In Ages past, music was not considered merely as entertainment but rather was associated, in fact, interlocked with religious and philosophical beliefs, and thus possessed axiological
(the branch of philosophy dealing with values, as those of ethics, aesthetics, or religion) connotations.
To the ancients, music and values were juxtaposed and were both an indicator and measure of values within a society. This notion was readily accepted in the cultures of China, Egypt, Greece and India. There existed a common belief in these cultures that music had a fundamental power that could either uplift or degrade and therefore enhance or corrupt entire civilizations.
The Chinese attached a great deal of importance to the transcendent and therapeutic power of sound and music. Individual pieces of music possessed an "energy formula" which had the power to exert various influences over those who listened to it. This metaphysical concept of music had religious connotations as well as moral and ethical implications.
Although the greater societal view of music has changed into just another form of amusement, the influence music has over societal mores has not. Music is often a reflection of society and vice versa. Often, music serves as an historical reference. Lyrics of some of the folk songs of the sixties not only remind us that there was a war going on at the time, but we also get a sense of how society felt about the war, especially if the song did well on the charts.
Music is not only a reflection of a society and its people, but a society and its people are a reflection of its music. Many are surprised that such attention is given to music and musicians who are singing about promiscuity, vanity, materialism, and misogynistic behavior when world wars, hunger, poisoning of the food system and so forth are going on. But to dismiss the power of the influence music and its creators have on the values of society is to dismiss the answer to one’s own question of “why don’t they care?”
To put it plainly, society may portray music and its effects on values and attitudes as insignificant, but the energy it carries is just as powerful as ever. I’ve heard many refer to this as the “dumbing down” of society. Whether or not this “dumbing down” is an intentional tactic by the some uber powers is irrelevant. We as a society can wield our power by refusing to support music which does not breed values that serve humanity.
There are many conscious and uplifting musical choices that we can make. We must be cognizant of what sounds and images are permeating society, especially the children, if we desire a compassionate and passionate civilization that is enhanced and uplifted by its “entertainment.”
Music
The Influence of Music on Societal Mores by Empress Ashaki