Music is an art form and cultural activity whose medium is sound. Organized in time, music typically involves elements such as pitch (melody and harmony), rhythm (tempo, meter), dynamics (loudness), and the qualities of timbre and texture. It is considered both a science and an art due to its mathematical underpinnings and emotional impact.
Noise is generally defined as irregular, chaotic, or unwanted sound. In contrast, music involves structured sound with intentional organization. However, this distinction can be subjective and culturally relative. For instance, certain avant-garde genres incorporate elements traditionally considered noise (e.g., musique concrète).
The origins of music are prehistoric. Archaeological findings, such as flutes made from animal bones (circa 40,000 BCE), suggest that music predates written language. Music likely began as a form of ritual, communication, and emotional expression.
Major milestones include:
Music is typically analyzed through the following components:
Music serves diverse roles across societies: ceremonial, spiritual, therapeutic, recreational, and communicative. Music therapy is now recognized for supporting mental health, memory (especially in Alzheimer’s patients), and emotional well-being. Music is deeply connected with social identity, cultural continuity, and ritual expression.
Music is created through human voice and instruments, including:
Solfège is a music education method used to teach pitch and sight-singing. The syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti represent scale degrees. It is widely used in both Western and global pedagogical systems and plays a vital role in developing musical literacy.
Birdsong is often cited as a natural form of music. Studies show that some birds possess structured, repeated patterns that resemble human musical syntax. The lyrebird, for example, mimics environmental sounds with impressive complexity. Some primates, whales, and elephants also display rhythmic and tonal behaviors suggestive of musicality.
Early music synthesis began with the Telharmonium (1897) and evolved through analog synthesizers (Moog, 1960s) and digital samplers (1980s). Today, artificial intelligence and neural networks can generate music autonomously.
Modern music platforms use metadata, audio fingerprints, and recommendation algorithms to personalize music discovery. Technologies include:
A simplified chronological overview:
The music industry is undergoing radical transformation via emerging technologies: