Why exactly is music so important? Why is it important that we appreciate it and learn about it?

Music has been cultivated and practiced over time and continues to amaze people today. It is especially prevalent in the entertainment industry. It is present in big blockbuster movies, TV shows, or just on the radio. It is so prevalent in fact, that we have award ceremonies awarding prominent and influential artists in the industry. The most recent award ceremony being The Grammys. 

The Grammy’s are a multitude of different awards that are presented by NARAS, which stands for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, or the LARS academy, which stands for the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. These academy’s award individuals or groups in the industry to pay heed to their careers and achievements. The fields in which artists can earn an award vary from pop, rock, rap, classical music, and more. There are also awards for the production and post-production of said music. In total, there are 75 awards given out during the night. Noble mentions can still get an award too.

The Grammy Award ceremony was first introduced in 1959 in non-other than Los Angeles, City of Angels. NARAS, the academy, awarded a total of 28 awards to famous influential artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Once more genres were surfacing in pop culture, more awards were being made. Rock music was not acknowledged as its own category until 1980 and rap followed years after in 1989 as its own genre. Cultural music, such as Hawaiian or Native music, was rolled into a category of its own. During the time of the Grammy Awards, there were female and male categories up until the year 2011 where they were merged into one. This merge caused the previous number of awards from 109 to 78 awards and as further changes continued to emerge; the number of awards changed again as categories were adjusted to 84 as of 2017.

There are four main categories when it comes to the Grammys where artists from all different genres compete. They are the most prestigious. These categories include Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. If an artist receives a Grammy, the more likely they were to have boosted sales of albums or concert tickets. It gave them more of an air of professionalism and status. Some other award categories include best pop performance, best dance recording, best alternative music album, best-improvised jazz solo, and much more. There are also special awards given to artists without the need for the nomination, unlike the other categories. Some of the special awards include the Lifetime Achievement Award, Grammy Legend Award, Grammy Hall of Fame Award, and many more.

Music is so important to learn and appreciate because it can shape the cultural demographics of populations. Music can emphasize a peoples’ culture. It can tell a story. It can move people to tears. What is great about music is that it is always changing as time continues, but it, more importantly, conveys the emotions of the artists and moves those who listen.