The Ur Song and its Impact on Music Therapy Russtanna Faimon Mentor: Dr. Ronald Crocker University of Nebraska at Kearney College of Fine and

Transcription

1 The Ur Song and its Impact on Music Therapy Russtanna Faimon Mentor: Dr. Ronald Crocker University of Nebraska at Kearney College of Fine and Performing Arts

2 Introduction: The Ur Song is a tonal language that originated in the capitol city of the Mesopotamian region name Ur City. More commonly known as the falling minor third, this is a musical interval based on an eight-tone scale. This interval is recognizable to nearly everyone because of its common use in everyday life such as calling a name. I first became interested in this topic my senior year in high school when I decided to do my term paper on Music Therapy. I found one little passage, which talked about the Ur Song, and I was very interested to know more about it. The fact that this ancient language of tone has survived and has been useful for so long fascinated me. Also, the fact that this is what was used from the beginning of civilization meant a lot to me. Music Therapy already interested me because of the healing powers of music I read about, but ever since I read about the Ur Song the first time, I wanted a chance to learn more. I have learned a great amount about Music Therapy in general and about the Ur Song and all that it is. Process of Research: In searching for information about the Ur Song, I came across some problems from the very beginning. There was much less information out there than I had expected. I searched both for books and online. Then I found out the Ur Song is more commonly referred to as the falling minor third. This helped greatly in my search for information, and it was much easier after that. However, that was not the end of my problems with my research. There was still little information out there on the impact of the falling minor third. In some ways, this

3 was good because it meant not a lot of research had been done on this topic previously, but I knew as I searched more and more that to do what I had wanted to with the project, the time I had would not be enough. It was difficult for me to admit I would not be able to conclude to the answers I had wanted to. There just needed to be more time and resources available. All in all though, with the information available, I was led to some great conclusions. Research: I really wanted to learn about and focus on the fact that the Ur Song is a tool of language and communication between people and how that could play a role in the world of Music Therapy. Since this language is so ancient, I wondered if it might be innate in people. Obviously back in the time when Mesopotamia and other regions were coming about, there was no one to teach the civilizations to speak, so they did what was instinctual or innate which, in Mesopotamia, resulted in the Ur Song. And because of the strong response the falling minor third has continued to have on people throughout time, I was led to the conclusion that this Ur Song or falling minor third is indeed an innate quality in humans. It was not just this information that led me to believe this either, but other research and observations as well. There were three specific examples I experienced which helped to lead me to believe the Ur Song is an innate quality in humans. First, there is a song children use to taunt and tease each other called: Nyah, nyah, nyah. Secondly, there is a sound

4 phenomenon which directly applies to the common practice of the Ur Song and that is in sports chanting. This was a remarkable realization for me, which really connected together everything I was reading and studying. It is heard in large crowds at sports events such as a basketball game when the crowd yells, air-ball. This interval is the falling minor third. Lastly, throughout the summer and since I decided to do this research project, I have been much more aware of the use of the Ur Song. The best examples I was able to experience were with children. I knew I had been hearing names being called this way my whole life, but I had never really listened for children to sing these tones. One day this summer I was over at a friend s house while she was babysitting, and the three-year-old little boy actually say the nyah nyah nyah song. It was so rewarding to actually hear a young child use the Ur Song. It was very exciting and really helped me to advance in the project and the beliefs of the Ur Song being innate. Along with what I was able to hear and experience in person I found in some studies that often times, children s first tonal interval is the falling minor third. This could be just cooing or when they begin to speak. Also, many children s and folk songs are based on the falling minor third such as, Ring around the Rosie. These examples lead to the proof that music and specifically the Ur Song are innate and make up the first universal language. There were also a few studies I read which helped in leading me to my conclusions. Michael Linton did a study where he was discussing the connection between music, science, and language: Might the symmetries and patterns characteristic of music be fundamentally connected to the symmetries and patterns researchers were

