World Music in a Transnational Context

Ziede Mesonyte Music for me is one of the most powerful tools in life that completes me. I can express myself very easily when I listen to a particular type of music, which I can call a sound of my own. So, first of all, it is a tool for curating the ever changing personality of myself and also an expansive and never ending bridge towards getting to know and experience other cultures, colours, tastes, smells and peoples. What’s more, I found dancing to be the most amazing way to express myself. Without music I would not be able to reveal what is inside me, be it through latino, belly dance, or lindy-hop. Music combines everything; even the sound of leaves on a windy day.

Dominic Thomas Music is a medium which has the power to manipulate the essence of each of us. It communicates to people on a deeply personal and individual level. While music taste varies in accordance to individual variations in identity, humanity as a whole is united in the powerful irrepressible stirrings that music evokes deep within each of us.

Laura Penny Music means to me what I feel it means to many; an escape. Whether the escape it offers is from a simple bad day, a monotonous life or a horrible experience, its music that I turn to for my release. It is the responsibility of the artist, in my opinion, to inspire fans and to level with them as well.

“The voice of the artist is the unconscious voice of the masses”- Brandon Boyd, Incubus

How often have you listened to a song and felt as though it could have been written specifically for you? A talented musician assumes the role of using their talent to say (and play) what we all would if only we could.

Jamie Mattick Music to me is like a cavern, my own personal cavern which I descend into whenever I wish. It is filled with dark and light spaces, and places in between to suit my various moods and frames of mind. Yet it is always there, as I revel in its beauty, sweet or bitter-sweet in texture.
At first glance this cavern is on the surface just a blank canvas of rock with no higher level or meaning. But when one looks closer it is like a Telstar communication satellite beaming the hopes, nightmares, dreams and aspirations of individuals and groups from around the world and translating them to me in an auditory technicolour, which makes the world and my cavern seem so much brighter as I absorb these perfect sounds.

Ben Woodhead Music is an ever-evolving entity, a universal language that links the trinity of our being, the mind, body and soul. It is an art that does much more than just break the silence; it requires an instant affirmative – the bob of a head, shed of a tear, the tap of a foot – and is a shared experience that is vital for racial cohesion and cultural tolerance. Music is a reflection of emotions from the musician(s) that in turn spawns emotions in the listener. Through the medium of music we can identify our inner most feelings without being under a discriminatory gaze. Music is open to everyone regardless of age, race or intellectual ability.

Harriet Dew Music is, essentially, what feelings sound like. Personally, it is impossible to imagine life without music. In fact if music became non-existent, I would feel as if a part of me was missing. It has the capacity to inspire, evoke emotion and spark the imagination of the listener simultaneously. Nothing can beat the raw passion and energy of a live music performance. It is a universal language, bridging gaps between cultures in a way that spoken languages cannot necessarily achieve. Even if we do not even understand the language of the lyrics, we can still hear the musician’s anguish, happiness, passion and so on through the tone of their voice and the rhythm of the music.  To me, music is one of the simplest yet greatest pleasures: all it takes is your ears and a bit of imagination.

Phil Hale Music impacts the ‘now’ more sensually than literature and more powerfully than film – the only two other art forms I encounter on a daily basis. I think music tends to be less political and philosophical and more personal, spiritual. I’m one of those people who listen to depressing music when they’re depressed and happy music when they’re happy – I’ll also jump on the ‘hating current pop’ bandwagon (Lady Gaga excluded, naturally). Music taste can make or break a relationship. Top 2 modern bands: Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes; Top 2 composers: Bach, Mahler; Top 2 genres: Indie Rock, Baroque.

Anneli Nurminen Music did not play any major part in my life until only three or four years back. For years the only CD I owned was Spicegirls’ Spiceworld, which was bought for me by my mum when I was 7. Anyways, later on when I got to know people who were into music, I was inspired by their enthusiasm and started to explore different genres. Maybe that’s why I always connect music to a specific place or situation: I remember songs by the situation in which I first heard them and, occasionally, this builds a lasting link between emotion and place. But what really amazes me is how music can cross language barriers, transcend words, and immediately engage with the listener both physically and emotionally.

Joe Grainger Music does not simply fulfill one purpose; it’s complex. I listen to music because I enjoy it, but I can listen to more various types of music socially than I would individually; on a night out, I might be happy listening to contemporary pop music because it doesn’t require any effort, and is generally up-beat. When I’m alone, I’m far more likely to listen to music that’s more experimental, slow and complicated. Music turns expression and emotion into noise, and can feel very personal. I find it sad that manufactured American music is so dominant in Western society at the moment, but you have to be open-minded when it comes to music. If you enjoy a song, don’t let music snobbery get it the way. Music is there to be enjoyed, and as complex as it can be, ultimately, it’s as simple as that.

Dan Absolon Music is one of the many means by which I try to maintain an attitude of wonder, curiosity, humour and kindness towards life. My favourite piece of music is ‘The Goldberg Variations’ by Bach. The Goldberg Variations are filled with the wonder of an eternal child. Their humour, playful joy and indestructible energy are infinitely encouraging. Listening to them helps me to have kindness for people. Their sense of the mysterious transforms the world from something grey and boring into a magic miracle. That is what music means to me.

Matt Fullerton Music is like a drug. It creates an escape from reality; it lightens a person’s mood when there’s nobody around to comfort them; it helps us to look at things from another perspective. Music is more than our escape; music is the journey to our escape. Music is the scenic stopover along the journey to our escape. Once we’re at our escape, there’ll be more music. After our escape, there’s rest to prepare for another journey, during which we’ll dream music. I think of music as a rebellion of the senses, a way to explore possibilities you’d think could never be realized in the everyday world – until you get your next dose.