Abstract
Music has a unique way of communicating that is not tied solely to any one culture or language. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, music possesses inherent characteristics that enable it to function as a language, conveying emotions, ideas, and narratives. Just as words are combined to form sentences and paragraphs in language, music notes are combined to form melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. These notes, rhythms, and melodies of music can be understood and appreciated by people from different parts of the world, regardless of the language they speak. Language is defined as a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity, play, imaginative expression, and emotional release. Music is also composed of written symbols and these symbols allow for the expression of identity, imaginative expression, emotional release, and communication. This paper is broken down into two main parts. The first is to establish the mechanics of music and language concerning syntax, phrasing, tone, symbols, and semantics. The second explores how music is similar to language, in an effort to support the argument that music has the potential to be a language itself, through a discussion of how we utilize music to communicate, tell stories, and protest, as well as the relationship between music and rhetoric.
Recommended Citation
Miranda, Kerrigan
(2025)
"Music as a Language,"
Acta Cogitata: An Undergraduate Journal in Philosophy: Vol. 12, Article 4.
Available at:
https://commons.emich.edu/ac/vol12/iss1/4
