Over 200 years ago, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said that “Music is the universal language of mankind”. Since then, many studies have agreed that he was right. A Harvard study recently concluded that people can identify lullabies, dancing songs, and healing songs regardless of the songs’ cultural origin after hearing just a 14-second clip.
It’s easy to see how music can help create a bridge between cultures. Culture includes all the ways of life such as arts, beliefs, and institutions passed down from generation to generation, and music works towards bringing people together.
Scotland has one of the most diverse and lively music scenes globally, and Edinburgh is a massive part of it. Scottish Government statistics estimate that around 73,000 people work in the creative industries in Scotland, of which approximately 20,000 could be considered to be working within the ‘arts’. The proof is the many festivals dedicated to celebrating this diversity.
At Music in the Community, we aim to help the local bands, especially the minority artists. We encourage them to embrace the culture they are from and share it with the local communities. Sharing between cultures gives people an insight into others’ way of life. Research suggests that this can reduce crime and unemployment and, by enhancing community voices, improve the quality of government.
All the events organised by us so far promoted cultural diversity, and we encourage you to have a listen https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9GiTyUEW2I2mHPNpZBSf6Q. With the lifting of all restrictions, we hope to have many more of these.
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