Crisp notes and rhythms on a page. This is how music is sometimes viewed. The player of these notes just plays the notes as they see them. Whether that be with an instrument, singing or electronic gadgets. The listener is just listening to the composition without thinking about anything else. Then there are the composers of these songs who see things a little differently. The music is not only meant to sound nice, it is intrinsically designed to convey a certain emotion. Or in most cases, tell an entire story.
A large percentage of the world has agreed that music is one of the most beloved forms of art to ever exist. Not many people were likely expecting noises and sounds being used to produce songs would be pleasant to listen to. Not only that, but noises and sounds that were able to tell stories. It was such a nuanced concept, and that may be why it took off as fast as it did. Music is simply unlike any other art form out there.
The way it also tells stories is what makes it as intriguing as it is. When a composer wants to tell a story using music, they first need to decide what the tone is. This allows them to have a concrete idea of what they want the music to sound like, as well as the appropriate instrumentation they want to use. Once these elements are in place, the composer can start working on the music itself.
Through the creative process, the composer implements the story and its themes into the music. The way this is done varies across different music genres, but a ton of popular albums and songs do this by incorporating lyrics that help ground the theme and story. Whether they’re very in-your-face lyrics or poetry-like lyrics can also be used as a way to set the tone they are going for.
Of course, lyrics are not necessary when needing to prop up the story. The music can do it by itself by shifting keys, using specific chords, or switching up the instrumentation. For example, the album “Everywhere At The End of Time” by The Caretaker starts as a cheery, nostalgic-sounding album, but slowly degrades as it goes on to represent the decay a person’s mind experiences when subjected to dementia. Their mind is healthy and fresh at the beginning which is why it sounds so happy. However, as the dementia takes hold of their mind and the process of forgetting ensues, the music reflects this by turning into a confusing and garbled mesh with no real melodies or harmonies.
Then, there’s the usage of it, many associate music with it more often, and that’s music being in the background of films, TV shows, video games and more. It’s immensely difficult to deny how impactful the music is when applied to these other forms of art. Sometimes, the films or video games don’t even need dialogue to tell the story. They’ll show some visuals of what’s happening, but utilize music that sets the tone those scenes are supposed to make you feel. Like how in “Revenge of the Sith,” during Anakin’s senseless genocide, they don’t usually have dialogue in those moments, only dramatic and heartbreaking music accompanying visceral images.
There’s one more aspect of music, however, that sells the deal on how effective it is as an art form, and that’s the listener’s interpretation. The composer may create the music with a certain tone and story in mind, but regardless, the music in of itself can still be viewed in a multitude of ways. In certain songs, some listeners may feel happiness while others may feel sadness and depression. Some listeners may walk away from a song believing it to be about the magic of painting, and others may walk away believing it to be a look into the human psyche in which the idea of painting is used as a metaphor. There are so many different directions people’s thoughts can go when theorizing about what a piece of music might be trying to say.
There’s a reason why music is such a monumentally respected form of art, and it is not simply because it sounds nice. It’s able to tell tales in a way no other work of art truly can. Even if the composer didn’t intend it, music will always tell some kind of story.
