Music as a Communicator

We all know that communication is integral to our daily lives, without communication, it is impossible to go about doing one’s daily tasks. Communication has evolved throughout the history of mankind, from smoke signals to hieroglyphics to telegrams to telephones and then to handphones, it is apparent that we cannot live without communication.

But what separates us humans from the rest of the animal kingdom is that constant desire to improve our tools of communication. When compared to the elephants in Africa, or the penguins in the Southern Hemisphere, the way they communicate has always been the same. Perhaps, it might be because when men first learnt about communication, and how it could ultimately ease everyday life, there was a desire to further refine it. For example, when the egyptians did their hieroglyphics, they found that it was a way to communicate to more than one person.

In my opinion, the best persuasive communication tool man has created came in the form of music. Music transcends generations, race, culture, gender and practically everything else. Since the creation of music, it always communicated with a purpose and as music evolved, it even begun to shape and change a whole generation’s attitudes or beliefs. Music always had the power, the power to heal, or even persuade.

Perhaps, the most unique thing about music as a persuasive communication tool is that when we bring it into Shannon and Weave’s Mathematical Theory of Communication, there would be hardly any Noise Source in the equation. Sure, that may be the physical form of noise, the radio emitting static noise, the background of a busy cafe as it plays a song. However, if one looks beyond the physical, he will realize that the Information source, goes direct to the transmitter and channel, to the receiver and then to the destination. The amazing thing about it is that unlike the rest of the communication tool, where, the receiver tend to receive a message, music has the ability to let the receiver receive more than one perceived message. Take for example, one can look at John Mayer’s “Belief” about the state of the world out there but someone else would also digest the lyrics and understand the song with what life experiences he has been through. And because everyone’s life experience is different, different parts of the song will stand out to every individual. Perhaps, for guitarists, Mayer’s guitar skills would blow them away.

Someone once told me that what comes from the heart, will reach the heart. It is especially true for music, when a song is being sung, if the musician does it really well, if the audience’s hearts are open, then, that song can be the greatest communication tool ever produced.

The Emergence of a New Era in Film

Since the birth of Hollywood, audiences have been fascinated by how directors bring stories told by men through film. Hollywood has been the birthplace of many famous films, and they quite certainly cover most of the genres of film.

The persuasive power of film through stellar performance by actors and actresses are able to bring audience into a journey together with them. Actors and actresses have an important role to play in the sending of the ideological message of the film. Other than fine acting, a good film always use key strategies such as its structure, Mise-En-Scene and editing of sound and lights to help provide a stronger ideological message across to the audience.

Ultimately, the makings of a good film is its ability to capture the attention of the audience the entire time during its airtime, and it leaves the audience thinking (active audience) or feeling good.

Since the beginning of the century, there has been a rise in such films. Films are moving towards those which can tease the audiences’ mind, making them think beyond their imagination, for example, Inception. The final scene of Inception made audience ponder if the main character was yet in another dream. The entire scene also touched on how people could infiltrate others dreams to search for their deepest secrets. This kind of films, though categorized as Science Fiction and action, has been becoming popular in Hollywood. Perhaps this is a sign which indicates that the general intellect level of the audience is getting higher as compared to a decade ago.

Films which portray a savior in its film has also been steadily increasing, almost every year, there would be such a film. From Lord of The Rings to Harry Potter, these films depict a world in peril and its crying need for a savior. Although this sounds really new and fresh to the world, it really isn’t. On the contrary, the oldest book in history has that content in itself. The bible talked about how the world was dirty in sin and how Jesus was sent to die for everyone’s sins. This probably became the inspiration for many Hollywood directors. Granted, the audience has the power to choose whether to reject it, the fact that these films won accolades prove that they still have persuasive power even though the directors probably drew inspiration from the bible.

Call it a subtle invasion of christian values into the world if you want, but such films leave the audience feeling good, making them feel like hope still exists in a world where there is no faith. That is the appeal of films and the mass media. That is the power of persuasive communication.

Cultivation Theory: The Good isn’t winning.

Around the world, tons of television programs are being aired every single day. From american teen serials to japanese freaky game shows, these programs have infiltrated the lives of the masses. Practically every person from the age of twelve and up follow a serial of sort. Some people love watching programs which provoke their minds, like CSI or The Mentalist, others just fall in love with teenage serial dramas.

In any case, most of the serial programs cause audiences to be passive audience instead of being active. They do not make audience think deep. Shows like Gossip Girls glamorizes the use of backstabbing amongst friends. It really can be dangerous especially for younger audience, when their minds are at a stage where it absorbs everything. Perhaps that is the reason why teens are particularly emotional at these age. As compared to the 70s, teens these days get themselves into unnecessary trouble. For example, the recent teen slashing cases in Singapore became a trend. Its might be because teens have adopted a herd mentality. Whatever people do, they follow. With no one telling them the wrong from the right, its really easy falling onto the wrong side.

Serials must move from engaging audience as being passive to active. They must start encoding the right messages in their content, so that even if their audience are passive, they decode the right message.

A step further would be engaging the audience as being audience. That way, the audience would be able to have their opinions, they can either decode it by Preferred reading, Negotiated Reading or Oppositional Reading. Sadly, there aren’t any serials that do the above mentioned.

One can only think of Sesame Street as engaging the audience as active ones. The great thing about Sesame Street is that it is timeless and everyone watches it, even Katy Perry.

A twenty three year old has got guilty pleasures in watching Sesame Street. When a child watches Sesame Street, he takes its content in as preferred reading. The adult however may agree or disagrees with what Elmo is singing with regards to saving water. Of course there definitely others who hates Jim Henson’s creation.

How many more timeless classics can the world create? One where it is able to transcend age and capture the hearts of everyone. The world needs to step out of the chains of Hollywood and its makings before we can change the moral erosion of the teens.