Dictionaries and encyclopedias define music as "an artistic
form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental
or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner."
It is also defined as "any pleasing and harmonious sound"
and "the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments."
(Source: wordnet.princeton.edu)
There are a lot of definitions for music and it will take
a whole book to explore the subject of music. If there is
one true definition of music it is this; music is universal
and yet it is also relative and subjective. What may be music
to one may not be so to another.
For me music is the singing of the birds, the whistling of
my husband as he takes a shower, the soft humming of my little
girl as she quietly plays, the beautiful sounds a pianist
produces as he touches the keys of a piano...
Take a moment to ponder what the meaning of music is for
you.
There are many theories regarding when and where music originated.
Many agree that music began even before man existed. Historiographers
point out that there are six periods of music and each period
has a particular style of music that greatly contributed to
what music is today. Here are some resources for you to better
understand the history of music. Links are arranged chronologically
and is a great primer to learn more about every stage of music
development.
