how music unites the world essay

Music and Its Impact on Our Lives Essay (Critical Writing)

No one can even imagine our life without music. For centuries it was an integral part of our everyday life, our traditions and culture. Listening to the charming sounds of nature, man could not help trying to reproduce it in order to enjoy music at any time. That was the reason for the first primitive musical instruments to appear. Since that time music and mankind were never torn apart. With the development of the society the instruments and the whole music changed. The mankind and music were always at the same stage of development. Starting with the mysterious melodies of the ancient cults and ending with the energetic military marches. Music follows humanity step by step, working its magic on it, showing its power. The ability of music to influence human consciousness was known from the earliest stages of development of the society.

Relaxing and calming at the beginning, it can become energetic and aggressive just in a moment, causing great changes in your mood. “Without even thinking about it, we use music to create desired moods- to make us happy, to enjoy movement and dance, to energize, to bring back powerful memories, to help us relax and focus. Music is a powerful tool for our personal expression within our daily lives– it helps “set the scene” for many important experiences” (Brewer, n.d., para. 2). Music can even serve as a basis for peoples segregation, dividing them into the different social groups according to their preferences or abilities to understand a certain type of music. Nothing could create the appropriate atmosphere better than music. The church music can serve as an ideal example of it. Religions all over the world use the music in the rituals in order to maximize the influence on people and help them to achieve eupathy and humility. Nowadays, with an unrestricted access to the sources, music has conquered the world, sounding from everywhere, suggesting the great variety of genres for any demands. Everyone could find something up to his or her taste.

Talking about my life it is impossible not to mention music. It is a huge part of my everyday routine. My day starts and ends with it. Early in the morning it is quite vital for me to listen to a portion of a good energetic music in order to get up and have a charge for a long day. But it is not enough of course. Like a real melomaniac, I always take my player with me. I have noticed the great growth of my productivity if I do something with music in background. The type of chosen music depends on the type of the job I have to do. If there is some kind of a physical activity I need some fast and energetic music. However, when some sort of mental activity is demanded, I need some calm, not very loud music playing somewhere in the background. This is by no means a panacea for everyone who wants to raise their productivity , but I cannot imagine me working without music

Having come home late at evening, it is just necessary for me to listen to another portion of music in order to relax and forget about all the stresses of the outside world. I even go to bed with the headphones in my ears, listening to my special “good night” song.

Taking into account the fact that I am a great admirer of rock music, it is not difficult to guess that all my friends are great admirers of it to. I am more than sure that common tastes in music are the good basis for friendly relations. This is not only the question of having something to discuss or to listen to together. If a person has the same preferences in music that means that he has something in common with your inner world and with your soul. Of course, there is that type of music that you will never listen with your friends. It is that kind of music which affects the deepest parts of your soul and you can only listen to it while keeping to yourself. At that moments no one is allowed to trouble you.

Music also has a great impact on the way we communicate within our company. The excessive tension or some miscommunication in relations can be easily dispersed by means of music. The sounds of the familiar song cool heads and return friendly atmosphere.

There is one more aspect of music which is worth mentioning. It is its lyrics. Being not less ancient part of our culture than music, the word has even more influence on peoples hearts and minds. The combination of such powerful remedies gives a marvelous results. This combination of sounds and words affects all your senses, penetrating deep inside your soul. Looking through the lyrics of my favorite songs, I can say that the text is of the same importance as music in the song. While listening to it for the first time you pay special attention to lyrics, especially if it resonates with your mood. The song runs in your head and you repeat it over and over, enjoining the harmony of the words and your soul.

The most common topic for all songs is, of course, relations of any kind. It is the basis of human life and music, as an integral part of it, cannot stand off. Love and hatred, faith and betrayal, and all others shades of human feelings are praised in thousands of songs. The mans attempts to find his reason to live should also be mentioned. The great number of songs is devoted to that problem, making people think or helping them to find an answer. One of my favorite songs “ The Show Must Go On ” by Queen (Queen 1990) is also one of the best compositions touching the problem of self-determination. While listening to it you cannot but feel the great suffering of a man who realizes the duality of his inner world and necessity of playing the annoying part. The Freddie Mercurys heart cry makes the great effect on the listener, making you think about your own place in the world, the way you live and spend your lifetime and reconsider your values and priorities.

The love theme is also one of the especially beloved by lyrics authors. Everyone on this planet has its own favorite love song and I am not an exception. The great song “ Not Strong Enough ” by Apocalyptica (Warren 2010) tells us about the pangs of the love-crossed man who cannot be with his darling. The most dramatic moments of the lyrics are wonderfully emphasized by music, the most powerful beats comes with the most bitter worlds, projecting the singers and the authors mood on you, making you feel the same. That great interplay of words and music makes you shiver. Especially strong effect is achieved if the song correlates with your mood or life experience. In that case the song becomes a some kind of an anchor, which evokes certain memories and feelings connected with a certain life period. No matter where you are and what your feel, from the first beats of the song you will remember the first time you have listened to it and your emotions at that moment.

The love theme is a part of a bigger theme of gender relations, which is also quite popular in music. According to the generally accepted tradition there is some stereotypical pattern of behavior for both genders which is praised in the songs. Historically, man always strives for womens love, trying to overcome all the obstacles on his way. He fights the injustice, erases the boundaries of social or race segregation just to reunite with his beloved one. Music is a reflection of the mans thoughts that is why all this issues are blended in it, The artists want to share their feelings and experience with us, to warn and protect from the mistakes they made, to show that all the prejudices are only in our heads and we have to overcome it.

Summing it up, we should say that music is not just part of our lives, it is something bigger, and that determines our mood and emotions. It helps us to forget everything and enjoy one of the greatest gifts of nature – the sound.

Reference List

Brewer, B. (n.d.). Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the Classroom . Web.

Queen, (1990). The show must go on [Reordered by Queen]. Innuendo [7″, 12″, CD]. London, England: Metropolis Studios.

Warren, D. (2010). Not strong enough [Reordered by Apocalyptica]. 7th Symphony [CD]. Germany: Sony Music.

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IvyPanda. (2022, January 24). Music and Its Impact on Our Lives. https://ivypanda.com/essays/music-and-its-impact-on-our-lives/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Music and Its Impact on Our Lives." January 24, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/music-and-its-impact-on-our-lives/.

