When music and the visual arts collide, it’s always a thing of beauty. To see and hear emotion both at the same time can be an enlightening and renewing experience for many. Music videos have been doing it for many years now. Dance is another expression of the moment when music and visual arts overlap. If you’re interested in exploring a few ways these two types of art overlap, then you’ve come to the right place. Here is a quick look at just a few ways the visual arts are integrated seamlessly into music.
Start with Dance
Music and dance have been close friends since… well, can you remember a time when there was no music or dance? This is not to say that the two art forms can not stand apart from each other, because they most certainly can. This is just to say that the two compliment one another quite well. There are also several educational benefits to be had when using the mixture of visual arts and music to convey a message. It’s a match made in heaven, so to say!
Music Videos
Music videos are the most obvious way in which music and visually stimulating art have been meshed together in our world. The video tells the listener more of a story to go along with the lyrics. We use music videos to more thoroughly express the emotion that is to be conveyed by the music through the creation of a sort of short play. Though the quality of music videos has ranged from good to horrid over the years, the art form probably won’t go away any time soon.
On the Big Screen
Similar to the methods used in music videos, movies utilize music to induce emotion and connection as well. Do you remember the ending to The Bodyguard? Of course you do! Whitney Houston singing “I Will Always Love You” in the background while she runs to the arms of her lover (Kevin Costner) one last time. Then she jumps on a plane, and flies away. Nice job. Every woman in America fell in love with Kevin Costner in that movie, and it’s all thanks to the delicate placement of music throughout the films progression.
Museums and Galleries
Art galleries and museum displays often use music in their buildings to set a sort of relaxing mood for its passing patrons. The power of sound can affect many many things. Imagine walking into one of Park West Gallery’s top notch locations, and you hear heavy metal playing over the speakers. Would your mood be different if there were orchestral music playing softly? Of course, there would be a difference. Music is a tool to help people see.
