Home » Music » Music History » Why Study Music History?

Why Study Music History?

© Brad Foust

Music is a unique subject in that it can be studied from many different viewpoints. One of the most important studies of music is its history. A thorough knowledge of music history opens the doors to a deeper understanding of music and its importance and meaning in our world.

A large part of studying music history is learning about composers. When one learns of the composer as a person as well as an artist, a greater appreciation of their music develops. The cable channel VH1 has found great success in their "Behind the Music" features. Think of music history in the same sense...it's a look behind the scenes into the very soul of music. We are all very familiar with the struggles of Beethoven as he lost his hearing, and he was completely deaf by the time he composed what some consider to be his greatest work, his 9th symphony. Did you know that Bedrich Smetana, a Czech composer, also lost his hearing before composing his greatest work, My Country, a nationalistic masterpiece which contains the very familiar piece, The Moldau? As a matter of fact, Smetana looked to Beethoven as an example and pressed on with his composing!

Music history also helps us to learn about the culture and reality of life in the given time period. For instance, much music, up to the time of the Baroque period, was either written strictly for the church or was tied very closely to church music. This music and its composers tell us a great deal about life in the early world up through the Middle Ages. Cultural movements, such as the Renaissance and Classicism are also very well represented in music.

Finally, music history gives us a picture of our music today and how it has evolved to exist in its present state. Many people, when asked why we study history, cite the fact that we do it to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. In the case of music, we study to not avoid what was done but to learn from those things and how best they can be applied in the modern world. This concept is often called influence, and all musicians have at least one person they point to as a source of inspiration. The same applied to composers and musicians who lived 500 years ago. Knowing this, it's not hard to see how music could evolve and change throughout the ages. Each new influence meant a different and unique look at composition and performing.

The copyright of the article Why Study Music History? in Music History is owned by . Permission to republish Why Study Music History? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.