by Wayne Leon Learmond

Created on: November 21, 2008

What is music? Ah, music is the absolute bread of life. It is the universal language that speaks to us all. Music is instantly understood, and touches the very soul of human beings upon this Earth. It is one of the very very few genres that can instantly transport a person back to the past, a long-distant memory of times gone by, brought about by a tune, a melody, a beat of a drum, a single chord of a guitar, or piano. In fact, music can be used to instantly 'time travel' the mind back to a place where you long to be again ...or not be, such is the case.

One cannot pigeon-hole music into any particular genre, because, simply, like that other emotion, 'Love', it cannot be placed in any such rank and file system. Music brings utter joy or sadness to human beings the world over, And yes, music can also be classed as an emotion too. for it goes hand in hand, the two are inseperable from one another. From the very earliest recorded history of the human race, music has played, I would say, the most important role of all. It has been used to inspire whole nations, like a tidal wave crashing over the land.

Music is found in every single culture on the face of the planet, and has acted like a domino effect, its influence entering the social and economic fabric of nations and customs. No matter the time period, music has been used, and will always be used, to tap into the psyche of a nation, especially in times of deep sorrow or war. I firmly believe that even above food which we need to sustain ourselves, music has such a power as to inspire and drive on a person, keep that person alive in times of great tribulation or crises, such is its influence over the human mind, the human psyche.

But, like everything, music has also been used for evil too. Certain pieces of music have been used to drive on dictatorships, and indeed, certain pieces of music send shivers down the spines of those who have survived such dictatorships, bringing only memories of horror and death.

But, used in the right way, music touches the very soul of Man. From the very early beginnings of Pre-History, where every beat of a wing, every sound of the wind the rain, thunder and lightning and even fire, would be interpreted by ancient Man, and would inspire him to copy those sounds using, what means were available at that time. The making of the very earliest wind instruments would then follow. Flutes, were made from the bones of birds, which would be hollow, and holes would be carved into them to make

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