importance of soundtracks to silent films

upon seeing the early motion pictures of Edison, i noticed the use of music as soundtrack...music that was clearly added post production.

It's no secret that adding a soundtrack to motion pictures enhances the viewing experience, but it's interesting to see the first examples of this practice and think...why? who thought that would be a good idea?

If you watch "Carmencita" you see a woman dancing around, and cheerful dance music is played. Though early viewers would probably have been just as mesmerised by the prospect of a moving picture...the element of sound really captured the viewer by taking over not only their sense of sight, but hearing as well.

The addition of music also gives the picture more meaning. In "Carmencita" for example, the music is neccesary to understand why the woman is dressed and dancing the way she is. The music is fun and upbeat, as are her motions. Without sound, it looks like a woman flailing around...and though we can infer that she's dancing, a person viewing this film today without sound may not understand that.

The addition of sound not only serves a pratical purpose in most motion pictures, but it also adds an artistic quality. We see this today with music videos, which are a way to emphasize certain meanings in pop songs. With movie and audio, a person can create their own work of art with sound and motion as the medium.