Music has different functions in different cultures. For example, music can be used in various cultures for:

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1 Music In Our Wrld What this curse attempts t cnvey: Music is a cultural phenmena--it cannt be understd n its wn. We must learn abut the culture frm which the music cmes befre attempting t grasp the meaning and significance f its music. Music has different functins in different cultures. Fr example, music can be used in varius cultures fr: entertainment religius purpses cntact with the supernatural identificatin with a scial grup plitical affiliatins curing illness In learning abut music, we must try t understand it frm tw perspectives: 1. A musical perspective (its structure) Hw it's put tgether; what are the building blcks r basic elements What are the principles f cmpsitin What kinds f instruments are used What are the aesthetics invlved in its perfrmance 2. A cultural perspective (its functin) What is a culture's definitin f music What are its pwers Hw des it relate t ther aspects f persnal, scial, and cultural life Hw des it reflect each culture's view f the wrld, f life, f existence

2 In ur study f wrld music, we must keep in mind three basic assumptins: 1) MUSIC IS A RELATIVISTIC PHENOMENA Let's listen t a little bit f Jhann Sebastian Bach. Play sund file: Bach.mp3 As a "western" trained musician, I have been trained t recgnize that Bach's music (and this perfrmance f it) is sme f the finest in the Eurpean tnal traditin. In his music, I can hear cmplexity and lgic, gd internal cmpsitinal structure due t a perfect balance f cntrapuntal writing and harmnic frward mtin, a fine blend f instruments due t his rich rchestratin, and a flawless renditin by perfrmers wh can recreate this same sund time and again due t their rigrus training. In shrt, the epitme f excellent classical music. If I were t use these same musical criteria in judging the music f ther cultures f the wrld, I wuld have t cnclude that Western classical music is the best! A classical musician frm India, hwever, may nt have the same pinin. If they were t judge Bach's music using nly Indian aesthetics, they may cme t the cnclusin that it is a pr piece due t the lack f any imprvisatin--the perfrmers must fllw the written ntes precisely, giving them little pprtunity t be creative. Similarly, a musician frm Africa wuld, if judging Bach's music by purely African standards, pssibly arrive at the cnclusin that it was verly simplistic in its rhythmic structure. They may appreciate the layered cmpsitinal structure, but the lack f any rhythmic tensin and release wuld make the music hardly wrth listening t. These are, f curse, facetius examples, since many Indian and African musicians sincerely appreciate Bach's music. But it pints t the futility in judging anther culture's music based upn criteria utside f that culture. We can cmpare the structure and functin f anther culture's music with ur wn, but we cannt easily judge its quality using standards set frth in ur wn culture.

3 2) MUSIC IS SIMILAR IN BEHAVIOR TO LANGUAGE Each sciety has its wn music Each member f that sciety understands its music, and cmmunicates with it Just as languages can brrw and incrprate wrds frm anther language, different musics can influence each ther Language changes ver time; music als changes and develps Sme scieties are bilingual (r multi-lingual); sme scieties als have tw r mre types f music, frm different subgrups r fr different uses 3) IN ORDER TO STUDY A CULTURE'S MUSIC, WE NEED TO STUDY THAT CULTURE'S IDEAS ABOUT MUSIC The values, beliefs, ideas, and aesthetics that a culture hlds will ften times be reflected in the actual sund f its music. Fr instance: If a culture values innvatin, then music will change frequently. If a culture values cnfrmity, then well-disciplined rchestral pieces will be cmmnly fund. If individualism is imprtant t a sciety, then yu will prbably find much sl music perfrmance and a large degree f imprvisatin. If the cncepts f artistic masters and masterwrks are present, then yu may find great technical cmplexity r stylistic uniqueness in the music. Again, as we learn abut and explre new cultures f music, we must recgnize and be aware f these three basic cncepts. Yu may have ften heard smene say, "music is the universal language" r "music can transcend all cultural barriers". While the intentin behind such sayings is gd, it is nt s simple as that. Let me try t demnstrate. Try t guess, withut lking belw, what this singer is singing abut: Play sund file: Sng_1.mp3

4 Here's anther example. Try t guess what srt f event r functin is ging n while this music is being played: Play sund file: Sng_2.mp3 Withut knwing anything abut the cultures these musical examples are frm, we can nly guess what the music is expressing. Judging nly frm criteria in ur wn culture, we may cnclude in listening t Sng #1 that the gritty sund, "blues-ey" scale, and lng tnes is the singer's way f expressing a sad, lnely sng, r feelings f hardship, etc. We have n way f knwing that this is actually a lve sng! Specifically, rmantic petry sung by a prfessinal bard frm Abu Dhabi. This Arabic culture has a different set f musical aesthetics than mst listeners in ur wn culture. Likewise, upn hearing Sng #2 we may assume that this is sme srt f celebratin, perhaps a wedding, a party, a festival, r sme similar happy event. But this particular recrding is frm a plitical ceremny I attended while in Ghana--the "enthrnement" f a chief--a mst slemn and fficius event, cmparable t having the U.S. Marine band playing fr a state ceremny! It desn't mean that we can't enjy it as dance music, but we cannt assume that it was riginally perfrmed fr that purpse. But is there anything universal abut the wrld's music? The answer is YES. Accrding t ethnmusiclgist Brun Nettl, there are ten pints (agreed upn by many wh study multi-cultural music) that all musics f the wrld share. Briefly, these pints are: 1. Music exists in abslutely every culture f the wrld. 2. Singing als exists in every culture. 3. Likewise, musical instruments are created and used by musicians everywhere.

5 4. Music is used thrughut the wrld in religius rituals and as a cnnectin t the supernatural. 5. Music everywhere is presented in units, as sngs r musical pieces that are cnsidered as artifacts. 6. Peple everywhere can recgnize a tune r meldy. 7. The principal meldic interval fund in music thrughut the wrld is rughly equivalent t a whle step r majr 2nd (see the next lecture n Musical Elements). 8. Music in every culture is used fr transfrming an rdinary experience. 9. Music is used t reinfrce the bundaries between scial grups and between the varius levels f a sciety. 10. Music everywhere is used as an emblem f identity-- persnal, scial, cultural, natinal, ecnmic, and religius.