5 tracking in brain waves? If so, might not music really be tapping into a structure inherent in the brain itself? And if this were true, ultimately might music be a kind of fundamental, or pre-linguistic or even supralinguistic speech? (Linton) This not only supports the fact that the Ur Song could indeed be innate, but also that music is a language and a tool of communication all of its own. Another study also supported the fact that music and this tonal language is indeed a language because of ancient and present cultures that use it today. Kathryn Brown wrote an article, Striking the right Note. In this passage she is talking about perfect pitch in relation to tonal languages. speakers of tone languages use it every day. A third of the world s population-chiefly people in Asia and Africa-speak tone languages, in which a word s meaning can vary depending on the pitch a speaker uses (Brown). In this same article, Brown went on to explain a study done in which 22 people, a mixture of Vietnamese and Mandarin speaking, were used. They were given a script in their respective languages and were asked to read the script. The readings were recorded, and when they were reviewed, it was found that the pitch of the same words very slightly varied from one person to the next. They were less than a half step in difference of pitch, which is a very small amount. This to me was very remarkable. It shows that the Ur Song is possible, and that pitch memory for the sake of communication is undeniable possible and present just like the use of the Ur Song today. A discrepancy some linguistic professionals may bring up is the criteria of a language. One of such criteria can be the ability to be translated. Although music cannot be translated from Spanish to French, it does not need to. In any respective mode, a C

6 scale is the same in America as it is in Germany. Music is a universal language. The response to music and specifically the falling minor third is undeniably present. Just like when you hear your name in that falling minor third interval and you cannot help but give your attention to that voice, music is all around us, affecting us everyday. Application to Music Therapy: When looking for the Ur Song s impact in Music Therapy, I found no actual sessions where this specific interval was used alone. However, purely because of the action the falling minor third demands, attention, it is clear to see the Ur Song is ever present and could be easily utilized in Music Therapy sessions. There is a great variety and amount of people who can benefit from Music Therapy and the Ur Song. Really, nearly everyone uses music almost daily. Whether you are listening to the radio to relax, playing or singing music, working out to music, or you hear something you do not like just walking down the street or at a stop light; these are all ways to utilize Music Therapy on a daily basis. You do not have to go to a music therapist to be using Music Therapy. However, many people to benefit from Music Therapy: people who are ill, mute, autistic, mentally damaged, depressed, etc. There is really no limit to the variety of people who can benefit from Music Therapy. Although (as mentioned above) I found no specific cases where the Ur Song was used in Music Therapy, there are obvious ways this specific interval could be utilized. Some of the greatest success stories are of people with autism. Music can really bring these people who suffer from autism to a calming and central point. Also, it seems people with more extreme cases of any illness or disability respond more to music than

7 those who may have better control. If some of these people could use the Ur Song and other intervals to help communicate with the therapists and therefore communicate with their caregivers, it would greatly help in their recovery and how they deal with their situation. Music Therapy has provided families and individuals with miracles, and the Ur Song or the falling minor third could only add to the success Music Therapy has already gained as a name for itself. Since the interval of the falling minor third has such a strong impact of response and communication, obviously all of music can. Don Campbell wrote a book, The Mozart Effect. In the introduction he describes the beauty of music: What is this magical medium that moves, enchants, energizes, and heals us? In and instant, music can uplift our soul. It awakens within us the spirit of prayer, compassion, and love. It clears out minds and has been known to make us smarter It lets the child in us play and helps the stroke patient find language and expression. (Campbell 1) This really sums up everything about Music Therapy and what music can do for every individual, each day of our lives. Future Research: There is much more to be done on this particular topic. I have in no way even made a dent in what I think there could be out there. There is still much more detail to be discovered about Mesopotamia and this language. There are tests that could be done to show the reaction in the brain of the falling minor third compared to the other intervals. There could be random monitoring of Music Therapy sessions of a certain illness or

8 disability to see if results are constant. Although I found much information leading to promising outcomes, these are just a few ideas for future research, research that could greatly help the advancement and success of the art of Music Therapy. Conclusion: Although there is much more research to be done, all the information found leads to the proof of music and the Ur Song being a great aide in healing through language and communication. There are still many questions to be asked and explored. However, the power and effects of music cannot be denied. Music reaches out and touches every one of us in various ways from the origins of speech to the enjoyment of a great tune on the radio; it is with us our whole lives and therefore has lasting and amazing effects.

9 References Biology of Music, The. July5, The Economist Newspaper and the Economist Group.< Brown, Kathryn S. Striking the right Note. June 30, < Campbell, Don. The Mozart Effect. Don Campbell, Hauser, Marc; McDermott, Josh. The evolution of the music faculty: a comparative perspective. Nature Neuroscience Vol 6, Num 7, July Nature Publishing Group, < Hero, Barbara Ferrell. On the remarkable effects of music: Some case studies in sound Therapy. < Linton, Michael. The Mozart Effect First Things. < Mesopotamia Online posting. August 25, < Meyer, Leonard B. Emotion and Meaning in Music. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Parncutt, Richard. Falling minor thirds. June 29, < Smith, LD; Williams, RN. Children s artistic responses to musical intervals Online posting. NCBI. July 5, Last updated June 27, <

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