What is music?

A Definitional Enquiry into the Concept and Meaning of Music as Art, Science and Technology

Abstract

It was Cicero who once remarked that any systematic treatment of a subject should start with a definition so that everybody may understand the subject of discourse. This paper takes the reader through the path of definitions as they relate to the discipline of music. The paper commences with a remark on the commonness of music in public parlance, and then zeroes in on the explanation of the key terms of subject matter, namely: concept, meaning, art, science and technology, as they relate to the context of the paper. It then leads the reader on excursion to the various definitions of music from old to recent times. Music, the paper concludes, is a business that not only defines the moments of life and time for humanity, but also a phenomenon that builds, shapes and uplifts the human society. Although technology today is demanding extra skills and digital know-how, in terms of performance, an effort marked with an attitude of art and science in search of better ways of doing things is key to achieving peak performance and excellence.