We Are Musical Beings
Human beings, and other animals, share certain needs and behaviors. We all seek out food, shelter, and mates. Many (but not all) animals form families, nurture their young, fight for territory and resources, and communicate through vocalization, body movement, or a combination of the two. Zoologists are also discovering that many higher-level animals make music.
We used to think music-making was the one thing that made us relatively unique, but it turned out to be more common in the animal kingdom than we thought. Birds, whales, tamarin monkeys, and even some insects all seem to make music. They produce songs that have regular patterns and length. There’s a whole branch of science called zoomusicology dedicated to its study.
Most of the time, these songs are dedicated to communicating fundamental ideas like territorial warning signals or trying to initiate mating behaviors. Given the sheer number of love songs and patriotic songs out there, I’d say humans use music for those reasons, too. In these contexts, I would argue that music could be seen as a survival behavior.
Animals respond to their music, as well as ours in some cases, with behavioral changes. As far as I know, only humans purposely create music for enjoyment, mood enhancement, or self-expression. It’s not exactly survival behavior, but it’s a part of everyday life.
Human musical behaviors are found in every land, every society, and every culture. Throughout recorded history, we find music as an important part of human activity: raising and soothing infants, dancing and joyful play, expressions of social conscience, religious worship, and grief processing as we say goodbye to lost loved ones. The old saying “from lullaby to dirge” reminds us that music is a valuable art form, from the early days of life through old age and death. Music speaks to us when mere words are inadequate.
People respond to music throughout their lifetime. This is one reason why it’s such a powerful therapeutic tool. Music’s flexibility is remarkable. Newborns around the world respond to lullabies or nursery rhymes. Teenagers everywhere express themselves and find meaning in song lyrics. Even the oldest adults appreciate music. All the changes is how we respond when we create and experience music.
