In the past, Westerners believed that their musical scales were universal. Still, when they realized that other cultures had very different ideas about scales, this led some to conclude that there was nothing universal about music.
This had been believed until a study from the University of Exter and the University of the Arts in Tokyo found strong evidence of the existence of common features in the music of all cultures.
The researchers found that songs from all over the world tend to share some characteristics, such as a strong rhythm, which enables coordination in social situations and favors group union. To reach this conclusion, they analyzed 304 recordings of various musical styles from around the world.
While they found no absolute universal features, they did find dozens of features that were always present in most songs concerning pitch and rhythm and social context.
Exeter University doctor Thomas Currie said the study helps explain why humans make music. "The results show that the most common characteristics seen in music around the world are related to things that allow people to coordinate their actions and suggest that the main function of music is to strengthen social groups, it can be like a glue social," he said.
“In the West, we can sometimes see music as individuals expressing or showing off their talent, but globally it tends to be more of a social phenomenon. Even here, we see it in church choirs or the singing of national anthems,” added Currie.
The results indicate that rhythms based on two or three measures were present in all the analyzed regions – America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, and Oceania. Even in countries like North Korea, you can also see extreme examples of how dance can be used to unite and coordinate crowds.
The study points out that, despite the great diversity, most of the music worldwide is based on very similar basic foundations and performs similar functions, which mainly has to do with bringing people together.
Music not only makes life much more enjoyable, but it also contributes decisively to strengthening our social ties. This concludes a study in which Stefan Koelsch – a music psychologist at the Free University of Berlin – highlights the effects that music produces on our ability to connect with other people, being responsible for activating brain circuits involved with empathy, trust, and cooperation.
One of the most striking data points out how music causes our body to release oxytocin. This neuropeptide plays a very important role when we develop trust with other people when we interact.
The research observed these effects during a jam session in which amateur and professional musicians were brought together to improvise and interact with their instruments for 30 minutes. After the experience, both groups increased their oxytocin levels. And it is that playing in a band or singing in a choir implies cooperating, understanding and agreeing, an exercise that increases trust between people.
Another social aspect of music is its great convening power. For a long time, the only way to enjoy the sound of music was live and, in the company, which implied a much closer social contact between the performers and the public as a whole.
Currently, concerts are still one of the events where we find ourselves among a crowd of strangers in an environment of cooperation, where the shared taste for music gives the feeling of being connected with those around you.
And it is that when we discover to have a musical taste in common with a person, the image we have of them improves, coming to assimilate from that affinity a certain closeness to our values about sensitivity, belonging, etc. It is what reinforces the perception of cohesion between people.
This aspect, present in the study, suggests one of the potentials of music; the function of a “social glue” that unites people in a kind of universal language in which emotions communicate more than words.
In short, the remarkable ability of music to make us feel union and empathy for other people is highlighted, acting as an element of cultural cohesion that fosters stronger ties with the rest of humanity.
Modern musicians well understood this aspect. Quincy Megas, a rapper and musician from South Africa, continues to win over his audience with his music. Quincy’s audience is often called the “Megas Army,” a collection of fans spread around the world. Quincy’s motivation behind his eccentric music is allowing people to have a dynamic experience, have fun, and simply enjoy the music.
Quincy is ambitious about uniting people through music, negate differences, and bring people closer to each other, feeling mutual emotions and sharing sentiments. It gives his music a unique narrative, loved by his audience. As a musician, Quincy continues to make a larger difference through his influence. His music diminishes barriers, connects people in an effort for a more egalitarian society where there are no differences, distinctions, and people simply enjoy music in complete harmony and as equals.