World Music Day – June 21
World Music Day is celebrated on 21st June every year which is the day of the summer solstice (longest day of the year). The first music day was celebrated as Fête de la Musique in Paris, France in 1982. Now, this day is being celebrated in the whole world.
The day coincides with International Day of Yoga which is also celebrated on June 21st. Music has the power to aid relaxation, to overcome powerful emotions, to generate the right mood for going to a party, to stimulate concentration, in short, to promote their well being.
History
In 1976, Joel Cohen, an American musician suggested the idea of a night-long celebration of music and want the festival to take place on the longest day of the year. Later his idea was adopted by France when Director of Music and Dance Maurice Fleuret applied his reflection to music “the music everywhere and the concert nowhere”.
In 1982 with due efforts of France Director of Music and Dance first Fête de la Musique was held on the streets of Paris and was a huge success. The idea behind the celebration of World Music Day is to promote music.
It became so popular that it became a part of the national holiday in France. There are various concerts and events held which are accessible to the public for free.
Since then the idea has been accepted by the whole world and the day of the midsummer solstice in the North hemisphere began to be celebrated as Music Day.
Effect of Music in our life
Music is defined as “the art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.” Music is part of everybody’s culture and is a part of our day to day life. Each country has its own music culture and traditions, this gives music from every country its own unique sound and style.
We sing in the shower, download digital music from the Internet, and the lucky ones make a living from making it. Music makes our life perfect and we are incomplete without it, the sound impacts our bodies in a way no other art does.
1. Music can induce multiple responses in an individual like physiological, movement, mood, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral.
2. Music has powerful therapeutic effects that can be achieved through listening or active music-making.
3. Music can promote relaxation, alleviate anxiety and pain, promote appropriate behavior in vulnerable groups, and enhance the quality of life of those who are beyond medical help.
4. Music can definitely play a significant role in determining the morals and behaviors of a person, it has the influence to empower what seems to be right or wrong, and good or bad it can induce multiple responses in a person and affect their overall behavior.
5. Music has the potential to change a mood, to shift an atmosphere, and to encourage a different behavior.
6. Music can help to enhance human development in the early years and even before birth when music can penetrate the womb and even without music the fetus is surrounded by natural rhythms of the body — heartbeat and pulse and breath.
7. Music provided motivation to people to work hard and speeding the music track helps in increasing the performance of the body.
8. Music has proved to decrease the symptoms of depression in an individual. Music has said to benefit patients with depressive symptoms, depending on what type of music they are listening to.
9. Music is easily available in everyday life and is encouraging individuals to use music to optimize their sense of well-being.
10. Music is embedded in society, resulting in not only the way in which people dress and behave, but also in their general attitude and politics.
“Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.” – Elton John
Happy World Music Day!
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