"Music has been an integral part of people’s lives for centuries. It is therefore sometimes argued that different nations and generations can be united with its help. However, I completely disagree with this opinion for two reasons.

First, dissimilar tastes in music are more likely to result in conflict or isolation rather than unity. Since different groups of people have their own preferences, they have preconceptions and stereotypes about those who listen to genres that do not fall within the category of their favorite ones. These lead to avoidance of or even arguments with the people who do not share their tastes. For example, rap music, which is popular among younger people in Russia, is often frowned upon or even denigrated by older people as it is perceived to be meaningless, thus causing tension between the two age groups and hindering any mutual understanding.

Second, music only has a temporary effect on people. Being primarily a means of entertainment, it can only evoke a short-lived feeling of togetherness. This means that despite its undeniable power to arouse emotions that might be deemed effective in fostering good relations between people, music fails to do so due to its fleeting nature. That goal is more successfully achieved over longer periods of time through concerted effort in the form of agreements, festivals, exchange programs and similar fundamental steps.

To conclude, I do not think that music has a lot of potential to promote intercultural and intergenerational understanding. One reason is that it can provoke arguments because people are often unable to accept alternative choices. Another reason is that it only has a short and therefore negligible impact on people which is not sufficient to accomplish the goal of truly bringing people together."

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