Today is World Music Day. It is a day of music festival, celebrated every June Twenty-first. It originated in France and first took place in Paris in 1982. Since then, the idea has spread across the globe.

World Music Day was created by the former French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, after Maurice Fleuret, the Director of Music and Dance, discovered in a study that five million people, one child out of every two, played a musical instrument. He therefore began to dream of a way to bring people act music on the streets. The purpose of World Music Day is to promote music by organizing free concerts and events, as well as to make all types of music accessible to the public.

Philosophers define music as a systematic organization of sounds in order to make a complete unit, which is pleasing to the ear, for if sound is not organized, it becomes noise. Besides, noise is anything that discomforts, disturbs and infringes an effective communication. Music is, therefore, a means by which people can share emotions, intentions and meanings, even though their spoken languages may be mutually incomprehensible.

Music can be used to influence people positively or negatively and can produce profound emotions within them. It can also generate variations of expressiveness by skilled composers and performers. As we know, musicians are great thinkers, who discuss ideas and not people.

They should therefore make their compositions emotionally and spiritually acceptable, capable of bringing relief, quietness of mind and happiness to people. No wonder different organizations and persons use music for different purposes.

Advertisers use music to promote their goods and services convincingly. Christians use sacred or gospel music to praise Almighty God in truth and in spirit. Others use traditional or cultural music to promote their language and culture, while some use secular music for entertainment. However, no matter who writes, composes or performs music, it should be used to tune the spirit of people positively.

By virtue of being a powerful means of communication, lyrics of any music and its spoken language should be critically examined and the message designed to educate, inform and entertain. Writers, composers and performers of all types of music should always pray for divine inspiration so that their music and performances will be generally accepted by their audience.

Musicians should not rush into music production for material gains only, but should be mindful of the fact that, if God has endowed one with a certain talent, one should use it to spread happiness, win souls for God and better the society.

Today’s musicians should emulate the likes of the late Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe, late Sonny Okosun, Voice of the Cross, Oriental Brothers, Reverend Patty Obasi, Chief Morocco Maduka, Bright Chimezie, late Bob Marley and a lot of other local & international musicians, whose works are inspirational, thought provoking and generally accepted.

It is suggested that any music that is immoral or has offensive remarks is noisy and therefore, should be banned to serve as a deterrent to erring music writes, composer and performers. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and other regulatory bodies should censor all music, especially secular ones, before their circulation. This will help curb immoral behavior in our society.

Music is a part of life. It is the key that opens all doors. That was why Saint Augustine said, “He who sings well, prays twice and Shakespeare added that “If music be the food of Life, Play on and give me excess of it. Enjoy-yourself, celebrate music in all its forms and let it impact on the world and the human spirit. Collaborate with friends and colleagues to make people happy through music and musical concerts.

Let the music play on, but let it be good music.

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