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How Music Unites Us

June 12, 2020

Adrienne Braithwaite

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A spike in online music streaming

Social media and online streaming platforms like TikTok and Spotify , have seen a spike in users streaming music and live video.  People are not just watching or listening to music, they are actively participating in video and music challenges.  Online music challenges are turning everyday people into artists; people are creating music as a form of self-expression and individuality.  Harvard Health research reveals how listening to music is beneficial for mental health ; music helps us relieve stress, feel connected during times of social isolation, and is a mood booster.  During COVID-19, the biggest spikes in music streaming have been fitness-related, children’s music, and mood-calming playlists.

COVID-19 and the music industry

But what impact has COVID-19 had on musicians and the music industry overall?  A recent CTV News report reveals musicians are adapting to the changing economy by offering curbside and live (distance) concerts for devoted music lovers.  Music often fills a natural need for human connection and response when faced with crisis.  It can unify us and represent of our cultural identity.  With reduced accessibility to fine arts and with mass performances being cancelled this summer, you have a chance to support your local musicians by participating in “Curbside Concerts”.  Online streaming and low-cost, impromptu concerts might permanently change the music industry as more and more musicians struggle to persevere in this economy.  Plenty of opportunities are available to support your local and national musicians.  An online fundraiser put on by Edmontonian Dan Davidson, raised $53,000 in support of struggling musicians during COVID-19.

Music as a form of resistance

Music can also break down social and cultural barriers.  At AU, diversity is encouraged and celebrated and music can facilitate a sense of connection between social and cultural groups.  There are many examples online of people embracing and celebrating culture and diversity through music and dance.  As a display of unity, soldiers and protesters danced along-side each other in the streets of Atlanta.  Some protests in the U.S.  are becoming calmer and more focused on music and dance as an expression of community support and unification .

Music is often used as an expression of resistance by oppressed people groups and often ignites an emotional response from individuals.  Some protesters have reported that music has substantially “changed the atmosphere” (Kim, 2020), from hostile to more community bonding.  From a mental health perspective, music also provides a healthy physical outlet for anger and frustration.

In reflection

As we move forward, reflecting on our relationships and connection with others, remember how music can play a unifying role.  As we stand together as a student body, we can support those who are feeling discrimination and show solidarity.  In a recent online post, AU President, Dr. Neil Fassina challenges students to engage in conversations about diversity by saying, “[e]ducation plays a vital role in raising awareness about racism, and we will work to confront and reject all manifestations of discrimination.  Education raises people up and brings us together.  We embrace and celebrate the diversity of our community, our learners, and our team.”

Live Music Streaming Events During COVID-19

CBC Music : An up-to-date list of Canadian live streams to watch during COVID-19 .  (2020, May 5) https://www.cbc.ca/music/an-up-to-date-list-of-canadian-live-streams-to-watch-during-covid-19-1.5500113

Billboard : Live Streams & Virtual Concerts.  (2020, May 27) https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9335531/coronavirus-quarantine-music-events-online-streams

The Social Distancing Festival : Livestream Listings.  (2020) https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com/live-streams

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

How Music Bonds Us Together

At GGSC’s recent awe conference , Melanie DeMore led the audience in a group sing as part of the day’s activities. Judging from participant responses, it was clear that something magical happened: We all felt closer and more connected because of that experience of singing together.

Why is singing such a powerful social glue? Most of us hear music from the moment we are born, often via lullabies, and through many of the most important occasions in our lives, from graduations to weddings to funerals. There is something about music that seems to bring us closer to each other and help us come together as a community.

There’s little question that humans are wired for music. Researchers recently discovered that we have a dedicated part of our brain for processing music, supporting the theory that it has a special, important function in our lives.

Listening to music and singing together has been shown in several studies to directly impact neuro-chemicals in the brain, many of which play a role in closeness and connection.

Now new research suggests that playing music or singing together may be particularly potent in bringing about social closeness through the release of endorphins.

In one study , researchers found that performing music—through singing, drumming, and dancing—all resulted in participants having higher pain thresholds (a proxy measure for increased endorphin release in the brain) in comparison to listening to music alone. In addition, the performance of music resulted in greater positive emotion, suggesting one pathway through which people feel closer to one another when playing music together is through endorphin release.

In another study , researchers compared the effects of singing together in a small choir (20-80 people) versus a larger choir (232 people) on measures of closeness and on pain thresholds. The researchers found that both choir groups increased their pain threshold levels after singing; however, the larger group experienced bigger changes in social closeness after singing than the smaller group. This suggested to the researchers that endorphins produced in singing can act to draw large groups together quickly.

Music has also been linked to dopamine release, involved in regulating mood and craving behavior, which seems to predict music’s ability to bring us pleasure. Coupled with the effects on endorphins, music seems to make us feel good and connect with others, perhaps particularly when we make music ourselves.

But music is more than just a common pleasure. New studies reveal how it can work to create a sense of group identity.

In a series of ingenious studies , researchers Chris Loerch and Nathan Arbuckle studied how musical reactivity—how much one is affected by listening to music—is tied to group processes, such as one’s sense of belonging to a group, positive associations with ingroup members, bias toward outgroup members, and responses to group threat in various populations.

The researchers found that “musical reactivity is causally related to…basic social motivations” and that “reactivity to music is related to markers of successful group living.” In other words, music makes us affiliate with groups.

But how does music do this? Some researchers believe that it’s the rhythm in music that helps us to synch up our brains and coordinate our body movements with others, and that’s how the effects can be translated to a whole group. Research supports this thesis, by showing how coordinating movement through music increases our sense of community and prosocial behavior. Indeed, one study found two year olds synchronized their body movements to a drumbeat—more accurately to a human they could see than to a drum machine.

More on Music & Social Connections

Learn four ways music strengthens social bonds .

Jill Suttie explains why we love music .

Discover how playing music together can help kids develop empathy .

Explore how singing together makes us healthier and more connected .

This tendency to synchronize seems to become only more important as we grow. In another study , adults listened to one of three types of music—rhythmic music, non-rhythmic music, or “white noise”—and then engaged in a task that involved cooperating and coordinating their movements. Those who listened to rhythmic music finished the tasks more efficiently than those who listened to the other types of sound, suggesting that rhythm in music promotes behaviors that are linked to social cohesion.

In another study , people seated side by side and asked to rock at a comfortable rate tended to coordinate better without music, but felt closer to one another when they did synchronize while listening to music. In a study by Scott Wiltermuth and Chip Heath of Stanford University, those who listened to music and coordinated their movements to the music were able to cooperate better and act more generously toward others when participating in economic games together (even in situations requiring personal loss for the good of the group, such as in the Public Goods Game ).

