Have you ever noticed whenever your favorite tune comes on, your head starts bobbing to the beat, your foot starts tapping, or you start lip syncing to the words, sometimes without even realizing it?  Why is it that you react this way? The reason you tap your feet or bob your head is because your brain is making sense of the sound it hears. It is an automatic instinct to start moving when you hear music.

Imagine life without music.  Think about how it would impact radio, concerts, school dances, and sporting events. Imagine your favorite movie or tv show without the background music to display the feeling of emotion.  You need music whether it is just for listening, performing, or an emotional response.

There are some things within music that people don’t realize is there, such as the theme of the lyrics, the harmonies, the intense, or calm rhythm, what instruments are used, or why the writer decided to write the song.  Every one of these qualities is significant and unique to every artist. Music is a form of communication in which someone can express their true feelings through the lyrics, allowing their listeners to relate to what they have created.

Music is also educational because learning to read music is learning to read in a different language.  You not only need to understand what musical symbols mean on a piece of paper, but you must be able to carry them out as well, whether it is using a musical instrument, or your vocal chords.

Memory is one of the top reasons as to why music is so important.  You most likely remember the lyrics to a song you just heard more easily than an article you recently read.  This is because the repeated rhythm, beat, and tune increases the likelihood of remembering the lyrics. Lyrics become just as easy to learn as learning to walk, talk, or ride a bike.  The ability to predict what lyrics come next in a song is a main structure towards the appreciation of music.

Music is spread throughout the entire brain, not just in one section, because music is so much more than just noise.  It displays emotion, language, movement, and vision. In the words of A.R Rahman, a singer/songwriter from Nadu, India: “Music is all about transporting people; speaking a language which languages fail to express.”