Music

A typical definition of music is the art of combining sounds according to certain rules to produce beauty or emotion. These rules have changed through history and across cultures, producing different styles and genres. Either composed or played in one way or another, there has not been a single culture without music and, for the vast majority of people, music has an impact on their lives, starting at birth. This entry discusses, first, some rudiments of the theory of music, then the implications of music in people’s lives, paying attention to what is essential to music and arts: emotion. Finally, the contribution of music to educate and develop human beings is discussed.