Vah Zou
“Music is the universal language of mankind.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
To use one of Jane Austen’s famous opening text, ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged that...’ It cannot be denied that music has played an important role in the society. During times of war, it is used as a means to give strength and motivate those at the frontline, it is also used to comfort and give hope to the family that they have left behind.
There is a term called soft power which simply means the ability to influence international relations without the use of force, or coercive pressure by a country. A ‘soft influence’ is not something that is used much, but it deals less with politics and more with influencing the people, that is, the general masses rather than focusing only on the people in power.
There has been numerous compositions that were created out of the desire for peace; many for freedom; many for change— the only thing that has remained constant is the use of music as a method of expressing the feelings of the composer. There are writers who write of freedom, who write about their experiences in the battlefield; who write for their loved ones at war… People express their feelings in different ways, some may find writing to be the vessel through which they can pour their feelings out, some may consider painting (art) to be another tap which they should let flow; and some may use music. Those who write the lyrics, those who compose the symphonies, those who play the songs and perform them for the masses— There is no feeling greater than love. Maybe this is the reason that music has so much power to influence the people who gather around to listen to the pieces?
It was mentioned in ‘Letters To A young Poet’ by Rainer Maria Rilke that one can be called a good writer when their work, their writings speak to the reader. He advices the young mind to go seek for the reason he writes. ‘What do I write for?’ I questioned myself. Maybe it is selfish of me but the only reason I could find was that ‘i write for myself.’ There is a certain connection between the people who practice the different arts that I have mentioned in the previous paragraph. Each person practices their craft for some reason. Some do it to show their feelings, some do it because it is the only way they know how to communicate. There are much too many people involved in these crafts to give a reason for each and everyone, but ‘What makes them famous?’
Ever wondered why a song you listened to, left such a lasting impression on you? Ever wondered why a particular song made you cry? Why do you immediately connect a song with another person? Why do you feel connected to the singer on a level which is more than that of mere strangers? It is because of how much of a ‘soft influence’ music is to us, listeners.
As mentioned in the previous paragraphs, music has solidified its place as an agent of change. An agent that promotes hope, gives faith, keeps someone motivated. Why do you think we all have different playlists for each and every activity? We have a playlist for working out, for studying, for doing chores, for showers. And most do not overlap either? An answer would be that they set the mood. But why? Why do we need a particular type of music to do something? Why do we feel uncomfortable listening to a song from a ‘study’ playlist while ‘working out’? It is simply because we have been influenced. Each chord, each word— they have unknowingly struck something within us.
Music has accompanied humans long enough that it is hard to imagine a world without music. Even before modern instruments and modern music became popular, our forefathers sung and danced. Folk songs are a testimony. Campfires, battle music, war cries… each country, each region have their own traditions. Even today, music is being used as a means of connecting people and influencing the masses, as well as, as a means of advancement by countries and communities alike.
To use real-life events as an example, the world currently has large wars as well as small-scale wars. The Ukraine-Russia war has had many songs produced to support the desire for peace and love amongst the people. And although there seems to not be an outright reaction in support, or against such methods of promotion, that is, leading the people into believing the ideologies that are mentioned by them. It might not be often heard of how someone shaped their beliefs to match the ideology by their favourite singer or a song they immediately feel drawn to. However, it doesn't mean that they do not exist.
A song sometimes touches you so deeply that you can feel the same emotions as the person who wrote it and sang it. The intensity of the emotions portrayed in the singer's voice has the ability to affect how one perceives the ‘target’ situation.
Recently, there was news of a song from N.Korea, the song praises their president and is made in his ‘honour’. While watching such videos and not knowing more than what was presented, it is easy to be misled or misguided to believe that maybe the perspective of outsiders towards the country is more distorted than the actual state of the country. But if one thinks outside of lyrical presentations of the songs and takes in the interviews as well as books, that is, the experiences of the defectors then we know that such songs and mvs’ are much more forced than one would believe. This is a clear example of an ‘attempt’ to influence by utilising music as well as their ‘mysteriousness’ as a country, but the latter isn’t the point.
People use music as a way to provide hope to the struggling people who are affected by the on-going events in their homes or in the world as a whole. Comfort can be found knowing that you aren’t alone in wishing for a better future and wishing for a united populace. Faith in the world and desire for enlightenment of people in power waging wars and forcing the normal and uninformed population to do their bidding in the military; brainwashing to brand the opposition as ‘inferior’ and themselves as superior.
Humans are very easily influenced. We are very gullible too, it is easy to believe that we are.aware about everything going around. But no one is omnipresent and neither are we God. The moment we feel that another person understands our suffering, we are quick to be friendly towards them because of our desire for ‘brotherhood’. When we hear a song that fits into our ideals or one that brings us comfort at times of need, we are at ease knowing that at least someone understands our emotions, and feelings. We aren’t alone in our struggle. And that, in itself, is enough for many of us. There are others listening to the song, there is someone who has went through what I did. And they’ve overcome it before.
To provide an actual example on a personal level, I will write the lyrics of a song that brings me comfort and influences me by giving me hope because it makes me realise and reminds me that ‘someone else went through it too’, and that ‘I am not alone in whatever life brings my way.
A few touching lines from the song, ‘Ei Tlangram’ by Liendo Hai ft. May Joy :
“Arkaizan a hin, suilung a leng ngei el;
Sienkhawm kan runmawi, hung inlawi kan mawi nawh.
Ei ram damna ding in, khuol ram rinum chu kan bel;
Fam kan lo chang a ni chun, pielralah lo hmuok kan cheu.”
The translation is,
“On this full moon night, we are longing to come back home;
But we are not entitled to come back home.
For the safety of our land, we sojourn in a stranger’s land;
If we are to perish here, we will wait for you in the afterlife.”
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