Arguably, there are people who take on the polarities. I, for instance, think that it's more of non-verbal communication than verbal communication though I concede to the fact that non-verbal communication must work together with verbal communication to complete the message.
Historically, music and lyrics are known to be used by human beings to express themselves, specifically their feelings. Religiously, it is also holds true.
"He has given me a new song to sing,a hymn of praise to our God.Many will see what he has done and be amazed.They will put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:3, Bible)
From this, we can tell that people use music as a form of praise towards God. On top of that, they also use it to intentionally send a message to people who were watching, so that they "will see what he has done and be amazed". I believe that the songs sang then did not necessarily contain many stanzas of lyrics, but largely music. From the music they play to worship, it would largely be prosodics, which is the rhythm, stress and variation of pitch, which sends out the non-verbal cues. This is one of the reasons why I thought that the music could convey a message more effectively than verbal communication (words).
Even in classical music, we can see that Beethoven's signature C minor is used to create powerful and emotionally stormy atmospheres. This demostrates that even without words, we can feel the music, based on the different emphasis and the change in tempo.
Symphony No.5
Also, the reason why I feel that non-verbal communication plays a bigger part is because I personally get touched and connected with a song even when it is sung another language (I hope it isn't just me, haha).
Take this music video for example:
Ikimonogakari - Yell
After listening and watching the music video once, I felt that it is a touching song, which one could possibly relate to when he parts ways with his friends upon graduation. I did not decode all these messages based on my understanding on the language. Rather, I decoded the message from the non-verbal cues, namely objectics and paralinguistics. Objectics were in the form of environmental objects, where the music video was set at a school, the field, and they also included students. At some scenes, the students held up placards with their smiley faces which I infer could be their dreams for the future. For paralinguistics (particularly prosodics), the lead singer made different emphasis on the song, especially at the bridge when her voice combined with the music and voices of the students, I thought it expressed some form of regret and conveyed a sense of loss.
However, that being said, I would not be able to decipher the complete message without understanding the lyrics of the song. I would have thought the song ended on a sad note. The translated lyrics seem to signal that the departure does not signify an ending, but rather a new beginning for everyone as they embark on the next stage of life and they stay connected with their dreams. After reading the translated lyrics of the song, I confirmed my decoding of the message and filled in the other details necessary to complete the message. From this, we learn that non-verbal cues and verbal cues cannot be deciphered separately (as suggested by theorists). Verbal and non-verbal communication work hand-in-hand to complete a message.
In conclusion, although verbal and non-verbal communications are part of a whole, I feel that non-verbal communication is still more important especially for songs. The non-verbal communication part of the song transcends language. Moreover, a good set of lyrics would not evoke the audience's emotions and/or if weren't paired with a good set of music.
What's your take on this? :)
After listening and watching the music video once, I felt that it is a touching song, which one could possibly relate to when he parts ways with his friends upon graduation. I did not decode all these messages based on my understanding on the language. Rather, I decoded the message from the non-verbal cues, namely objectics and paralinguistics. Objectics were in the form of environmental objects, where the music video was set at a school, the field, and they also included students. At some scenes, the students held up placards with their smiley faces which I infer could be their dreams for the future. For paralinguistics (particularly prosodics), the lead singer made different emphasis on the song, especially at the bridge when her voice combined with the music and voices of the students, I thought it expressed some form of regret and conveyed a sense of loss.
However, that being said, I would not be able to decipher the complete message without understanding the lyrics of the song. I would have thought the song ended on a sad note. The translated lyrics seem to signal that the departure does not signify an ending, but rather a new beginning for everyone as they embark on the next stage of life and they stay connected with their dreams. After reading the translated lyrics of the song, I confirmed my decoding of the message and filled in the other details necessary to complete the message. From this, we learn that non-verbal cues and verbal cues cannot be deciphered separately (as suggested by theorists). Verbal and non-verbal communication work hand-in-hand to complete a message.
