Musicology
EFFECTS OF MUSIC

Music has also been controlled throughout history. Take for example the church in the middle ages banning the diminished scale and the interval known as the triton - C to f# - (which is literally slicing the octave in half and happens to be part of the diminished scale). The church in the days when sacred music was the only kind it tolerated considered it not compatible with holiness and tried to make illegal all the sounds that it regarded as the devils scales as they were thought to invoke sexual & joyful feelings. It still today has scripts locked away in the Vatican of music it considers evil and music it considers powerful and uplifting. Incidentally the triton interval and diminished scale was very popular amongst composers in the 19th century and is very popular in heavy metal music today.

The esoteric school of Pythagoras taught that certain scales, tempo and rhythm could trigger different states of mind. People would visit Pythagoras for healing and he would prescribe certain scales and rhythms much as a doctor prescribes medicine today.

In ancient China the emperor had the music police which made sure that musicians were perfectly in tune and did not stray away from scales they were allowed to play. It was believed that this would keep the people and society from entering into chaos.

Music has a very important role to play in society but unfortunately gets much abused in the commercial world. The Music Industry at times has been its own worst enemy by placing restrictions on who will and will not be allowed to have their music heard simply because they are considered too old or not good looking enough or any other number of reasons, none of which have anything to do with how good the music is itself. We at UseYourEars do not agree with this way of thinking and believe that music should be judged on how it sounds and makes you feel. Fortunately we are not the only people involved in the music industry that think this way. There is more to music than meets the ears so treat it with respect, especially if you are in the industry.

For all you musicians out there keep the faith in your music and in yourselves, remember that success is not judged by getting noticed by industry people who care little about music. Sharing your Love through music and staying true to yourself is much more rewarding for your soul and for your listeners!