The place of music in a society?

[Chris]

In Plato's Republic, there wasn't a place for music.

In the Charter of Carnaro- a constitution built on Anarchist, Socialist, and Proto-Fascist foundations, music was designated the fundamental principle of the state.

What do you think the place of music is in society? Do you agree with Plato, that music is detrimental to civilization, or are you with Gabriele D'Annunzio, that music is the step towards an enlightened humanity? Do you agree with neither? Speak your mind.

[Damien Franyik]

Music is an art form directed at a particular audience, also in saying that Music is art the phrase "art is in the eye of the beholder" also applies to this situation.
Music has the ability to move and inspire and to do either good or bad. So music is both detrimental and enlightening it just depends how it is portrayed and received.
For instance.... Lady Gaga's song Paparazzi to some may sound as if Gaga is stalking a man relentlessly. But i see it as a representation of how Lady Diana died thanks to the Paparazzi.
Music has a place everywhere on earth!

[Damien Franyik]

Oh and i Nearly forgot
DFTBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kevin j]

I think that D'Annunzio is right, because music can now be considered a form of art, in that it can be created to play on our emotions (sorry about the pun), and, if used properly can be as beautiful as any visual art form

[Sara (Saratonin)]

I think that all arts are in some way necessary to human existence. So it has a place in any human endeavor, whether we realize it or not.

[Maria Eriksson]

in school im going to talk about the place of music in a society, can someone help me find a quotation from a famous (don't have to be someone in the music buissnes) person about the subject? rather neither for or against the subject, more an eye-opener to get everyones attantion (that's the whole reason that we are talking infrot of the class)
I have learn to never underestemate nerdfighters, and i can't find one myself, i have been looking for a while now.

[Thundere]

"Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best." - Henry Van Dyke
"The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, "Is there a meaning to music?" My answer would be, "Yes." And "Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?" My answer to that would be, "No."" -Aaron Copland
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson (Thats an attention grabbing statement, if I ever read one O.o)
"Modern music is as dangerous as narcotics." -Pietro Mascagni (Narcotics have a good and bad aspect XD)
http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/quotes.html

Good Luck on your speech... presentation... thing!
DFTBA

[Fran]

The place of music in society is as a form of expression. People don't always create music so that others can enjoy it, they create music because sometimes it's the only way they have of expressing what they feel.

[Professor Cuddles III]

C.S. Lewis once said that "Friendship is unneccesary, like philosophy, like art...it has no survival value; rather, it is one of those things that give value to survival." I think music is like that. At it's best, music makes you feel and think things you wouldn't otherwise feel or think and can lead to growth as person. At it's worst, music can sell you things you don't want or need and decrease your ability to respect others. Because it's so subjective, and because of the whole 'freedom of speech' thing, I don't think there's really a fair way to restrict the less...positively influential music, so I guess like most things, we'll just have to take the good with the bad.
I'd also like to mention that Hitler ordered the development of the Volks-Wagen Bug, and lots of perfectly nice people drive those things, so just because a bunch of fascists liked music and Plato didn't doesn't neccesarily mean anything. Because Hitler also ate sugar. So, yeah.

[Snow White]

Music is a part of society whether it be instrumental, vocal, or pure street noise. I'm goig to pull out the old "music is all around us" line because it's true. Anyone can make a beat. And it actually would lead to a more enlightened society because it helps train parts of the brain that are left unexercised too often. If we exercise the brain we will start to naturally pay more attention to what's going on around us and that is always important. Especially in a representative government.

[Anesses (Erinnn)]

I think music is music. I don't think that music particularly hurts society, or particularly enhances it. Purely, I find it to be another way of telling a story, or a more catchy tune to a public announcement. Music can touch people the way a beautifully written poem or an artfully positioned shot can. It can be worked and molded into something beautiful and touching, and can bring people together, whether it be Don't Stop Believin' or the God Save the Queen.

[Sqoish]

In my honest opinion, a society without music is a society doomed to fail. Music is not just an art, but a form of communication. And like relationships, military operations and NASA..a successful society needs communication. By the way, for those of you who have trouble grasping the concept of music being an actual form of communication look up Native American chants or really any song sang by an indigenous tribe hailing from anywhere in the world. (No hostility intended, I would've never suspected this either had I not taken a history of music class because I probably would have never given it enough attention to be concerned with it. Woo for applied learning.)

Music is also a means of alleviating stress, detoxing and rehabilitation from drug addictions and alcoholism, and deterrent of suicidal and homicidal thoughts alike.

In thus, I can only be forced to conclude that music holds a rather high number in the measurement of its importance to any one society.

[Natalie mogg]

Music, and all art, lives in the overlap between me and you. I am stuck inside this mind- it's the only perspective I will ever occupy- but when I see other people's art, it gives me an idea of what it's like in their own strange little world of perception. It makes me realize that we're not that different, but we're each unique and screwed up in our own special way. As a society, art can make us understand each other, leading to a more compassionate society. Enlightened humanity? I think so.