All of this evidence helps confirm music’s place in augmenting our social relationships. Perhaps that’s why, when you want people to bond, music is a natural resource for making that happen. Whether at concerts, social events, or awe conferences, music can help us connect, cooperate, and care for each other. This suggests that, if we want to have a more harmonious society, we would do well to continue to include music in our—and our children’s—lives.

About the Author

Jill Suttie

Jill Suttie, Psy.D. , is Greater Good ’s former book review editor and now serves as a staff writer and contributing editor for the magazine. She received her doctorate of psychology from the University of San Francisco in 1998 and was a psychologist in private practice before coming to Greater Good .

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Music everywhere

Comprehensive study explains that it is universal and that some songs sound ‘right’ in different social contexts, all over the world

Jed Gottlieb

Harvard Correspondent

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Scientists at Harvard have just published the most comprehensive scientific study to date on music as a cultural product, which supports the American poet’s pronouncement and examines what features of song tend to be shared across societies.

The study was conceived by Samuel Mehr, a fellow of the Harvard Data Science Initiative and research associate in psychology, Manvir Singh, a graduate student in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, and Luke Glowacki, formerly a Harvard graduate student and now a professor of anthropology at Pennsylvania State University.

They set out to address big questions: Is music a cultural universal? If that’s a given, which musical qualities overlap across disparate societies? If it isn’t, why does it seem so ubiquitous? But they needed a data set of unprecedented breadth and depth. Over a five-year period, the team hunted down hundreds of recordings in libraries and private collections of scientists half a world away.

“We are so used to being able to find any piece of music that we like on the internet,” said Mehr, who is now a principal investigator at Harvard’s Music Lab . “But there are thousands and thousands of recordings buried in archives. At one point, we were looking for traditional Celtic music and we found a call number in the [Harvard] library system and librarian told us we needed to wait on the other side of the library because there was more room over there. Twenty minutes later this poor librarian comes out with a cart of about 20 cases of reel-to-reel recordings of Celtic music.”

Mehr added those reel tapes to the team’s growing discography, combining it with a corpus of ethnography containing nearly 5,000 descriptions of songs from 60 human societies. Mehr, Singh, and Glowacki call this database The Natural History of Song .

Their questions were so compelling that the project rapidly grew into a major international collaboration with musicians, data scientists, psychologists, linguists, and political scientists. Published in Science this week, it represents the team’s most ambitious study yet about music.

Manvir Singh, a graduate student in Harvard’s department of Human Evolutionary Biology, studied indigenous music and performance as a part of his fieldwork. Here Mentawai children in Siberut Island, Indonesia, are practicing in a kitchen. Video courtesy of Manvir Singh.

Music appears in every society observed.

“As a graduate student, I was working on studies of infant music perception, and I started to see all these studies that made claims about music being universal,” Mehr said. “How is it that every paper on music starts out with this big claim, but there’s never a citation backing that up … Now we can back that up.”

They looked at every society for which there was ethnographic information in a large online database, 315 in all, and found mention of music in all of them. For the discography, they collected 118 songs from a total of 86 cultures, covering 30 geographic regions. And they added the ethnographic material they’d collected.

“I started to see all these studies that made claims about music being universal. How is it that every paper on music starts out with this big claim but there’s never a citation backing that up … Now we can back that up.” Samuel Mehr, researcher

The team and their researchers coded the ethnography and discography that makes up the Natural History of Song into dozens of variables. They logged details about singers and audience members, the time of day and duration of singing, the presence of instruments, and more for thousands of passages about songs in the ethnographic corpus. The discography was analyzed four different ways: machine summaries, listener ratings, expert annotations, expert transcriptions.

They found that, across societies, music is associated with behaviors such as infant care, healing, dance, and love (among many others, like mourning, warfare, processions, and ritual). Examining lullabies, healing songs, dance songs, and love songs in particular, they discovered that songs that share behavioral functions tend to have similar musical features.

“Lullabies and dance songs are ubiquitous, and they are also highly stereotyped,” Singh said. “For me, dance songs and lullabies tend to define the space of what music can be. They do very different things with features that are almost the opposite of each other.”

The unanswered questions of music, according to researcher Manvir Singh

Transcript:.

So in this project we asked, “What is universal about music, and what varies?” This is a deep question in the study of humanity. Music is this widespread behavior but until now, we actually have not known, there have been a lot of unanswered questions about what these patterns are. There’s something that I find appealing about this array of humans doing all of these different things, producing music — which is this beautiful cultural product, but there being these echoes of similarity, or this echo of structure? That’s what I find appealing about the question and the project. But there’s also the more academic side, which is: Music is this ubiquitous human behavior. And it’s something that people engage in daily in societies around the world. And yet we understand so little about it. Obviously, music is hugely diverse, even within a classroom of students — the kind of music they listen to, engage with, and produce is, like, hugely different. But I think there’s something comforting and colorful about the fact that in this huge web of diversity there is something that we share, that we’re all speaking to.”

Definitely seeing music as cross-cultural excites Singh because he comes to the Natural History of Song project as someone who studies the social, cognitive, and cultural evolutionary foundations of complex traditions found throughout societies from music to law, narrative to witchcraft.

For Mehr, who began his academic life in music education, the study looks toward unlocking the governing rules of “musical grammar.” That idea has been percolating among music theorists, linguists, and psychologists of music for decades, but has never been demonstrated across cultures.

“In music theory, tonality is often assumed to be an invention of Western music, but our data raise the controversial possibility that this could be a universal feature of music,” he said. “That raises pressing questions about structure that underlies music everywhere — and whether and how our minds are designed to make music.”

This study was supported in part by the Harvard Data Science Initiative, an NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and the Microsoft Research postdoctoral fellowship program.

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• Statements and Messages

MUSIC UNITES PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IN REMARKS INTRODUCING ‘WHY MUSIC MATTERS’ LECTURE

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s introductory remarks at the lecture on “Why Music Matters” by Professor Leon Botstein in New York, today, 8 November:

Dear colleagues and friends, I am delighted to welcome you to another lecture in this series.  Today, our subject is music.

“What’s that got to do with the UN?” you may be asking.  My answer is that music has to do with everything.

From the first lullaby sung to us as newborn babies, music provides the “soundtrack” of our lives.  So much so that I think many of us take it for granted -- just as we do the soundtrack of a film, which we often hear without listening to it.  That is, we enjoy the film without realizing how much the music conditions our reaction.

