Music has long been deemed a social tool and since the dawn of mankind it has had an impact on our society. From communication to entertainment, from secret messaging to cozy backgrounds, music is everywhere, and has the power to build bridges between peoples. It is the single tool that can communicate across any border, and reach the hearts of friends and foes. In this short article, we would like to give a few examples for music as a means of social impact, in hope that it will resonate with anyone reading.

EDERLEZI

A traditional Romani tune Ederlezi, which is a Spring festival, celebrates the return of springtime, especially by Romani people in the Balkans, and elsewhere around the world. Ederlezi is also the Romani name for the Serbian Feast of Saint George. The song became famous when a civilian was headed in a train wagon to the Jasenovac concentration camp, conveying a message of unity and brotherhood. A famous Bosnian rock group “Bijelo Dugme” took it and transformed it into “Djurdjevdan” (The Day of St. George).

GLORY

This Oscar-winning song by rapper Common and singer John Legend from the original motion picture soundtrack to “Selma” came at the epicenter of the country’s most recent unrest. Two years after the death of Trayvon Martin, the song was the perfect bridge from the Civil Rights movement of the ’60s depicted in the film into today’s fight for equality. As Common said for Huffington Post, the lyrics boil down to one thing: offering people a voice.

ODE TO JOY

Ode to Joy is part of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, first performed in Vienna in 1824. Ode to Joy has been appropriated in so many ways throughout history. While it was written by the composer to represent peace and triumph of universal brotherhood against war and desperation, its power was also used to manipulate in the service of evil. An example of that is conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler’s performance of the piece for Hitler’s birthday in 1942. Years later, Ode to Joy was used as a celebration of freedom, when in 1989 Leonard Bernstein conducted it for the fall of the Berlin wall.

May music be used for the good in the world. Happy holidays from Metronome Online Team!