In conclusion, although verbal and non-verbal communications are part of a whole, I feel that non-verbal communication is still more important especially for songs. The non-verbal communication part of the song transcends language. Moreover, a good set of lyrics would not evoke the audience's emotions and/or if weren't paired with a good set of music.
"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent."
- Victor Hugo
(French romantic poet, novelist and dramatist, 1802-1885)
What's your take on this? :)
Other references:
(Translated lyrics of the song is available here!)
HI SHULING!
ReplyDeleteI think that Music could be deciphered Non-Verbally, only if it is in a form of a music video. If I was just listening to the song, I feel that to decipher it Non-Verbally, I could only rely on the melody, tone, pace, etc. For example, I will be able to identify it is a sad song, even if I did not understand the language, but by the melody perhaps.
I think that it is easier to use Verbal Communication (language) to decode the message from the song. And actually, even if I do not listen to the melody, just by reading the lyrics, I should be able to tell what kind of song this is.
But I agree with you, that you need Verbal communication to complete Non verbal communication to FULLY decode the message of the song.
cforceleste.blogspot.com
Nice song you got here! So this song is about graduation? It brought back memories of my graduation years. Aww the lovely times we had!
ReplyDeleteMusic often conveys emotions and messages through their lyrics. I guessed that's how non verbal cues and verbal cues work to bring about the emotional effect of the song.
Even the tune sounded solemn and it stirs emotions of the audience. Perhaps, this is the reason why it seemed to be singing the voices of the students in the background.
well what is lyrics without music and what is music without lyrics to convey the intricacies of the mind of the composer well enough. besides by having the music to convey the feelings of the song. these subtle tweaks in the tune or words create a web of true music ensnaring us to be enthralled by the songs we hear and feel
ReplyDeleteI think music without lyrics work like a mime. Both seeks to connect with the emotions on a dimension that most people are not used to. It seeks to connect with the heart and soul. Anything that connects with the heart goes beyond deciphering the verbal, that we often makes sense and leads us to analyse first instead, going thru the head instead of going straight to the heart.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, if both verbal and non-verbal deciphering takes place at the same time, where it hits both the head and the heart, the message and the impact would be so much more powerful. My take on this...
I enjoy music quite a lot but not the usual kind of music that young people like!
ReplyDeleteOkay, let’s list the music which I like:
Classical (without lyrics)
Slow, romantic/sad songs(both Chinese and English)
Old songs (老歌)
Drama theme songs
Korean songs
That should be about it I think. I absolutely detest noisy rock or even techno. It’s hard on my ears. Totally! And yet someone in the neighbouring block always blasts his music on weekends and karaoke like there’s no tomorrow. It’s really loud because when I cross over to two blocks away, I still hear it. It’s that loud!
I agree with you that for songs with lyrics, we need to be able to understand their lyrics in order to decipher the true meaning of the song. Like for example, Korean songs are sometimes not what they seem to be like. Some slow songs are actually happy songs you know!
But I feel that classical music is the essence! Even without lyrics, classical songs convey the feelings and emotions to the listeners. I never ever get tired of listening to classical music!
Comment on mine too!
http://commmediadiscourse.wordpress.com
=)Kai Ting
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI feel that to interprete a piece of music, one have to use all kinds of senses to appreciate it. Be it verbal or non-verbal cues, one has to understand everything.
Im not exactly a music person, other than classical music. But, one is surrounded by music everyday so it's important to know how to interprete :)
Hello Shuling!
ReplyDeleteYour posts are really good! And I really enjoyed listening to the song you prepared for us in this post! YELL.(:
In my opinion, it is more of the non-verbal part of a song that actually brings the message across to its listeners, at least for myself. What are beautifully written lyrics to us if we cannot fully comprehend what the lyricist is trying to say?