Music penetrates almost every part of our lives:  our rest, our entertainment, our education, and our worship.

Throughout history, it has celebrated the triumphs and tragedies of life.  As Plato said, music “gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination”.

Music both shapes and reflects society.  Dancers follow its beat; protesters use it to find their voice.  It can promote ideals -- like peace and solidarity -- but it can also prepare armies for battle.  It is part of almost every important personal and collective moment.

But it is also mysterious.  Rhythm and pitch can be expressed as mathematical formulae; and musicians know the techniques by which they produce a certain sound.  But no scientist or musician can explain the power that music has over our emotions.  That, surely, is what another Greek writer had in mind, who said that song is a divine gift from God.

In a world of diversity where often values clash, music leaps across language barriers and unites people of quite different cultural backgrounds.  And so, through music, all peoples can come together to make the world a more harmonious place.

You see, I am getting carried away I’d better stop -- I’m not the one who’s here to give the lecture.  But luckily for you, you don’t have to listen to me giving the lecture; that is not my plan.  We have someone much better, much better qualified here with us to give that lecture -- Professor Leon Botstein, who is President of Bard College and music director and principal conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra.

I won’t say a word more and I hand you over to Leon.

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Can music shape our understanding of poverty and inequality?

What do music and development studies have in common more than you might think, says david lewis, whose work explores the power of the song in social change..

When was the last time you listened to music? Maybe it was this morning on the radio. Or in the supermarket yesterday while shopping for groceries. Perhaps you had your headphones in on a recent walk or maybe you’re listening to a playlist right now while browsing online.

“Music is so pervasive. It’s all around us and that makes it an important characteristic of all societies and social groups,” explains Professor David Lewis , an expert in international development at LSE.

Professor Lewis has been working with colleagues Professor Dennis Rodgers (Graduate Institute, Geneva) and Professor Michael Woolcock (World Bank and Harvard) for 15 years on the relationship between the humanities - including literature and film as well as music - and international development.

After casually discussing an unusually powerful Indian novel they had all recently been reading - Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance - the trio realised that social scientists often underestimate the value and strength of fiction in conveying issues around poverty and inequality. As a result, they decided to investigate further the relationship between popular culture and development issues.

Music reflects society warts and all. It informs and integrates people, but it can divide us too.

How can Bob Dylan provide insight into the world of development studies?

In their  paper, Professor Lewis and his colleagues focus on the role of music as resistance, as part of development interventions, as commodification and appropriation, and as a force that helps to shape the public understanding of foreign aid and international development.

“With my background in anthropology, I’m interested in understanding systems of knowledge and the social and cultural dimensions of development. I also love listening to and making music ," Professor Lewis explains.

One area highlighted in the paper is the role of music as “protest”, a form that has long both called for and reflected social change. In the 1940s, as decolonisation struggles intensified in Africa, Ghana’s “high life” dance music scene shifted to reflect Kwame Nkrumah’s movement for self-determination. During the 1960s, musicians such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and John Lennon became part of the anti-war movement in the West. Today Senegal’s Geji Hip Hop women’s collective is a site of resistance to gender violence.

The authors outline how the UK’s Rock Against Racism movement in the 1970s - where a collection of musicians united through gigs, carnivals and tours to spread anti-racist messaging - became significant in creating a politics of solidarity. The movement connected the emerging traditions of punk rock from the Global North and reggae from the Global South, bringing together and fusing different subcultures of resistance.

Further political and cultural movements in the 1980s built on this foundation and educated people about global affairs, such as the Anti-Apartheid concert in London in 1988 that paid tribute to Nelson Mandela on his 70th birthday.

The art of resistance: how music can spread the politics of solidarity

Professor Lewis argues that not only is protest music a means through which the politics of solidarity can be expressed, it is also a channel through which ideas about inequality and injustice can be communicated to mass audiences.

Indeed, he recalls the impact political music had on him in early life. “Movements such as Rock Against Racism were a way of learning about the world, engaging in formative political activity and thinking about what it means to be a global citizen.”

More recently, protest music has continued to play a role during tumultuous political climates with a slew of anti-Trump and anti-Brexit tunes gaining popularity. The Russian feminist punk collective Pussy Riot regularly make headlines with songs decrying Putin’s regime.

The Concert for Bangladesh was culturally significant… [but] you can also see how it fed unhelpfully into narratives of the ‘third world’ being a place of hunger and disaster.

While protest music is normally associated with political messaging, the team draw a distinction between this tradition and the use of music for fundraising purposes.

Musical events such as the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh organised by former Beatle George Harrison and Indian musician Ravi Shankar were put together primarily to raise funds and resources. While the researchers find that the concert expressed progressive messages of international solidarity, they argue the images of starving people that were used alongside the concert failed to engage with the underlying structural or political conditions that lay behind the crisis.

“While the Concert for Bangladesh was a culturally significant event in raising awareness around a huge political and humanitarian issue, you can also see how it fed unhelpfully into narratives of the ‘third world’ as a place of hunger and disaster, reinforced passive stereotypes, and led directly to more questionable events like Live Aid,” notes Professor Lewis.

And this question of the tensions between popular culture as creativity, efforts to instrumentalise it as a tool to promote social change, and the commodification of cultures, is one the researchers are keen to consider. “Music reflects society warts and all. It informs and integrates people, but it can divide us too.”

Music has the power to create connections and break down barriers

In considering this, Professor Lewis discusses the example of “world music” – a marketing category created in the 1980s. On one hand, he argues this categorisation commodifies the culture of non-Western societies. Yet it is also impossible to deny that music has the potential to facilitate cultural exchange through exposing people to new sounds and ideas. “These contradictions are always going to be there,” he acknowledges.

Through quoting the famous line from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that “music is the universal language of mankind”, the researchers argue music has the power to break down barriers and enable people to communicate meaningfully in a way that evokes emotion and solidarity. During fraught and uncertain times, maybe it is music that can help bring us together.

The Sounds of Development

The following playlist, compiled by Professor Lewis, features songs that highlight the interface between development and music. 

Woody Guthrie I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Any More (1940) - a US 1930s Depression era song capturing the plight of the dustbowl refugees.

Edwin Starr War (1970) - a classic US protest song.

Miriam Makeba Soweto Blues (1977) - an example of South African jazz influential in the freedom struggle.

Junoon Mahiwal (1997) - Sufi-rock from Pakistan.

