of NYC by those who play for entertainment in hopes of getting tipped, in retail stores as soon as you walk in to look around for a specific product, you get the picture. Let me take back the statement from before, music isn’t just a sound but a form of art. A form of expression in fact. Each with a specific purpose. You certainly can’t make a song out of a blank thought because there is always a reason behind its creation. That’s why there are more “talented” artists when it comes to music. They are people with the ability to express their thoughts and ideas in the form of music that can be enjoyed by a vast majority of people. That’s what makes them talented. That’s what makes them successful. Surely there are songs that can be created by people that could be enjoyed by many, but it is more difficult to realize it for those less talented. When it comes to singing or songwriting or instrumental playing, they all are forms of art created by the thoughts and ideas of people.
People have made careers out of music, some even generating millions from it. Why is that? How is such a thing possible? Well it goes back to the idea that music has become essential in our lives. We desire it. We pay for it.