Music History is Human History

What is Music?

It is in our car rides, movies, social events, communal gatherings, and religious ceremonies; it follows us everywhere we go. It can bring us together or keep us company when we are alone. It has an unspeakable power that can only be described with itself - with music. Melody and rhythm, the building blocks of music, are found throughout the natural world: bird calls, dolphin clicks, whale vocalizations, and woodpecker drummings all add up to the beautiful symphonic cacophony of nature - but is it music?

Music is commonly defined as rhythm, melody, and or harmony. Additionally, music is sound that conveys emotions, its essence going beyond sound (Frontiers, 2017). This complexity begs the question: when did our ancestors begin making music?

The Earliest Forms of Music

Humanity’s earliest musical expressions were likely vocal. Around a million years ago, the common ancestor of Neanderthals had the necessary anatomy for singing, as seen by fossilized skulls and jaws (Frontiers, 2017). Scholars often assert that singing was the first type of musical sound, suggesting that early humans might have begun to speak and sing simultaneously. Singing could have been used to imitate natural beauty, such as bird calls, to mimic animal sounds for hunting, or to communicate with infants through lullabies.

The evolution of vocal learning and musical traits may have helped our ancestors deal with chaotic situations like hunting or escaping predators. When groups moved together during these situations, synchronized leg movements while running in a pack created brief moments of silence, enhancing their ability to hear and be aware of their surroundings and communicate. This synchronization, which has survival value, releases dopamine, making listening to and playing rhythms more rewarding, even in safe environments. The chemical release of dopamine in response to a rhythm might explain why prehistoric activities like hand-clapping, foot-stomping, and campfire singing are so enjoyable (Expertsvar, 2013).

Initially, the first non-vocal music would most likely have been rhythmic, created by hand-clapping, eventually using tools like stones and sticks to produce sound. These early instruments, made from materials like wood or reeds, have not survived. However, bone pipes crafted from swan and vulture wing bones, dating back 39,000-43,000 years, have been discovered. Additionally, evidence shows people struck stalactites in caves to produce sound around 12,000 years ago, indicating that music has been a significant part of human evolution (Frontiers, 2017).

Music has been around for thousands of years and across many different cultures. Archaeological discoveries have unearthed flutes, whistles (often made of bone), pottery, and stone instruments, some of which are over 30,000 years old based on carbon dating — a scientific method that determines the age of objects based on the amount of carbon found in organic matter near archaeological sites. In Japan, ancient whistles and rattles that produce high-pitched sounds, crafted from stone or clay, date back about 6,000 years. In China, pottery bells have been around for at least 4,000 years and Greek instruments like the krotala, a set of hollow blocks bound with leather, emerged around 2,500 years ago. The Greeks also used finger cymbals and frame drums.

Shepherds often played the syrinx, a whistle-like instrument now known as the pan flute. The aulos, another Greek instrument, was a sophisticated woodwind with two pipes. Furthermore, 4,000-year-old rock paintings and engravings in Egyptian tombs depict musicians playing harps, and Greek pottery frequently illustrates musical scenes.

The earliest civilizations across Africa, Europe, and Asia had music deeply embedded in their cultures. Many ancient societies believed music was a divine gift from the gods. Various deities were associated with music, such as Àyàn, the African god known as a drummer, and Apollo, the Greek god who played the lyre. In the Book of Genesis, Jubal is hailed as the father of the harp and flute (Dallman, 2022).

The Role of Music in Human History

Music has persisted through the ages for various reasons. It plays a vital role in dance, although it's unclear if the first dancers had musical accompaniment or if music inspired rhythmic movement. Music is a form of entertainment that creates personal and communal joy. Music also serves as a communication tool; instruments like drums and horns have been used to convey messages across distances. In rituals, music holds a sacred place in services in almost every religion, enhancing the spiritual experience.

One of the most crucial functions of music is its ability to foster bonding. It strengthens mother-child connections, keeps workers motivated during monotonous tasks, and unites individuals before hunts or battles. Some theories suggested by Oxford’s Jeremy Montagu propose that music created society, bringing together diverse individuals who would otherwise not interact (Frontiers, 2017). Listening to music can release hormones such as oxytocin, endorphins, and cortisol, which help humans feel joy and comfort and reduce stress (Heshmat, n.d.).

The Natural Phenomenon of Music

Different cultures have developed unique musical systems, yet certain musical aspects, such as pleasing intervals between notes, or the distances between musical pitches, are universal. This suggests that music is a biological phenomenon inherent to humans. Cross-species parallels in song production also exist. For example, songbirds can learn new vocalizations throughout their lives, a rare trait in the animal kingdom. Parrots, known for their ability to move to a beat, share similar biological adaptations with humans.

While some animals can categorize music by composer or genre, it remains unclear if they are truly musical. The origins of human musical capacity and the potential for musicality in other animals remain areas of ongoing research (Vienna, 2015).

The history of music is as rich and varied as the human experience itself, constantly evolving and deeply interwoven with our cultural and biological fabric. The history of music and how it evolved alongside humans is an unknown field that hides the secrets to our story, values, and beginnings. Music is so ingrained in our cultures that it must be ingrained within us, giving clues to the beginnings of humanity.

References

Dallman, L. (2022, October 10). Who invented music? The search for stone flutes, clay whistles, and the dawn of song. Popular Science. https://www.popsci.com/science/who-invented-music/

Expertsvar. (2013, September 23). Why humans are musical. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130923092603.htm

Frontiers. (2017, June 20). The story of music is the story of humans. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 31, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170620093153.htm

Heshmat, S., Ph.D. (n.d.). How music brings people together. Psychology Today.

     https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/202111/

     how-music-brings-people-together
University of Vienna. (2015, February 17). Even animals compose: What it means to be a musical species. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 1, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150217122700.htm