What is Music?

Music is an art form, social activity or cultural activity whose medium is sound and silence. The common elements of music are pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture (which are sometimes referred to as the "color" of a musical sound). Different styles or types of music may emphasize, de-emphasize or omit some of these elements. Music is performed with a vast range of instruments and with vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping, and there are solely instrumental pieces and solely vocal pieces and pieces that combine singing and instruments. In its most general form the activities describing music as an art form include the production of works of music, the criticism of music, the study of the history of music, and the aesthetic examination of music.