Paban Das Baul / Sam Mills Dil Ki Doya Hoyna (1997) - a modern "fusion" song in the Bengali Baul tradition.

Africa for Norway Radi-Aid (2012) - a parody video of the 1985 Live Aid concert and other similar initiatives.

Yegna Abet (We are Here ) (2013) - a video from the UK Aid supported women and girls’ rights and development initiative in Ethiopia.

Aga Khan Music Initiative Introduction Film (2014) - an overview of an inter-regional music and arts education programme run by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

She Drew the Gun Poem (2016) - a contemporary band from the UK known for its political lyrics.

Genji Hip-Hop collective, Senegal Breaking Taboos (2019) - a feature on music as empowerment.

Professor David Lewis was speaking to Charlotte Kelloway, Media Relations Manager at LSE.

New Mediums, Better Messages? How Innovations in Translation, Engagement, and Advocacy are Changing International Development , edited by David Lewis, Dennis Rodgers, and Michael Woolcock, is published by Oxford University Press. Read a book review on the LSE Review of Books . 

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Professor of Anthropology and Development, Department of International Development, LSE

David Lewis is a Professor of Anthropology and Development in the Department of International Development at LSE. His research interests include the political economy of South Asia, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society, and rural development. He is also a musician.

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Musicians have used their music to address social issues throughout history.

Global Citizen Rewards offers you the same opportunity. This year-round initiative offers you a chance to win today’s hottest concert tickets by redeeming the points you earn for taking action on our website . Read on to remember the fifteen most influential times in music and how its impact has created harmony around our world today.

There are a lot of famous quotes alluding to the power of music, but here’s one of my favorites:

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” —Plato

I know- intense. But I couldn’t agree with Plato more. While it might seem extreme to give music that much power, this guy knew what he was talking about.

Music is a universal language that we all understand. By appealing to our emotions, it has the ability to break down complex issues into things we can all relate to like love, friendship, fear, or loss. In this way music expands our horizons and opens our minds to new ideas. 

In my opinion, using music as a tool to build movement is one of the most important aspects to Global Citizen and is something that I believe makes the organization unique. That said, we are hardly the first or the last to use music to inspire and empower.

Music can change the world, and here are 16 examples that prove it:

1. Bob Dylan: “Times They Are A-Changin’”

While Bob Dylan has long been outspoken on several issues, he is especially known for his songs about the African-American Civil Rights movement during the 1960s. His hit "Times They Are A-Changin'" for example, was intended for a young generation of the 60′s who felt that segregation and oppression were outdated practices and were looking for change. Its ambiguous nature, however, will allow it to inspire future generations.

2. Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief

This global telethon was hosted on January 22, 2010 to raise funds after an earthquake struck Haiti. With an audience of 83 million viewers, the concert raised $58 million. Musicians included Madonna, Coldplay, and Shakira, and an original song "Stranded (Haiti mon amour)" was performed by Bono, The Edge, JAY Z, and Rihanna.

3. “Sun City”

In 1985 activist and performer Steven Van Zandt and record producer Arthur Baker formed the group "Artists United Against Apartheid" to protest apartheid in South Africa. With journalist Danny Schechter's help the two sought out a group of well known artists including Bruce Springsteen and Miles Davis to perform the protest song "Sun City". In addition to the song an album was eventually created along with a documentary.

4. Bob Marley and the Wailers: “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)"

Known by some as the “Voice of the third world”, Marley was another artist who chose to use his music to make political and social statements. "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)", performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1975, warns of the danger of letting a nation's poor to go hungry.

5. K'naan: “Wavin’ Flag”

Keinan Abdi Warsame, known by his stage name K'naan, was born and raised in Mogadishu, Somalia. After the start of a civil war, however, his family feared for his safety and joined his father briefly in New York City, followed by Canada. While K'naan doesn't consider himself political, he attempts to use his music to describe things as they are like in his hit song "Wavin' Flag" which was the 2010 Soccer World Cup anthem. In its original lyrics, he talks about the struggle of refugees displaced by war, and how people are waiting for the dream of freedom.

6. Live Aid

This 1985 concert organized by Bob Gedolf and Midge Ure is often considered to be the first benefit concert of its kind, having raised $245 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. The concert was held simultaneously in London, England and Philadephia, USA with a total of 172,000 attendees and an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion across 150 countries.

7. 46664 Concerts 

In 2003, the first 46664 Concert was held in Capetown, South Africa, hosted by Nelson Mandela in an effort to raise awareness about the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Beyonce, Youssou N'Dour, and Queen were just a few of the big names present for the concert. The Concert has been named in honor of Nelson Mandela's Prison number from the 25 years he was incarcerated.

8. John Lennon: “Imagine”

Widely regarded as John Lennon's signature song, "Imagine" convey's his wish for world peace. Initially inspired by a poem written by Yoko Ono, "Imagine" is poignant as we look to the future and work towards a world without extreme poverty.

9. Tsunami Aid: Concert of Hope

This worldwide benefit was held for the tsunami victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake. In a new, innovative way to collect funds, viewers were able to purchase digital downloads of performances from entertainers including Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. It is estimated that the concert earned at least $5 million by the end of the broadcast.

10. The Concert for Bangladesh

Organized by former Beatles lead guitarist and George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, the concert was held twice on Sunday, 1 August 1971 to raise international awareness and fund relief efforts for refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related Bangladesh atrocities. 40,000 people attended to listen to artists including Harrison, fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton. Decades later Shankar said of the event: "In one day, the whole world knew the name of Bangladesh. It was a fantastic occasion ..."

On July 2, 2005, a string of concerts took place in the G8 States as well as South Africa. With the G8 conference around the corner, the concerts served as a call to action to increase foreign aid to the world’s poorest countries. The event was a success- on July 7, 2005 G8 leaders pledged to double the 2004 levels of aid.

12. Patti Smith: “People Have the Power”

Not someone to shy away from making political statements, Patti Smith has used her music to as a means of political activism, condemning war and human rights abuses. On a more uplifting note, her song “People Have the Power” is a powerful reminder to not sit passively but rather work to create the world we want to live in.

13. Farm Aid

Since 1985, Farm Aid has organised an annual concert to support local family farmers and to raise awareness of the value of good food, soil, water, and strong communities. So far, US$45 million has been raised, thanks to the work (and performances!) of festival board members such as Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews.

