Music and Rituals

 As a professional family member I have been to a few weddings and also a few funerals. Sadly most if not all the weddings were when I was too young to remember. The two funerals I can remember were sadly fairly recent (within the last 4-5 years) but interestingly didn't have much music that I can remember at least. So for this I am going to talk about the absence of music and it's importance in these two specific times. 

I believe that in these situations the absence of music gives a sort of time to reflect. It allows for people to think of and mourn the ones lost. I've once hear that music influences how people will react in a situation, so this time without music will allow for people to truly react how they alone feel. To me personally this could be better for honoring or respecting the diseased. To act in an uninfluenced way would be the way I'd want others to act for me.

On a different note, I've been to a few graduations recently and played in a few through my High school's county orchestra. One of the biggest songs we've ever played and that I've heard is "Pomp and Circumstance". 

This song is used to express pride in ones accomplishments (or so I've heard from my orchestra teacher). The song is also said to connect each person that have walked the same path together. This in turn means that each person that walks is then connected to all that have walked the same path and all that are still to come.