To the Editor:Re “Delving Into the Archaeology of Music” (Science Times, May 21):
Virtually all our achievements as a species depend upon humans working together. One human alone, in a state of nature, is a medium-sized animal struggling for survival (and with no use for music). Working in tandem, we produce homes, towns, cities, factories and all the rest.
Music is a vital part of that process. Most traditional music is highly functional. It’s used for religious ceremonies, community events, family gatherings, dancing, courtship and labor (keeping workers in sync). Sometimes, as in the case of the Scottish bagpipe, it plays a role in battle.
Music is like an intangible thread tying us together. Anything that facilitates human cooperation confers a major survival advantage. It’s no wonder that music, like language, is universal among us.
David Goldberg New York
Susan Hartley, MS, R-DMT, LCAT
Licensed Creative Art Therapist
Registered Dance/Movement Therapist
Mount Sinai Hospital
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Therapist