There is no doubt about it: music has shaped every culture throughout all history, has played a significant role in all theology, and captivates all of humanity with endless means of expression and communication.

But here’s the question: why music ?

More than a few articles have been written speculating on the “deeper meaning” behind music as an element of society, and I’d like to provide an additional perspective. Brainiacs, unite.

Remember back to your sophomore English class in high school… Greek and Latin roots, word etymology, and the like…(Stay with me, folks, I’m going somewhere with this.)

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Let’s chat about our favorite word: MUSIC.

The word “music” has an interesting history. Our English word, “music” evolved from the Old French “musique” and from there to Greek “mousikē” which essentially means the “art of the muses.”

In Greek mythology, the Nine Muses were daughters of the God Zeus and the woman Mnemoryne. According to myth, Zeus bewildered the young woman for 9 nights. Nine daughters resulted from the encounter. When born, the daughters were given away to be raised by Apollo, who so happened to be the God of the Lyre (you know, the guy with the little U-shaped harp?).

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Naturally, being raised by the God of what was then the sole manifestation of expression in sound (in other words, music), the muses were mystified and captivated by the arts of music, poetry, and dance. And so, they forsook normal human life and lived in Olympus, serving as Goddesses of creativity, imagination, and all forms of art. In an indirect way, therefore, we have the muses to thank for the very existence of music.

Now, what I find interesting about this myth is the genesis of the nine muses (therefore the genesis of music itself).  Zeus—the omnipotent god of Greek mythology—represents the “ultimate higher power”—be it the Christian idea of God or any other supreme, divine, even unexplainable driving force of the universe. This Greek representation suggests that music is a product of the most divine matter ever in existence. Cool, right? Furthermore, the woman Mnemoryne is the Greek personification of memory. Married together in the perfect harmony of love, music is then the direct product of the ultimate higher power combined with all of human experience: joy, sorrow, desire, love, hate, triumph, defeat.

So, why music? It’s a no-brainer. A quick look into the word itself gives you a whole new insight on the divine purpose of music as an expressive art and science. No wonder a band is such a popular entertainment choice for a wedding, corporate event, or party.

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