Music Is purely for relaxation. Do you agree?

It is an over simplification to say that music is purely for relaxation. We realize that a lot of music is for relaxation, but there is also music which does the opposite. It livens up the listener. Other forms of music provoke other moods in the listener. There is dance music, there is martial music, there is spiritual music and various other types of music which will not relax the listener at all.

One has only to listen the music of some parts of the world, like African or Australian Aboriginal music. One is tempted to stand up and be swept away with the dance that the simple music often invokes. Then there is also modern dance music in every culture. Dance music is always lively and sets feet tapping upon hearing it. If one were to indulge in flowing with the music and dance, then one is involved with rhythmic movements that often takes one's breath away. It is anything but relaxing. It is vigorous and lively.

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Martial music is actually written for marching and, in ancient times at least, incite the martial spirit in troops about to go to battle. The beat is lively and the music too anything but relaxing. Anyone who has marched to martial music will know that the effect of the music is to evoke emotion and to put soldiers in the mood for marching — if not war. At a time when soldiers actually marched straight into battle, unlike now when they move to battle with elaborate strategy and tactics, the music just led them on — even in the face of enemy fire. The soldiers themselves would have trained to the music so much so that listening to it before the battle just makes them brave and march on with determination. Even as late as World War Two, martial music was written and played to soldiers to put them in a mood for battle.

Spiritual music exists in every religion. Musical instruments are used, together with the human voice. Many of the songs and sometimes just the music invokes men and women into moods for prayer and unity with their idea of divinity. Some of the music is even able to throw the listeners into trances and it is not surprising to see them break into dancing. Other spiritual music is used while meditating. Anyone who practises this method of communication with the divine — popular among many people — will tell us that the music does a great deal in helping him to reach the meditative state. Meditation music is indeed relaxing but many other forms of spiritual music are not.

Other types of music are in existence in every culture in the world. We have soul, jazz, classical and light music and various other types to invoke different moods in the listeners. New types of music make their appearance from time to time. Nowadays we have a type of music which is called 'New Age Music'. Basically, it is music which is close to meditation and spiritual music. New Age music incorporates the sounds of nature into music. A lot of music, therefore, serves purposes other than relaxation. So it is my opinion that though a lot of music is for relaxation, music has a much wider role in life than just relaxation.

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