Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence

Music is an art form whose
medium is sound and
silence. Its common
elements are pitch (which
governs melody and
harmony), rhythm (and its
associated concepts tempo,
meter , and articulation),
dynamics, and the sonic
qualities of timbre and
texture . The word derives
from Greek μουσική
( mousike ; "art of the
Muses ").[1]
The creation, performance ,
significance, and even the
definition of music vary
according to culture and
social context. Music
ranges from strictly
organized compositions
(and their recreation in
performance), through
improvisational music to
aleatoric forms. Music can
be divided into genres and
subgenres, although the
dividing lines and
relationships between
music genres are often
subtle, sometimes open to
personal interpretation,
and occasionally
controversial. Within the
arts , music may be
classified as a performing
art, a fine art, and auditory
art. It may also be divided
among art music and folk
music . There is also a
strong connection between
music and mathematics. [2]
Music may be played and
heard live, may be part of a
dramatic work or film , or
may be recorded.
To many people in many
cultures, music is an
important part of their way
of life. Ancient Greek and
Indian philosophers
defined music as tones
ordered horizontally as
melodies and vertically as
harmonies. Common
sayings such as "the
harmony of the spheres"
and "it is music to my
ears" point to the notion
that music is often ordered
and pleasant to listen to.
However, 20th-century
composer John Cage
thought that any sound can
be music, saying, for
example, "There is no
noise, only sound." [3]
Musicologist Jean-Jacques
Nattiez summarizes the
relativist, post-modern
viewpoint: "The border
between music and noise is
always culturally defined—
which implies that, even
within a single society, this
border does not always
pass through the same
place; in short, there is
rarely a consensus ... By all
accounts there is no single
and intercultural universal
concept defining what
music might be." [4]
History
Further information:
History of classical music
traditions
Prehistoric eras
Main article: Prehistoric
music
Prehistoric music can only
be theorized based on
findings from paleolithic
archaeology sites. Flutes
are often discovered,
carved from bones in which
lateral holes have been
pierced; these are thought
to have been blown at one
end like the Japanese
shakuhachi. The Divje Babe
flute, carved from a cave
bear femur , is thought to
be at least 40,000 years
old. Instruments such as
the seven-holed flute and
various types of stringed
instruments, such as the
Ravanahatha, have been
recovered from the Indus
Valley Civilization
archaeological sites. [5]
India has one of the oldest
musical traditions in the
world—references to
Indian classical music
( marga ) are found in the
Vedas , ancient scriptures
of the Hindu tradition. [6]
The earliest and largest
collection of prehistoric
musical instruments was
found in China and dates
back to between 7000 and
6600 BC. [7] The Hurrian
song , found on clay tablets
that date back to
approximately 1400 BC, is
the oldest surviving notated
work of music.