Portal:Music
The Music Portal
Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all human societies. Definitions of music vary widely in substance and approach. While scholars agree that music is defined by a small number of specific elements, there is no consensus as to what these necessary elements are. Music is often characterized as a highly versatile medium for expressing human creativity. Diverse activities are involved in the creation of music, and are often divided into categories of composition, improvisation, and performance. Music may be performed using a wide variety of musical instruments, including the human voice. It can also be composed, sequenced, or otherwise produced to be indirectly played mechanically or electronically, such as via a music box, barrel organ, or digital audio workstation software on a computer.
Music often plays a key role in social events and religious ceremony. The techniques of making music are often transmitted from as part of a cultural tradition. Music is played in public and private contexts, highlighted at events such as festivals and concerts for various different types of ensembles. Music is used in the production of other media, such as in soundtracks to films, TV shows, operas, and video games.
Listening to music is a common means of entertainment. The culture surrounding music extends into areas of academic study, journalism, philosophy, psychology, and therapy. The music industry includes songwriters, performers, sound engineers, producers, tour organizers, distributors of instruments, accessories, and publishers of sheet music and recordings. Technology facilitating the recording and reproduction of music has historically included sheet music, microphones, phonographs, and tape machines, with playback of digital musics being a common use for MP3 players, CD players, and smartphones. (Full article...)
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Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that husband and wife Edward M. and Marie Zimmerman co-wrote the suffragist anthem "Votes for Women: Suffrage Rallying Song"?
- ... that Felipe Lara's Pulitzer finalist Double Concerto turns its soloists into a "many-tentacled creature"?
- ... that a will bequeathing the Chestnut Street Opera House to the University of Pennsylvania was contested at the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania?
- ... that Wilner Burke was the director of the Lumberjack Band, the marching band of the Green Bay Packers, for 42 years?
- ... that Oksana Lyniv founded the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine in 2016 and conducted them in thirty concerts across ten music festivals in 2022?
- ... that Max Weil, founder of the Halifax Symphony Orchestra, spent his later years in real estate?
Today's Birthdays
- Birthdays in Music: August 12
- Craig Douglas, (born Terrence Perkins) British vocalist, turns 83.
- Mark Knopfler, Brit guitarist for Dire Straits, turns 75.
- August Darnell, Canadian vocalist with Kid Creole and the Coconuts, turns 73.
- Jerry Speiser, Australian drummer for Men at Work, turns 71.
- Pat Metheny, veteran jazz guitarist and leader of the Pat Metheny Group, turns 70.
- Danny Shirley, American country music singer, turns 68.
- Jurgen Dehmel, German bassist of Nena fame ("99 Luftballons"), turns 66.
- Roy Hay (musician), Brit guitarist and keyboardist of Culture Club fame, turns 62.
- Sir Mix-a-Lot, (born Anthony Ray) American Grammy Award-winning rapper and music producer, turns 61.
- Bon Harris, British percussionist with Nitzer Ebb, turns 59.
- Paul Tucker (musician), British keyboardist for Lighthouse Family, turns 56.
- Tanita Tikaram, West German singer-songwriter, turns 55.
- Sharam Tayebi, Iranian DJ, music producer, and one-half of Deep Dish, turns 54.
- Del tha Funkee Homosapien, (born Teren Delvon Jones) American alternative hip hop artist with Deltron 3030, turns 52.
- Bill Uechi, American bassist for Starpool, Save Ferris, turns 49.
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WikiProjects connected with music: WikiProject Music – Songs – Albums – Alternative music - Classical music – Composers – Contemporary Christian music – Contemporary music – Electronic music – Emo music – Hip hop – Instruments – Led Zeppelin - Metal music – Jazz – Musicians – Opera – Panic at the Disco – Powderfinger (band) – Punk music – Record Labels – Record Production – Rock music – R&B and Soul Music – Terminology – The Beatles
Create a requested article: See the list of Requested articles.
Improve an article: See the Music Noticeboard for a list of tasks.
Start a music course: School of Music at Wikiversity
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