Student Essay - Why is music important to people? – Eugenia Kwon Yu Jin, Grade 8, ISKL

Why is music important to people? – Eugenia Kwon Yu Jin, Grade 8, ISKL

Berthold Auerback once said, “Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Music has been enjoyed by humankind for milleniums. When man started to spend less time looking for and producing food, they gained more freedom to do other things. That was when art and music were born. Music is very curious because it can be expressed with all sorts of tools. For example, music can be produced with rocks, sticks and almost any other materials. Many people love music and entertain themselves with music almost on a daily basis. Why is music so important to us? What benefits does it bring? Music is important because it entertains us, it is important in religions and it makes the world a better place.

Firstly, music entertains people. When bored, we can listen to some pop, rock, R&B or classical music on our ipods and relieve our stress. There are different kinds of music for people of all ages. Some poeple go to watch orchestras, bands and musicals for entertainment. Some might even participate in a concert or band to entertain others. Music is also used in movies, shows, drama, animations and other TV shows. Music in films make viewers feel the emotions that the producer wants to impart. For example, if viewers are watching a horror movie, happy and lively music would ruin it. In order to make the horror real, the music should be creepy and suspenseful, as if something is going to happen the very next second. In this way, background music makes films more enjoyable. As can be seen, music is very important in the entertainment world.

Secondly, music is an important part of culture and religion. Cultural music strongly represents people’s lives and in almost all religions, there is a different version of holy music. Music is a gift to God and many musical performances are conducted to praise God. In various types of culture, many different kinds of instruments are used, giving each culture a unique sound. For example, in Europe, the main instruments are the string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. In Korea, the traditional instruments include drums, cymbals and traditional string instruments. The sounds made by these two different groups of instruments are very different, rendering each culture unique, in that sense. Hence, music is important in both culture and religion.

Lastly, music indirectly makes the world a better place. Many famous and prosperous bands have been known to help those in need. For example, the Beatles helped many poor people by donating large amounts of money to them. Sometimes, after a disaster, for example, the earthquake in Japan, many bands get together to raise money for the victims. It is very touching to see how much we care for one another. Music also breaks down racial and religious barriers. This brings peace. For example, when a Korean band travelled to Europe to perform, their European audience held Korean flags and chanted in Korean to cheer the singers. The singers noted they felt proud because the audience was honoring their race and country. They also said that they felt as if they were “one” with the audience. When they were singing, all barriers between the different races were broken down. As a result, music creates peace for the world.

In summary, music helps us by giving us fun, representing our culture and religion, and bringing peace to the world. So, when listening to music, we should try to appreciate and value it as it confers a lot of benefits. Try to listen to all sorts of music so as to widen one’s knowledge and experience in the musical realm.