14. Marvin Gaye: “What’s Going On”

With his 1971 album "What's Going On", Marvin Gaye not only raised his voice against the Vietnam war, but addressed problems of his time such as drug abuse and poverty. Despite the seriousness of his album, the title track has a very positive and inspiring message: "You know we've got to find a way; To bring some lovin' here today".  His album achieved remarkable and enduring success, coming in at sixth place on Rolling Stone magazine's "500 greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2003.

15. Concert in celebration of It Takes Two

On March 8, 2014- International Women’s Day- a concert in Kampala, Uganda brought 5,000 people together to tackle high teenage pregnancy rates across the country. The concert was in celebration of the launch of It Takes Two , a national youth campaign intended to enable more girls and women across Uganda to access sexual and reproductive health services and information. Alongside international reggae and hip hop artists, two local parliamentarians took the stage to address the crowd and demonstrate their commitment to the cause.

16. Joni Mitchell: “Big Yellow Taxi”

Tackling a different issue, Joni Mitchell’s 1970 hit “Big Yellow Taxi” addresses environmental concerns. Describing her thought process, she said, “I wrote 'Big Yellow Taxi' on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart... this blight on paradise. That's when I sat down and wrote the song.”

If you’re as passionate ending poverty as you are about music, then check out Rewards to see if there’s a show you’d like to attend. Global Citizen Rewards wants to thank all our special winners who continue to take action on our website and make our world a better place! Even if you’ve won tickets before, or are trying to do so, we’re constantly updating our page with new shows and Festivals like: Life In Color, ODESZA, Black Sabbath and more! Check out Global Citizen Rewards and the next winner can be you!

Demand Equity

16 Examples That Show How Music Can Change The World

July 27, 2015

Why Music Is So Important to Different Cultures Around The World

Every culture on the planet has its unique type of music, which people of all ages on every continent throughout the world enjoy. Even though each culture is unique, music unites all races and has been used throughout history for various occasions and recreational purposes, among other things.

But what is it about music, regardless of the type of music , that gives it its universal appeal and significance to different cultures worldwide?

Supports Communication

Many people have difficulty talking with others, but they can express themselves through a song they have written or heard, making it simpler to express themselves without feeling intimidated or afraid. It’s precisely this quest for connection that saw the emergence of jazz back in the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite speaking different languages, slaves from all across New Orleans would gather together and communicate using a range of different music equipment . Then and now, music can help to eliminate loneliness, help us to understand one another, and generally create a supportive and accessible form of communication despite what’s going on elsewhere in our lives.

Aids Learning

For many centuries music has aided learning and played an essential part in teaching those around them about the world's ways and developing their skills. From composing music to learning traditional instruments such as the kalimba or expressing yourself via lyrics, music is often a powerful and highly effective learning tool for many different reasons.

Music Aids Evolution and Change

Music is never static but instead changes and transforms over time in every era. New artists who get an online master's degree in music education frequently learn numerous melodies and tones from recorded music and adapt them to make them more contemporary.

This, in turn, allows traditional music from around the world to be exposed to new audiences and generations and for people to find a way to learn about different cultures that might not have happened if it wasn't for music.

Music is Vital for Celebration

Every type of celebration, including weddings, graduations, and birthday celebrations, incorporates music of some sort or another. When it comes to having fun, it's often regarded as a means to release any joy or excitement that you may be feeling at the time. This is something that a great many different cultures have in common. While the type of music and instruments used might differ, the presence and use of music in celebrations are still present.

You Can Dance

People in every culture are moved to dance and express themselves through movement when they hear music . Traditional dances worldwide are often sacred and a form of expression and commitment to who they are and where they have come from. Again, dancing is a way to bring people together, and without music, this wouldn't be possible.

Music Forms Connections Between Cultures

As stated in the opening, music can unite people of various cultures. For example, two Ed Sheeran fans from the UK and New Zealand could bond by their shared passion for the same musician.

People enjoy discussing music and have strong opinions on who they like and dislike. Finding others who share your musical tastes strengthens bonds. Music has the power to bring people together, make them feel the same feelings, and help them feel less alone.

Music is much more powerful than simply being a string of notes put together or a sound you hear in the background. Music is a part of life and is interwoven in society in a way that enhances and lifts a great many people from around the world and unites them together regardless of differences.

Nietzsche on the Power of Music

By maria popova.

Among them was the great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (October 15, 1844–August 25, 1900). He who proclaimed that “god is dead” and believed that nothing worthwhile is easy found in music life’s sole unmerited grace.

In an autobiographical fragment quoted in Julian Young’s altogether fantastic Friedrich Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography ( public library ), the German intellectual goliath writes:

God has given us music so that above all it can lead us upwards. Music unites all qualities: it can exalt us, divert us, cheer us up, or break the hardest of hearts with the softest of its melancholy tones. But its principal task is to lead our thoughts to higher things, to elevate, even to make us tremble… The musical art often speaks in sounds more penetrating than the words of poetry, and takes hold of the most hidden crevices of the heart… Song elevates our being and leads us to the good and the true. If, however, music serves only as a diversion or as a kind of vain ostentation it is sinful and harmful.

Nietzsche wrote these lines two months before his fourteenth birthday — a detail doubly poignant when contrasted with the “vain ostentations” marketed to teenagers today. But his profound reverence for music never left him. Toward the end of his life, he immortalized it in an aphorism included in his 1889 book Twilight of the Idols, or, How to Philosophize with a Hammer :

What trifles constitute happiness! The sound of a bagpipe. Without music life would be a mistake. The German imagines even God as a songster.

Complement the wholly illuminating Friedrich Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography with the great philosopher’s ten rules for writers and his heartening 1882 New Year’s resolution , then revisit these seven essential books about music and the mind .

— Published September 18, 2015 — https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/09/18/nietzsche-on-music/ —

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MUS 133: Introduction to World Music

• Getting Started
• Starting Your Research
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• Recommended Background Reading
• Studying Musical Instruments of the World
• Searching in the Catalog
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Music & Performing Arts Library

Introduction

Handbooks, guides, and bibliographies about specific composers, genres, or instruments can be excellent tools for your research!

What are they?

• Thorough and comprehensive lists of the major scholarship about a specific topic.

Why use them?

• To help direct your reading and research so you know what's already been published about your topic.
• Remember: Although they are a great place to start, it is important to check when they were published because they may not be up to date on the most current research and scholarship.

