The very definition of communication can be found in the opening chapter of our textbook. According to Warren and Fassett’s text (2015), communication is “the collaborative construction and negotiation of meaning between the self and others as it occurs within cultural contexts” (7). In other words, the exchanging of information between individuals. We can focus for a moment on where the definition states “within cultural contexts.” This is important because language and certain gestures are held within cultural boundaries. Our textbook further refers to culture as “a system of shared meanings and assumptions that draw people together within a social context of shared power” (Warren & Fassett, 8). Individually, we are a part of many cultures at once, from groups we are born into, to groups we become a part of. As a result of this, culture shapes our identity. It also is what sets us apart. What is normal to me or you may be insulting to one of another culture. Take for example, in Western culture, eye contact, regardless of who you are, is valued and expected in conversation, whereas in Middle Eastern culture, women are cautioned against maintaining eye contact with men for too long, as it could convey a different meaning. Eye contact between a subordinate and their superior could also be considered a sign of disrespect in Asian cultures. It’s our responsibility to understand what is and what isn’t appropriate when considering communication across cultures.
Where does music come into play with all of this? Victor Wooten, a big-time bassist, claims that music is one of the most powerful forms of communication that there is in his Ted Talk. He says that music and language are both forms of expression that serve the same purpose -- to communicate with others; whether it be to convey emotion, evoke thought, or to make you move. My favorite point that he made is that “music does not have to be understood to be effective.” This is why it transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries. If you think about it, within every culture, lies music – it is a part of every human’s experience. Even the millennials have their own “millennial whoop,” which was mentioned in class. This phenomenon was discovered by Patrick Metzger and broken down as a sequence of notes alternating between the fifth and third notes of a major scale. Metzger mentions that it’s based on a measure of comforting familiarity. You can sing along even if you don’t know the song. You may even find that you do this naturally. But when you hear the whoop, because of this sense of familiarity, you can associate it with happiness and comfort. On a grander scale, you can easily distinguish the difference between a happy song and a sad song just based off of the scale it was written in. This could be agreed upon across cultures of all kinds. Although music varies between cultures, the majority of people can pick up on the mood of certain songs.
Music and language have a lot in common. In fact, Stevie Wonder sings about music being universal in his song “Sir Duke.” He says, “music is a world within itself with a language we all understand with an equal opportunity for all to sing, dance, and clap their hands,” which clearly shows that he agrees that music is a form of universal communication. But can music be considered a universal language? Language is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “a method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured or conventional way.” Language is bound together by sets of rules that create meaning for these words. Music also has rules and guidelines set in place that allow it to be understood, however, music wouldn’t be anything but a bunch of notes on a piece of paper without the melody. The link between music and language lies within something called prosody, which is basically rhythm, tone, tempo, and emphasis on words. Doctor David Ludden, a professor of psychology, argues that like language, music has syntax, but that it’s the melody that conveys emotional meaning by mimicking the prosody of speech. Therefore, our brain processes music like it would speech, paying attention to the prosody of the melody. Because of this, music is able to communicate across all cultures, despite any boundaries, acting as a universal language, or means of communication. So even though music isn’t necessarily a universal language as far as conveying a clear thought to any other person, the melody can evoke great emotion that can transcend any cultural boundary. And it’s for this reason, there’s a lot more to music than just “vocal or instrumental sound.”
Warren, John T., and Deanna L. Fassett. Communication: a Critical/Cultural Introduction. Sage, 2015.
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