It is difficult for one to exactly and clearly trace when music first entered human life; however, when interested in such historical questions, then such answers will depend on how we choose to draw lines of satisfaction between music and self-satisfied grunts. Additionally, bearing the fact that music is somehow pervasive, and yet we often assume it, this means that sometimes we don’t keenly listen to music that is playing in the background, and also, we never seriously think of it when we mentally tally up things that affect us in our day to day life. As well we never think of how much music intersects our lives and what impacts it has on our lives and that of others. It is beneficial to say that, music enhances different moods of human beings at different times. That is when we are feeling good, then music has the capacity to make it even better, and when we have a negative mood towards something, music can help us pull to a different mind.
When we consider the geographical position and formation of different continents, we can deduce very many things that directly concern the origins of different types of cultures that bear different types of music up to the present. Additionally, considering means of how the ancient civilization entered historical times of different places with a flourishing musical culture gives one a clue of the actual origin of the musical culture of that very place (Jan van der Borg, 2005).
Furthermore, considering the fact that the earliest writers explained it in terms of legendary and mythical tales, it strongly suggests the remote and critical beginnings of the art of sounds. As a result, among the speculations of how it began, the more conceivable are that it commenced all as a primitive form of communication, that it all grew out of a device to expedite collective labours or that it originated as an influential adjunct to religious ceremonies (Jan van der Borg, 2005).
While such theories must continue to be investigated, it is clear that despite the prehistoric musical artefacts that were found in some places example, in central Europe, that is the structure of Western music was the fertile falcate that cup the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. To that end, the Mesopotamians and the Egyptians, without forgetting the Hebrew nations among the many, also evolved politically, and their social cultures were absorbed by defeating Greeks, which in turn by the Romans, who later introduced the elements of that Mediterranean music to much of Western European nations.
In all these early cultures and traditions, the social purpose of music was fundamentally similar since their climatic conditions and geographic locations were similar. Additionally, the cultural pace and the mutual influences triggered many social similarities. However, the primary and sole purpose of the music that was developed at that time was religious due to the heightening impacts of magic and ennobling liturgies of that time. The other musical depiction of the ancient cultures at large, despite the geographical differences, included the military zeal and the soothing accompaniments of mutual and communal labour, intensifying aids to dramatic spectacles and cheer-ups resulting from different social gatherings that involved singing (Sailus).
Generally after the geographical formation of continents and the evolution of different features, there are aftermaths that influence the different settlers of different places. The following is how the geography after the formation of the continents at large influenced the cultures and led to the development of the different musical cultures in the world(Garfias, 2004).
The topography of a place also influences the culture of a specific community. If a place is filled with rivers, lakes, or natural barriers such as oceans and mountains, this limits the movement of people and, therefore, restricts other communities, which in turn prevents cultural exchange. This, as a result, makes one community specialize and click itself to its culture and therefore, only minimal developments, especially in the musical sector, are recorded.
Additionally, the climate of a place hinders the type of activities that can take place in that specific area, how the people dress and also the types of dwellings that they make. If a place has a desert climate, then the community that dwells in such a place totally doesn’t have much development except from the traditional point of view (Csanyi, 2018).
Concurrently, despite the mingling of cultures due to geographical links such as waterways and barriers such as mountains, the conscious creation of a category of music as music is also defined culturally by that community; however, there is always nothing that is inherent to the sound itself to explicate such a category. For instance, it is the shared culture and traditions that state the type of music to be listened to on a certain occasion and the other for a certain specific occasion; it helps to categorize the music and classify them according to events (Daniel).
Furthermore, the places that were geographically formed with topography full of rocks and minerals also aided in the development of musical culture and are similar to what is practised at present. For example, the ancient inhabitants of present-day Egypt had musical instruments and undecipherable hymns that were engraved on stones, which left an implication of the primitive system of musical notation.
