THE CULTURAL ASPECT OF MUSIC IN THE SOCIETY

Culture and music. Culture is defined in a lot of ways. The word culture in
philosophy refers to “what is different from nature, that is to say what is on the order
of the acquired and not innate.” While in sociology, culture is defined as "what is
common to a group of individuals and as what ties them together". Culture can now
be described in its broadest sense as the collection of a society or social group's
distinctive spiritual, economic, intellectual and emotional characteristics or simply,
the behaviors and beliefs, characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.
On the other hand, music is an expressive language of culture. It is a simple social
representation of culture as it reflects a society’s cultural characteristics. Although
culture continues to change rapidly with technology advances, music will always bind
the world's people and share with each other a particular aspect of each culture.
Written word music was previously used as a historical record form. For example, to
tell a story, teach a lesson, or celebrate a successful hunt, a tribe would use music.
For example, according to Moore (2013) big band music was used to express
patriotism in America around World War 2. A Chinese student surveyed said "Now
many chinese people listen to music from oversea countries (Kondrat,2014). So they
cherish freedom, and more reasonable education. Furthermore, in its popularity and
acceptance, music is considered the most popular of all the art. Nevertheless, this
universality does not mean that music has no individual character. Each country has
its own kind of music that embodies its people's culture. Such is the case of
Philippine music which today is regarded as a unique blending of two great musical
traditions – the East and the West.
Philippine Music is divided into four eras or traditions, namely the Ethnic, Spanish
Colonial, American Colonial and Contemporary tradition. Although, geographically,
the Philippines belongs to the East, its music has been heavily influenced by the
West owing to 333 years of Spanish rule and 45 years of American domination. In
the Ethnic Tradition, indigenous music can be instrumental or vocal, and the rites of
passage and life-cycle activities for early Filipinos are characterized by this musical
tradition. Instrumental playing is popular in gatherings, whereas playing solo
instruments is done for courting or self-entertainment. Spanish musical influence on
the other hand is mainly intended to bring the Christian faith closer to the natives.
The three main forms introduced to the Filipinos were the harana, the kundiman, and
the rondalla. The blues, folk, R&B, and rock and roll were brought when the
Americans came. They also made music a part of the curriculum of education. It
established the Filipinos ' musical skills that used this ability to mimic Western music
and create local versions of Western music. Eventually, the Philippines promoted its
own talents like Lea Salonga at a much later date. Bands like Parokya ni Edgar,
Rivermaya, and Sandwich all made their names known by their brand of music and
style in the music industry during the contemporary period. More new forms of
Filipino music are emerging and hopefully will continue to flourish in the future
(Anupol, 2007).
Various musical forms and styles are used today. The music culture in the
Philippines is so wide that many groups and individuals have their own style in
music. Filipinos are very religious such that one form of music is exemplified while
praising the Lord is called the “Mass.” In this style, praise is the main focus of the
music. This form sets the fixed portions of the mass such as the Kyrie, Gloria, etc.
Another characteristic of Filipino music is the chorale. In this form, group of singers
sing altogether. Different variations of tones are being used while singing a piece
together. Most individuals and bands perform on-stage singing songs while different
instruments accompany them.
In addition, music has always served a social function; music gives you
identity and the chance to tell someone who you are. The sound and messages that
musicians deliver through their art form – which is music - have a powerful impact
directly on their listeners. Moreover, our day's popular music represents our day's
society and this shows how music has its cultural aspect. We can see the
fingerprints of a certain generation in the lyrics and sound of that time. It is like a time
capsule. The use of slang and even keywords is so reflective of the times, and you
might remember exactly when a song was made based on what is listed. The
Chainsmokers' song "#SELFIE" is a recent and almost ludicrous example of this. It's
a pretty spot-on insight on our day's youth and media culture. And culture is
changing much more often than ever in this present age, reflecting music styles that
are evolving and born just as rapidly. Music is also one of our first communication in
life. Mothers play music and sing in the womb to their children. For a reason, most
parents sing to their child from an early age, because singing is such an important
part of language learning. Isn’t it we learned the alphabet with the use of singing?
Music provides an entertaining form of repetition that is so conducive to memory
(Ford, 2017).
Lastly, countries everywhere may share commonalities, the flag, and the
national anthem are distinctive points of pride that differentiates them all. Every
country has its own national anthem for a reason – it’s a unique declaration of
values, history and culture. Singing our national anthem- “Lupang Hinirang” with a
crowd of strangers is one of the most patriotic feelings around, and the national
anthem is one of the first things we learn in school and one of the only constants
throughout our education.
In conclusion, it’s amazing that without any words or point of reference we can hear
music and instantly be transported somewhere else, and that we can appreciate and
begin to learn about other cultures just by pressing play.
RAZON, ED MATHEW P.