An increasing number of people are arguing that music can be a bridge between various cultures. While I wholeheartedly agree with the view that music brings different nations together, I also believe that not all people with cultural differences can be united.
On the one hand, music can indeed bring different cultures together. Firstly, music possesses an ability to communicate emotions and feelings through different nations that are universally understood. To explicate, regardless of linguistic and cultural differences, music can evoke shared feelings and emotions, like sorrow, joy happiness, creating a common ground for people to connect. For instance, when there is Bethowen’s “Swamp Lake” symphony is being played, the whole audience, regardless of being from various parts of the world, shares the same emotions, such as empathy, calmness, and pity.
Furthermore, music may lead to collaboration and culture-sharing experiences between numerous communities. This is because when artists get inspired by the music of different nations, they will try to sophisticate their genre to their own,
resulting in gaining a deep insight into different cultures, which drives cultural awareness, appreciation, tolerance, and acceptance among those people
Nonetheless, it has to be acknowledged that while music plays an imperative role in uniting different nations, not all of them can be brought together. In detail, some cultural nuances like
deep-rooted historical or religious conflicts may persist despite sharing the same musical experiences. And the solution to these problems may require more than just shared music, but taking more political steps. For example, the bloody conflict between Israel and Palestine is persisting, although they may have the same taste for music. Also, to address this issue more political approaches, like organizing summits, are helpful rather than having them under a similar melody.
In conclusion, although I admit the essential role of music in bridging a gap between individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, I also would like to point out that it can not address all cultural issues.