Additionally, the musical history of the ancient Hebrew people recorded in history was highly influential to the Western culture due to its adoption and adaptation into the liturgy of the Christian, hence a clear indication of transferred culture and traditions in ancient times due to magnificent geographical features that formed after the formation of continents that aided movements of human beings and the mingling with sharing of different cultures (Garfias, 2004).
To add on that, when the musical culture of the people of the east of the Mediterranean was transferred to the people of the western Mediterranean by the returning Romania legions, it was inescapably modified and adjusted to suit their cultural norms and inventions in the music industry so that it may suit their taste and preferences and this shows that each and every community had its own musical culture according to its geographical location.
Moreover, while geography played a significant role in where civilization began and where the people settled, in the modern world, the diffusion and the spread of cultural practices are on the increase due to better movement and transport techniques with advanced communication methods. In places with vegetation that cannot be penetrated due to continental formation and other geographic practices, such as the tropical jungle, the place still harbours primitive and unexplored cultures. Despite that, these cultures have also come up with music of their own and are mostly preferred during hunting and while conducting other activities in the jungle like gathering to reduce boredom and also as a sense of entertainment(Melissa McDaniel, 2018).
In the modern world, the words and thoughts which can be used to describe music is art. Tentatively, many people tend to enjoy music but are removed from it. Additionally, we hear many talks about how it is important as an art; however, generally, in our cultures, we tend to perceive it as a means of enrichment, and at the same time, we see it as something that is not necessary. Furthermore, many people tend to enjoy music, but only a few of us sit down and do it ourselves.
Consequently, the manner in which music and other arts in general are being treated in the present modern sociality by humans makes it seem unimportant yet in the ancient it used to play important roles. Therefore, in making attempts to look at how music is treated by humans, we need to look further beyond our cultural definitions, geographical demands and, furthermore, our individual perceptions and assumptions.
Concomitantly, according to the statutes of the musicians and many musical artists, they prefer to move to areas where music is naturally the place and the people have a good background in music and also good perception of music so that it can be seen as proper and also entertaining. Furthermore, in the western and western countries, parents advise their children to participate in music as a part-time activity but, however, spend most of their time in other hustles and bustles in order to seek means of survival.
Additionally, in some cultures, those people who can be accepted to be musicians are the ones born into a family of musicians; otherwise, outsiders cannot be allowed to join the music industry. For instance, the imperial Household Music Department of Japan can comfortably trace its lineage from ancient times, basically from the 9th century and sometimes earlier.
However, despite different well-developed cultures and music definitions depending on the aborigine of specific continental locations and geographical positions, advancement in technology further attempts to eliminate the prehistoric forms of music developments and beliefs according to the specified culture since it tries to unite every human despite their location and origin under one musical umbrella so that we may look alike and forget the previous cultures and designs. Additionally, the local and regional differences, especially in music as in speech, are being eliminated or rather compressed into one common area of concentration, making us look more alike despite the presence of many differences.
Last but not least, despite the fact that the divergent geographical and physical features had a lasting effect on how the different cultures could get together and intermingle and exchange their cultures in one way or another, some continents with their remote but strategic locations example the central European, some regions still develop into outstanding and impressive European languages with great cultures and musical techniques that helped shed off the archaic figures of speech and adopt a diverse linguistic communication advancement that has helped in the adoption of different cultures and spreading their own culture to different regions of the European world.
References
Csanyi, C. (2018, March). Four Geographical Factors Influencing Culture. Retrieved from SCIENSING: https://sciencing.com/four-geographical-factors-influencing-culture-22061.html
Daniel, R. T. (n.d.). WESTERN MUSIC. Retrieved from ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA: https://www.britannica.com/art/Western-music
Garfias, R. (2004). Music: The Cultural Context. 5-109.
Jan van der Borg, A. P. (2005). THE IMPACTS OF CULTURE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF CITIES.
Melissa McDaniel, E. S. (2018). Europe: Human Geography. Retrieved April 19, 2018, from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/europe-human-geography/
Sailus, C. (n.d.). The Impact of Geography on Culture, Civilizations & Conflict. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-impact-of-geography-on-culture-civilizations-conflict.html
