Debate: Is music a universal language?

The_Creature · 05-02-2016, 02:36 PM

Different cultures have different musical traditions which often sound a bit like noise/nonsense to people from outside that culture (at least when they're first exposed to it). However, there are aspects of ordinary communication that are pretty universal across cultures that are reflected in music. For example, someone speaking slowly is likely to sound sad whereas fast speech is happier sounding (I know I'm simplifying quite a lot here). Arguably the same is true for the tempo of songs. I'm not allowed to post links but there are studies that show people are pretty good at recognising very basic emotions like happiness and sadness when listening to another culture's music.

I think when people talk about music being a universal language they mean it's better at expressing this more subtle level of communication that occurs alongside the actual content of what a person is trying to say; a level which has at least some claim to being universal.

Ilistentoeverything · 05-02-2016, 02:38 PM

Well, I listen to music from around the world. So yea...

~~ChelseaDagger~~ · 05-03-2016, 04:48 PM

I'm going to have to say "no"... Music is sound; sound is frequencies/wavelengths; our bodies absorb and reflect various frequencies to different degrees. Musical appeal, IMHO, perhaps has less to do with culture, nationality, language, and other sociological factors; and perhaps has more to do with our unique biologies, and with the frequencies at which we all vibrate.

Just a theory.

05-02-2016, 02:38 PM	#12 (permalink)
Ilistentoeverything Bread scientist Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Everywhere Posts: 166	Well, I listen to music from around the world. So yea... __________________ In war, not everyone is a soldier.

05-02-2016, 02:36 PM	#11 (permalink)
The_Creature Groupie Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 13	Different cultures have different musical traditions which often sound a bit like noise/nonsense to people from outside that culture (at least when they're first exposed to it). However, there are aspects of ordinary communication that are pretty universal across cultures that are reflected in music. For example, someone speaking slowly is likely to sound sad whereas fast speech is happier sounding (I know I'm simplifying quite a lot here). Arguably the same is true for the tempo of songs. I'm not allowed to post links but there are studies that show people are pretty good at recognising very basic emotions like happiness and sadness when listening to another culture's music. I think when people talk about music being a universal language they mean it's better at expressing this more subtle level of communication that occurs alongside the actual content of what a person is trying to say; a level which has at least some claim to being universal.

05-03-2016, 04:48 PM	#13 (permalink)
~~ChelseaDagger~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: In the fires of your own disillusion Posts: 684	I'm going to have to say "no"... Music is sound; sound is frequencies/wavelengths; our bodies absorb and reflect various frequencies to different degrees. Musical appeal, IMHO, perhaps has less to do with culture, nationality, language, and other sociological factors; and perhaps has more to do with our unique biologies, and with the frequencies at which we all vibrate. Just a theory.