Early Western Music

Music had been a part of the world for thousands of years. Primitive cave drawings, stories from the Bible, and Egyptian hieroglyphs all attest to the fact that people had created instruments and had been making music for millennia.

The word music derives from the ancient Greek muses, the nine goddesses of art and science. The first study of music as an art form dates from around 500 B.C., when Pythagoras experimented with acoustics and the mathematical relationships of tones. In so doing, Pythagoras and others established the Musical modes: scales comprised of whole tones and half steps.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, land, power, and morality was controlled by the Catholic Church. Mostly through superstitious fear, early Catholic leaders were able to claim absolute power over lords, princes, and kings. The Church was able to dictate the progress of arts and letters according to its own strictures and employed all the scribes, musicians and artists. At this time, western music was almost the sole property of the Catholic Church.

The early Christian church derived their music from existing Jewish and Byzantine religious chant. Like all music in the Western world up to this time, plainchant was monophonic, that is, it comprised a single melody without any harmonic support or accompaniment.There were many hundred of these chants, with different melodies and tempos. It was believed that Pope Gregory I (reigned 590-604) codified them during the sixth-century, establishing uniform usage throughout the Western Catholic Church. Although his actual contribution to this enormous body of music remains unknown, his name has been applied to this music, and it is known as Gregorian Chant.

Good Music?

What is good music? I went last year to a concert to the roots picnic and there was this rapper and his dj. I didn't understand anything he said, but that was the interesting part. I could not hear anything , he sounded a someone on a bunch drugs. I further looked into him and found him very intriguing. His music was not the same as traditional rappers I have heard. The music to me was consider good music. It became pleasing to my ear when rhymed. What gives people the right to preach what is good music and what is down right horrible? I understand that the times are different. People must allow themselves to be open minded and understand social changes. I am very open minded to music, culture, religion anything. I enjoy listening to "oldies" too. Hearing Sinatra makes me want to be in that time period. Bob Dylan's "The Times Are Changing" is one pleasing soulful song.
Here is that link for the Busdriver rapper I was talking about if anyone is interested in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpP-8tJ-9Js

Music...How different it is today.

I personally believe music has changed from the look, sound, and impact it has on everyone. In the past, artist would wear costumes and funny looking jewelry. Their sound was their own and they made sense of what they were singing or rapping about. Also, their impact on society made people want to fall in love or stand up for a cause. Today, however, their look is nothing more than a tank top or bra, and some tight jeans for women and baggy clothes for men. Their sound is just an upbeat from the past and their lyrics are usually demeaning. Also, thier impact on society today make people act like they have no sense.