Finding Handbooks & Guides Through the Library

Oxford Bibliographies (linked below) is a great online tool that collects peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on a variety of topics. Searching here to see what has been written about the topic you're researching is a great way gather background information and decide what sources to read next.

• Oxford Bibliographies Online This link opens in a new window Offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on specific topics in a growing range of subject areas. There are at least 50 specific topical bibliographies in each subject area. Each of these features an introduction to the topic. Bibliographies are browseable by subject area and keyword searchable. Contains a My OBO function that allows users to create personalized bibliographies of individual citations from different bibliographies.

You can also find handbooks, guides, and annotated bibliographies on a variety of topics through the library catalog. We are highlighting several series that are particularly good for world music topics.

Remember that you can always search for similar materials yourself by searching for your topic AND "research guide" , " bibliography ", or "handbook " in the library catalog .

Browse the recommended series of handbooks and guides for world music listed below for a good place to start!

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Music Industry — Music: Evolution And Impact On The World Today

Music: Evolution and Impact on The World Today

• Categories: Art History Music Industry Song

About this sample

Words: 1139 |

Published: Mar 18, 2021

Words: 1139 | Pages: 3 | 6 min read

Works Cited:

• Baker, S. (2018). The Power of Kindness: Why Compassion Is Essential in Everyday Life. Chronicle Books.
• Curry, O., Rowland, L., Van Lissa, C. J., Zlotowitz, S., McAlaney, J., & Whitehouse, H. (2018). Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 76, 320-329.
• Gilbert, D. (2009). Stumbling on happiness. Vintage.
• Grant, A. M. (2014). Give and take: Why helping others drives our success. Penguin Books.
• McKeown, G., & Hopkins, N. (2014). Emotion, kindness and compassion: The nature and significance of promoting positive affect in relationship education. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 31(2), 200-215.
• Nelson, J. (2020). The Science of Kindness: Building a Better World. Beacon Press.
• Post, S. G. (2018). The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times. Jossey-Bass.
• Rind, B., & Bordia, P. (1995). Effect of server introduction on restaurant tipping. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25(1), 37-57.
• Sprenger, S. J. (2008). The power of kindness: Why empathetic kids do better in school and life. Sourcebooks.
• Wiseman, R. (2012). Rip it up: The radically new approach to changing your life. Harper Collins.

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Music Unites The World

April 22nd, earth day 2015, we did it audio stream here.

Video of the live stream to be posted shortly!

By beating the same beat, singing the same song, feeling the same feeling

multiple platforms ● concurrently ● worldwide

Unity ▲ Harmony ▲ Love

Global consciousness movement.

Let us eliminate any doubts of oneness and separatism

We are all the same – any differences bring colour to the tapestry of life

The goal is to unite all as one, to radiate love through all matter with the power of sound

Music resonates feelings that cannot be translated into words alone

Music is a conduit that heals, enhancing possibility for sonic vibrations to change physical matter

Music dissolves walls, opens hearts, and brings down barriers

Music takes us beyond our present perspectives to places we have never dreamt of before

Ultimately to heal the world!

Join us April 22nd for a Music Unites The World Earth Day celebration.

10am PDT An introduction to the Music Unites The World collective, and setting our intentions to unify in harmony.

11am PDT Join us and sync up globally to sing "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles in unison around the world.

#musicunites is open to everyone!

Register as a group or individual here to receive a live webcast link and song information.

Your Invitation

We invite you to be a part of this reality

Join us Twitter Facebook

#musicunites

[email protected]

"Music is the universal language of mankind." —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Together with our intent

Unifying the world

Sending a vibration of love to all

Music in the World

Selected essays.

Timothy D. Taylor

240 pages | 13 halftones, 4 tables | 6 x 9 | © 2017

Anthropology: Cultural and Social Anthropology

Music: Ethnomusicology , General Music

Philosophy: Aesthetics

Sociology: Theory and Sociology of Knowledge

• Table of contents
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“Successfully demonstrates how we can build theory from the ground up by being attentive to context and observing music in action. . .Though largely featuring essays originally published in different venues, the book proves remarkably cohesive, with several argumentative threads reoccurring throughout.”

Journal of Radio and Audio Media

“Taylor’s work is mature, commanding, ambitious, and desperately needed. He is one of very few ethnomusicologists who have put capitalism at the center of their critical questions, historicizing different forms of free enterprise culture that have shaped music production, consumption, and dissemination over the last hundred years. By naming things that have previously been treated amorphously by music scholars, Taylor brings into sharp focus the core dynamics of global music industries. Music in the World offers a trenchant theoretical framework. For Taylor, theory never plays out on an abstract or ahistorical plane.”

Deborah Wong, University of California, Riverside

“ Music in the World is a critical reference for engaging dynamics of contemporary musical globalization. But it is considerably more: a deep exploration of the value of meaning and the meaning of value in music under capitalism.”

Steven Feld, School for Advanced Research

Table of Contents

Four last songs.

Linda Hutcheon

Music and the New Global Culture

Harry Liebersohn

Louder Than Bombs

Ed Vulliamy

The Triumph of Pleasure

Georgia J. Cowart

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Music: Uniting people around the world

27 june 2019, the idea of music bringing us together has been a long-studied phenomenon., research shows that it can encourage the release of endorphins and create positive emotion, and there’s even research that may suggest it helps alzheimer’s patients with their symptoms..

Music’s power transcends more than just the pleasure of singing along to a catchy tune, and that’s something everybody should be able to feel. But how do we include those who can’t hear it?

Where language, distance and borders can separate us, music brings us together

It’s the universal art that unites us all in our humanity. It’s what moves your body to dance to the rhythms of funk, the tears to fall at the beauty of a classical aria, and the laughter to come as you and your friends listen to the latest chart topper before a night out.

It’s the awe that’s created through a carefully crafted soundtrack and the euphoria of being in a crowd at a festival, where everyone sings along to an anthem – not as separate individuals, but as one entity. It’s a power that brands have been keen to utilise, and some companies are really using it to make a better place for all.

Spotify is working with The National Institute of Young Deaf People, Marcel Paris and Publicis to raise money that’ll go towards helping deaf people hear music. They’re streaming an album called D.E.A.F, a silent record that donates its streaming revenue to research benefiting young deaf people. In France, currently nine out of ten deaf children have access to hearing implements that allow them to hear human voices, but not music.

However, a system is being developed with the help of sound engineer Damien Quintard that would allow deaf people to hear music through vibration. The ultimate goal is to install it in concert halls, allowing everyone in the audience to enjoy the same unmistakable atmosphere created at a live music show.

