Music as a form of cultural activity and art utilizes silence and sound as its medium. The Greek term mousike is the origin of the English word. When mousike is translated into English, it means the art of Muses. Muses are the nine goddesses in the Greek mythology who are responsible for inspiring science, the arts, and literature. Knowledge embodied in song-lyrics, poetry, and cultural myths in Ancient Greek came from the Muses. For a better understanding of music Oakland is the place to visit.

The motives behind listening or participating in this art differ among people. Besides the aesthetic pleasure and religious purposes, people also produce the art for commercial reasons. Commercial products are distributed to the public to buy. The Romantic and Classical eras did not have recorded music and people bought music sheets to play them at home on personal pianos. When sounding recording technology was invented, it became much easier to listen and produce this art.

Technology in this field has seen significant growth and expansion. In the 1980s, the home tape recorder was invented, followed by digital music in the 1990s. The latter allowed people to carry MP3 players and portable cassette players so that they could listen to a playlist of their favorite pieces. People make mix tapes of favorite songs to serve as prescription for parties, self-portrait, and gifts for other people.

Music is loved by many people. Some people, especially amateur musicians produce music for self-pleasure while making income through other totally different activities. Professional musicians are employed by different institutions in different events. Major employers for professional musicians are music schools, the armed forces, symphony orchestras, film production companies, broadcasting companies, churches, and synagogues among others. Marching bands are the main example of what professional musicians do in the armed forces.

Professional musicians also freelance and work as session musicians in various settings. They seek engagements and contracts in this case. Professional musicians are also known for training their amateur counterparts. Amateur and professional musicians perform together in some cases such as, concert bands and community orchestras. Musicians perform in studios or before audiences in live settings.

There is always a difference between music produced in the studio and that which is performed live before an audience. Studio-produced art is usually recorded and distributed to the public, usually at a price. Live performances are usually not recorded in most cases. However, they may also be recorded and distributed to people through various platforms such as the internet.

There are many elements that make up music, including sonic qualities of timbre and texture, dynamics, rhythm, and pitch. Harmony and melody are governed by pitch, while rhythm is associated with concepts such as meter, tempo, and articulation. Various types and types of music emphasize and de-emphasize each element differently.

Many different musical instruments and vocal techniques are needed for the performance of this art. The range of the vocal techniques is wide and include rapping and instrument-free singing. The art was discovered a long time ago and a lot of evolution has occurred in the various styles and aspects. Old styles are left for new styles that come up regularly. Expansion into new places is occurring at a high rate as technology improves.