We continue our journey with the conclusion that music deserves its rightful place in the curriculum standing proudly and boldly beside all other subjects. In our justification, we have established: 1) the human need for music, 2) the comparison to other subjects, 3) the academic discipline of musical knowledge, and now we will discuss emotion and economics.
Addressing the emotional benefits of music is difficult due to its inherent subjectivity and personal abstract properties. When we discuss emotions, we tend to relegate the discussion to our own selfish inclinations of reactions rather than attempting to deal with emotions in a broader, collective sense. But rather than trying to separate the two, let us assume that individual emotions can be transferred to group emotions. The idea being that the way a person reacts to a certain sound would be at least similar to how many people react to the same sound. This makes music and the study of emotions to be market driven to an extent. An unwanted sound would not be sought after and therefore would have no consumer interest; whereas, a desirable sound is embraced by the collective whole and takes on a level of mass interest.
This ultimately makes music, just like any other endeavor, to fall into the age old theory of supply and demand. Let us look at a specific example: the serpent--a defunct musical instrument from the Renaissance period. Although it has made a revival of sorts in the past few years, for the most part this instrument did not withstand the test of time. Time did not embrace it and the people did not demand it. It was replaced with a superior instrument--the ophecleide which was eventually replaced by the modern tuba. And it stands to reason, that at some point in the future, another new and better instrument may indeed replace an instrument currently in use. This means that music making in its multitude of forms is pliant and dependent at least to an extent upon the masses that demand it.
But let us return to the emotional benefits. Although Plato may indeed have rejected music for his city due to unwanted emotions, in contrast Aristotle encouraged the study of music for the benefits of the complete person. Further, Aristotle believed that humans needed to purge themselves of emotions and that music provided an outlet for this catharsis. Catharis is process of cleansing of the emotions that pervade and threaten to overtake us in a multitude of ways. Much has been written about emotions and their role in the human psyche and it would require an excursis of considerable length to explain how music becomes not only the arm but in fact the repository of emotions. Even that, however, is not enough, for music also serves as the manifestation and voice (often literally) for the individual disposition that make up who we are and who we can be. Music then is not only an outlet in its cathartic role, but is also a necessary instrument for the broadening and application of the human spirit.
I am often both chagrined and joyous at the tremendous amount of styles and types of music that exist on our planet in so many multifaceted ways. It is difficult to codify and then educate a topic that is infinite in its components and comprehensive in its delivery; but as music educators, that is the very thing we attempt to do. Then we apply the elements meaning and use that meaning to cleanse, charge, and communicate expression, feelings, and finally all those unspoken and misunderstood but certainly real and alive emotions.
The market, whether for better or worse, determines the value through the human response to the sound. In the end, while music may indeed be a natural occurrence and sound, no matter how it is organized may be inevitable, it is the response to the sound and to the music that gives it meaning. Globally, musical is universal and collective, far ranging with wide application. Individually, music is personal and intimate, with benefits for the spirit and the soul. Music makes us weep, makes us laugh, makes us angry, joyful, elated, meditative, aggressive, passive, and music makes us who we are and who we want to be. We may not always treat it right, and we may not always understand it, but thanks be to God for the existence of music.
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