You can listen to the album here:

Just as live music brings people together, events like Pride do the same for communities, and are true celebrations of inclusivity. And while some businesses have been criticised for using events like this as a hollow marketing exercise – like merely changing their logo to a rainbow colour – others make a more meaningful contribution.

Music always plays a huge part in Pride, with people in the community coming together to enjoy concerts as part of the event around the world. Especially for Pride Month in June, Amazon Music has curated a special playlist called ‘Proud’, highlighting artists in the LGBTQ+ community. Updated every week, it features music by queer artists like Sam Smith and Janelle Monae, and includes specially commissioned tracks from artists including Years and Years, Soak and Sasami.

The playlist shines the light on those in the LGBTQ+ community, and offers their talent a showcase where they are often overlooked. It also recognises the power of music to bring people together, giving them a sense of belonging and a shared love no matter who you are.

It’s available to listen to here:

At PHMG, we too understand the connection music can create. Our talented composers create exclusive music tracks for our clients, giving them a one-of-a-kind piece of music that reflects their unique business and culture. This then becomes the unifying sound for their brand – establishing another connection their customers can make and associate with them.

It’s clear that music is a powerful tool to unite people from all walks of life – and it’s something businesses in every industry should harness.

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11th Annual Music Unites the World Festival

Our 11th Annual Music Unites the World Festival was a success! Read More

Watch the virtual show below:

We are excited to announce the winner of our 2021 Music Unites the World Songwriting Contest — congratulations to William Malpede! His composition entitled “The Lamps Are Different” will be premiered at our virtual festival.

The purpose of this contest is to produce an inspiring, high-quality, original song that speaks to the theme of music’s ability to unite the world. For more information on the songwriting contest, click here .

become a SPONSOR

2021 Festival Sponsor Form

Contact Director of Development Jacquie at 818-433-7600 for assistance.

Thank you to our present and past festival sponsors the past couple of years, who have helped to make this annual event possible:

800 Degrees Pizzeria Andy Lecompte Salon Barry’s Bootcamp Bertrand’s Music The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation Cassell’s Music   Charles Music Store Chick-fil-A CMA Foundation Colburn Foundation   Discovery Cube Disney Studios Donut Friend Format Entertainment Frito-Lay The Front Yard at The Garland GRAMMY Museum & Foundation Granada Mexican Restaurant The Johnny Carson Foundation Kidspace Children’s Museum Mattel Moss Foundation The M.S. Grumbacher Foundation The Music Man Foundation Nextdoor Neighbor Nickelodeon PepsiCo Preston and Maurine Hotchkis Family Foundation Rhodes School of Music Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern CA Shake Shack Starbucks Sweetgreen Target Thelma Pearl Howard Foundation

Our music programs are supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, the California Arts Council, a state agency, the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.

PREVIOUS & CURRENT GUEST ARTISTS, MUSIC EDUCATORS & KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Andy Vargas – Vocalist, Carlos Santana Band • Baraka May – Vocal Recording Artist & Choir Director • Blake Neely – Composer,  Flash, Arrow  •   Booker White – Head of Music Library, Walt Disney Studios • Cameron Hotchkis – Film Music Industry, Orchestrator • Carmen Twillie – Solo Vocalist,  Lion King  •   Cathleen Cher – DJ (Jimmy Kimmel, Kanye West) • CeCe Sammy – Vocal Coach,  American Idol  •   Christophe Beck – Composer,  Disney’s Frozen  •   Diane Simons, Artistic Director of Bel Canto and Junior Concert Choir (South Bay Children’s Choir) • Evelyn Halus – Vocal Coach, Neil Patrick Harris • Harry Gregson-Williams – Composer,  Chronicles of Narnia  •   Henry Wolfe – Singer-Songwriter • Jacqueline Sanderlin – Executive Director, School & Community Relations, Inglewood USD Arts • Jeff Bunnell – Trumpet,  Jurassic World  •   Joe Kraemer – Composer,  Jack Reacher  •   John Dennis – Executive Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering • Jonathan Beard –  Composer, Orchestrator & Music Educator • Joseph Trapanese – Composer,  Straight Outta Compton  •   Juan Rodriguez – LA Unified; Graduate of CA State University, Northridge and Music Academy, Hamilton High • Judith Hill – Singer-Songwriter,  The Voice,  Prince • Julie Corallo – Director of Concert Choir & Faculty, South Bay Children’s Choir • Julie West – Veteran Music Teacher (LA Unified; CA State University, Northridge) • Linda Mouradian – Veteran Strings Educator (LAUSD); Faculty, CA State University, Northridge • Lisbeth Scott – Solo Vocalist,  Shrek  •   Mind of a Genius • Misha Shtangrud – Director of Vocal Ensembles, Colburn School of Music • Mitre – Latin Duo • Nomad & Lola – Musical Director, Babyface • Randy Spendlove – President of Music & Worldwide Publishing, Paramount Studios • Reggie Andrews – Music Director, King Drew High School • Ricardo Hurtado – Actor/Musician,  School of Rock, The Goldbergs, The Mick  •   Rickey Minor – Music Director, Composer, and Music Producer, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, American Idol •   Richard Medrano – Artistic Director, City of Angels Master Chorale & Children’s Chorus • Rory Pullens – Former Executive Director, Arts Education, LA Unified School District • Sally Stevens – Choir Conductor,  The Simpsons  •   Sebastian Krys – Music Producer, Elvis Costello, Luis Fonsi • Siddhartha Khosla – Artist/Composer,  This is Us, Goldspot  •   Tim Davies – Conductor/Arranger,  La La Land, Empire  •   Vincent Womack – Music Director, Foshay Learning Academy • Andrew Synowiec – Guitar, Frozen, Coco, Nick Jonas, Barbra Streisand, Ariana Grande • Julianne Jordan – Music Supervisor, Pitch Perfect, A Star is Born • Pinar Toprak – Composer, Captain Marvel, Fortnite • Connie Sheu – Guitar, Colburn Faculty • Don Brinegar – Professor Emeritus of Music, Pasadena City College • Michael John Mollo – Composer • Arthur Thompson – Percussionist, Dave Koz • Melissa Woods – Head of Creative Services/Artists & Repertoire, Third Side Music • Cynthny “Bo” Lebo – Kids First SoCal, USC Health Journalism • Bridget Barrera – Singer/Actress, Wizards of Waverly Place, Cristela