Every musical system around the world is a complex cultural phenomenon. The culture underlie a series of concepts which impart the musical system into the other basic cultural activities of the society. It is then defined and conceptualized by the society at large and then ingrained in the cultural phenomena. Thus, in order to fully understand a specific music of a particular culture, we must examine it in its cultural context along its musicological context. There could not exist any real understanding of a specific music culture without firstly examining its concept and meaning of music. It is clearly agreed that every human society has music but the definition differs widely in many cultures. Bruno Nettl presents three ways in finding the definition of a society’s term of music. These are by asking an “expert”, who is the trained scholar of the society, or even a dictionary; by asking the members of society at large; and by observing people with the aid of fieldworking. He claims that dictionaries often avoid the explanation of music, and there are others who do explain it, but having their own Western concept in sight. Secondly, the other alternative is by asking the members of society at large. This approach could also be somehow supernatural as the people being asked could have a plenty of time to consider the question and modify their natural answers. Nettl claims that the third approach, which is performed by getting information from an informal conversation of some friends, is the most reliable one. With the help of a conversation with friends in a cocktail party, Bruno Nettle discovers that they define music as something which must have certain characteristics in order to be accepted as true and proper music. His frien... ... middle of paper ... ...ol needed by a society in order to project an identity. With the aid of the studies of different musics, we could achieve a balance between understanding the differences between the cultures around the world, and the recognizing our common character of our humanity. Works Cited Excursions in World Music [Book] / auth. Nettl Bruno. - New Jersey : Prentice Hall Inc.. Harvard Dictionary of Music [Book] / auth. Apel Willi. - Cambridge : Harvard University Press, 1969. The Anthropology of Music [Book] / auth. Merriam Alan. P. - Northwestern : Northwestern University Press, 1980. The Study of Ethnomusicology - Thirty-one Issues and Concepts [Book] / auth. Nettl Bruno. - Champaign : University of Illinois Press, 2005. Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World's Peoples [Book] / auth. Titon Jeff Todd and Mark Slobin. - New York : Schirmer Books.
Willoughby, David. "Chapter 11." The World of Music. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. 249-53. Print.
The term “Ethnomusicology” is defined as “the study of music in its cultural context.” Ethnomusicologists focus and study music in order to not only interpret its literal meaning but also to figure out its importance to its listeners and artists along with the way its purpose is communicated to its audience. . Ethnomusicology is highly versatile and multidisciplinary. People working in this sector could have solid foundations and basics of music ,dance, folklore and other different aspects related to music ,yet all ethnomusicologists share a meaningful and coherent foundation in approaches and methods followed.
Shain, Richard. The International Journal of African Historical Studies38.2 (2005a): 353-354. Music rebels: dissident music then and now,New Internationalist 359 (Aug 2003): 22.
Music is something that in modern society is typically appreciated more than it is analyzed. Most individuals when listening to music can’t name the different elements that can be found in a song. However, when one examines a song it's easy to find what elements in each song or genre that appeals to them. In fact, when discovering what elements are in each song it can create a further appreciation for that type of music. When examining the musical style of certain genres or songs one gains a new insight in to music and allows them to better understand musical thought.
Reich, Steve. Writings about Music. Halifax: Nova Scotia Coll.of Art & Design P., 1974. Print.
Music is an organized sound and that can be analyzed through concentration on its elements, such as melody, rhythm, phonic structure, form, and so forth. The ways to understand music needs a different approach. An insider to hear a musical tradition differently compare to an outsider. Evidently, the insider tends to react to his or her own cultural music in ways that draw on a lifetime consciously absorbed cultural knowledge and attitude while outsider is assumed not to bring in ethnocentrism into her or his interpretations. However, the outsider prefers to dwell only on these aspects of music that are observable to an outsider, such as objects and sonic structure. The major drawback of the insider and outsider is that the outsider cannot
I write to apply for the position of Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the College of Arts, Media and Design, Northeastern University, Boston.
Music offers a soundtrack for life. It has the power to, "to elevate the mind, body and character of individuals and the spirit of the nation as a whole" (Suisman 19). Along with its profound effect on people, music is also derived from endless sources and contains an infinite number of messages and purposes within its given context. Musical genres are often created to standalone as their own entity, but songs are also sometimes intended to represent multiple influences and alternate styles. As exemplified through the examination of various musical genres, their origins and their historical implications, a persisting influence relates to either the stylistic inspiration from other cultures, ethnicities and musical styles or the blatant conflict
Music is a type of art that is appreciated by many individuals around the world. It appears in different cultures, time frames, and ethnic groups. There are also two different, yet similar pieces of music. There is cultivated music and vernacular music. Cultivated music can be seen as music that is more traditional, whereas vernacular music is music that is portrayed to be ordinary. Although these two types of music differ from one another in many ways, they both share several similarities. Both types of music can express strong emotions from the audience by listening to the lyrics and rhythm within the music. Cultivated music and vernacular music also share a similarity by the composers’ expression and love for the emotion
Music is an important part of identity, as it evolves with the people it represents. It creates an identity which is not only heard and seen, but also felt. This is why music has always been an integral part of culture. It is also an important tool in myth building because of its power to effect individuals personally and uniquely, while being created for all. It recreates memories and evokes emotions without words. In this way music is international, it is the language which everyone speaks, because it is the language of emotion. It can be understood by all, and so a group’s musical culture is significant in creating and displaying their identity.
Kerman, Joseph. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 Vols. London: MacMillan Pub. Ltd., 1980. 2: 354-60.
Nicholas Cook touches on a variety of subjects in the course of his book “A very Short Introduction to Music.” He explores various trends, phenomenon and evolution of music as well as the ideas that influences these different aspects of music. For this paper I will be focusing on five of the seven chapters from his work. These five will be “Musical Values” , “Back to Beethoven”, “A State of Crisis?”, “Music and the Academy” and “Imaginary Object”. Within these chapters Cook makes several overarching claims about music, many of which I agree with others less so. Cook sees music as for the most part a product of culture, rather than a natural and universal language that many see music as. Furthermore, he addresses the fact that music often is
Music is a subject that has united people for generations. Its stylized flow of language provides for a potent form of communication that can build communities around self-expression. It can inspire, generate emotion, relax, and provide the perfect backdrop for a good time. Moreover, certain types of music have had much deeper meanings, as well as much greater impacts.
I think I can say that that the role of today’s music is a key component in the process of globalization. Nevertheless, this doesn’t provide enough of a reason to believe that music has a blending effect on the world.
Music is considered by many to be a universal language. It is something that everyone understands regardless of language, heritage, or age. Music is a force that has brought humans together for millenia. The first evidence of music was discovered in Germany, and is estimated to be about forty two thousand to forty three thousand years old. Though we may never know what the first music ever sounded like we can safely assume that the goal we safely assume that the goal was the same as today’s music, which is to both express a message and to entertain. Music has evolved tremendously since then, and is now shared on a global scale, further connecting us. To further understand music, I took the opportunity to interview band and choirs students,