Music is the soundtrack of our lives, a roadmap into history, the ravages of change, and the vocalization of harmony. But what is music really? What does it do? Where did it come from?

As Madonna likes to say “Music makes the people come together;” there is a lot of truth to that statement. Music in some cultures is considered a language all its own or an accompaniment to dance in a traditional format; it almost is a direct communication between the earth and the heavens.

One of the interesting things about music is that it predates writing. In eastern societies music was part of life thousands of years ago; no one can say with any certainty when it began but the funny thing about that is why would we try to? There is so much in earth we’ll never know; one is the origination of music. It’s just always been; maybe ever before language there were lonely people singing to themselves. It doesn’t take much to hum and the alluring sounds and desire for companionship were probably two of the things that brought people together. I think Madonna meant it in a different way; but even that; if you look at people outside a club, they’re all trying to get inside the club, to be more near the music and to be able to partake in the shared experience of being near the beat.

While that’s just one aspect of the music, the beat, that brings people together, there are others, including lyrical content. People can relate to what a singer songwriter is saying through the shared human experience that we all have. A similar experience; whether it be something as specific as Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” or Tori Amos’s “Silent All These Years,” and being raped or something as general as loneliness in The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby;” being scorned, giving away your heart, throwing a birthday party, being loved after your dead or loved before you are born, there are experiences we all share and a natural reaction towards them.

Free music is available on the radio. Get it now, before it’s gone. Music videos are also played on most basic cable packages you get a few music video channels. If you’re looking to find music lyrics, you can get sheet music or go online and download them by song title or artist. You can also listen to country music and transcribe them as country music is often easy to understand the words they’re saying. AOL offers a music service; classical and many kinds of jazz offers music without lyrics.