Introduction to Music

Music can be defined as organized sound. It is a living language that has been developed over centuries and continues to be refined and reinvented by composers and musicians today. In various parts of the world, different musical languages and "dialects" are used. However, the music written in Europe during the "common practice" period from about 1650 - 1900 comprises a very large portion of our musical heritage, and includes such famous composers as Vivaldi, J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Verdi and Wagner. Most of the popular music of today still uses the syntax and musical "grammar" of that period. This type of music is based on both acoustic principles and tradition, constituting what we often refer to as "tonal" music. Just as words function a certain way within a sentence, chords and rhythms function a special way within tonal music. Even in other types of music - contemporary art, popular, jazz, eastern, Latin American, African, Native American - the principles used in western art music can help one to better understand and appreciate the beauty and structure found within each of these musics. So whether you are a performer, composer, or simply a person who likes listening to music, an understanding of how music works is a valuable and essential asset.

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