Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? v.27

Whether or not music unites people from different cultural backgrounds and generations is a moot point. In my view, it does not, on the whole. With respect to cultural relations, one might think that music would enhance them because so many modern songs are sung in English. However, in practice, music is overwhelmingly listened to by oneself, often online, when travelling, or simply when relaxing at home. Of course, some people travel abroad to attend concerts of internationally renowned musicians but even then, the opportunities for real dialogue with concert-goers from other countries is very limited. The main focus of such trips is appreciating the music. Similarly, sharing comments about music on international websites like YouTube is a very superficial way of relating to foreigners. Consequently, I believe that there are few opportunities for music to make a real contribution to cultural relations. The ability of music to unite the generations is even more limited, in my view. Although I accept that music used at national commemorations has a unifying effect on the generations within a nation. on the whole, older people and younger people tend to prefer wildly different forms of music. With respect to the former group, jazz, classical music and generally relaxing musical genres are frequently their preferences in many countries. In contrast, a large proportion of younger people opt for high-tempo types of music such as rap, hip-hop and various forms of dance music. If anything, the substantial differences between the musical tastes of the younger and older generations drive the generations apart, rather than unify them. In summary, the role of music in helping people of varying ages and cultures to come closer to each other is, in my opinion, quite limited.