Music is widely considered to be a universal language in connecting people of different races and religions together. It is usually the tune of a song that first captures our attention and leads us to figure the meaning of the lyrics, isn’t it? Hence, I feel that lyrics only act as a complement to a music piece in bringing out the complete meaning of a song.
On a side note, it is rather depressing to know that the main purpose of music nowadays is no longer to entertain, especially with all the excessive commercialization going on...
Just my two cents worth (:
I think in order to achieve the sole purpose of commercialisation, entertainment must still be the main purpose of music. That is for mass appeal.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I would rather think it is depressing if music is about entertaining. I am not sure, but entertainment personally refers to making me happy and promotes enjoyment. However, music, be it verbal or non-verbal that appeals to my emotions, challenges my beliefs would be as beautiful as well, if not more beautiful.
it will be exciting to see more musicians combine both music and lyrics to create songs that speaks to the heart and touches us.
Music and music videos work in tandem. The music video will heighten the viewing and listening experience for the listeners through the images it portray. Most of the time, the music videos magnify the emotions or ideas present in the song.
ReplyDeleteI think when one listens to the song on the radio or the mp3 for instance, the beat as well as the imagery from the lyrics stimulate the mind and guide us into imagining and feeling the song. So I would say the verbal and non-verbal are equally important. But I think, a good song is able to let you feel what it wants you to feel without the use of music videos.
@Celeste
ReplyDeleteI feel that non-verbal cues are really to used to decipher the mood of the song. Sometimes, the lyrics may be subtle in expressing the message of the song. Pertaining to the example I’ve given, a Japanese song Yell, they are brought up in a high context culture where words don’t directly communicate the message, but rather they depend on the tone, pace and other non-verbal cues to communicate the full message. Thank you for your insightful comment! I’m glad you agreed with me!
@Li Ni
ReplyDeleteThere are no words (verbal communication) in the lyrics that directly point back to graduation, but the non-verbal cues seem to suggest that :)
I feel that for this case, the full message was not relied on words alone. If we were to take out all the non-verbal cues, not only emotions would be left out, even part of the message would be left out. I think the lead singer’s different emphasis played a part in communicating the message.
Anyway, just a point to note, there is a part where the students’ voices overlapped with the lead singer’s, not that they seem to be singing the voices of the students.
@luck
ReplyDeleteWell said! Both are needed to fully deliver an intricate and sophisticated message :)
@luck
ReplyDeleteWell said! Both are needed to fully deliver an intricate and sophisticated message :)
@Sihui
ReplyDeleteI like that! You’ve given a refreshing point of view! Prior to you mentioning, I never really thought that both non-verbal and verbal cues are used to appeal to both our emotions and logic (pathos and logos). That’s happening most of the time, unknowingly. Thank you so much for pointing that out. It’s very enlightening!
@kai ting
ReplyDeleteWhy did you characterize the third category to be sad! Melancholic would be a better word.
Yes! I noticed that trend too! I started listening to more Korean songs probably this year. And I’m quite surprised by how they deliver a happy message via a rather melancholic melody.
Classical music is for the win! They communicate a lot of messages, emotions and feelings through the variations. Like the one I’ve included in this post, it creates a deep impact on the listeners even when there’re no lyrics. In that case, they really rely on non-verbal cues alone. It’s amazing that music transcends time!
@waiyin
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you enjoyed listening :)
I agree with you on that! A full and deep meaning cannot be uncovered if we were to only focus on one aspect. On focusing only on one aspect, we potentially miss out information that is needed to complete the message that is communicated to us.
Since time immemorial, music transcends language. When we’re younger, we know already know that “twinkle twinkle little star” are sung in different languages. And then, it was the non-verbal cue, the tune that captured us the most.
I so agree with you on the part, “a good song is able to let you feel what it wants you to feel without the use of music videos”. I’ve ever came across good songs (e.g. Damien Rice’s Blower’s Daughter). I felt that the lyrics played a crucial role in letting me understand the song and then through the melody, I could immerse myself in the song.
ReplyDelete