Studying Musics of the Worlds Cultures

Exploring the World of Music Video 1: Sound, Music, and the Environment
What do different cultures mean by music? This program explores the definition of music from the sine wave to poetic metaphor, and the impact of the cultural environment on musics as different as Bosnian ganga and becarac singing; Tuvan throat singing; Irish, West African, Trinidadian, and Japanese musics; and Western chamber music, jazz, and rock. Key Concepts 1. All societies have musical traditions, but the concept and purpose of music is noticeably different from culture to culture. 2. Music is a form of communication through sound, organized by people in a way that is distinct from speech or other elements of the cultural soundscape; it is like a language that must be understood within the context of the culture that produces it. 3. In order to have a sound you need three things: a. a physical object which is vibrating b. a medium to carry that vibration c. an ear to perceive the vibration and turn it into something meaningful. 4. The four parameters through which wave patterns can be analyzed are: frequency, amplitude, duration, and timbre. 5. The music of a culture is strongly influenced by the physical environment and perceptions of the natural world. The landscape, climate, resources, and the ways people adapt these for their survival affects social structure, daily life, religious beliefs, aesthetics and the function of artistic expression. The idea of music means many different things in cultures around the world; in fact, some languages do not have a word that means exactly the same thing as music does in English. Diversity in musical style is as vivid as in any other aspect of culture: language, aesthetics, traditions, living conditions, food, environment, etc. It is a system of communication rooted in the society it comes from, therefore its cultural meaning and function determine the way musical elements are used. The physical laws of sound, however, are universal. At the root of all music is vibration. frequency is the rate of vibration or number of wave peaks in time. Our ears perceive frequency as a specific pitch the highness or lowness of the sound. The orchestra tunes at A 440 (440 wave peaks per second). amplitude refers to the height and depth of the waveform. This parameter is perceived as the loudness or softness of the sound. duration simply means how long the sound lasts. Since music is dependent on patterns of sounds and silences in time, duration is very important. timbre is the tone color of the sound, or the quality that enables the ear to know which instrument is playing or which person is singing. This is determined by the overtone series: each sound has a fundamental pitch (the note being played or sung) and a number of overtones. The overtones that consistently resonate for this particular sound are perceived by the ear as timbre.

These acoustical terms provide a clear vocabulary with which to discuss world musical systems. It is important to remember that the Western concepts of melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, etc. may not be wholly applicable to how people around the world conceive of their own music. Cultures The highlanders of Bosnia lived in villages in the mountains around Sarajevo. Because of the war in 1992, the villagers were resettled, and the material on these videos represents part of the effort to preserve these musical traditions. The mountain environment has an enormous importance to social culture and musical customs, for example physical strength and fitness are extremely valued. This is evident in singing styles such as ganga, where the ability to project the voice outdoors as loudly as possible, to the extent where harmonies are so close together that they acoustically clash, is prized. Watch the video and take notes: What are some of the ways music relates to both the social and physical environment in Bosnian Highlander culture? What does the becarac genre have to do with courtship rituals? The Tuva Republic is in southern Siberia near the border of Mongolia, and includes grasslands as well a forested mountain areas. It is an isolated and rugged community which is sparsely populated, and most people are herders of sheep, yak, goats, and reindeer. Since the lifestyle necessitates a lot of time alone with the animals, the musical traditions are very individualized. Watch and note: What are some of the ways in which their proximity to the natural world and interactions with animals such as the horse have influenced Tuvan music, for example, with the construction and use of the igil instrument? What about throat singing? In what ways, for this culture, is music a bridge to the supernatural, or divine?

Exploring the World of Music Video 2: The Transformative Power of Music

Music can inspire religious devotion, prepare individuals for war, motivate work, enrich play, and stimulate the passions. The musical healing ceremonies of the Kung people in Namibia and Botswana, Epirote music in traditional Greek weddings, and modern rock, gospel, and folk musics all reveal music's power to transform lives. Key Concepts 1. Music is a form of social expression that can trigger emotions and memories. On many levels, it can be transformative. 2. Musical energy can be generated by individuals or through group interaction, and together with dance can be the formative center of communities. 3. Music is often an important component of religious ritual; it provides a connection to spirituality, and can invoke trance or aid in healing. 4. Across history, music has been used as a tool to present political messages. The power of music comes from its link to culture and human relationships. Ethnomusicologists are scholars who study music in relation to these things. Music plays many different roles for people around the world, as the video states, from worship to work, from politics to play, it organizes, tranquilizes, heals, and transforms. This program explores the mystery of how music can influence states of mind a phenomenon that everyone has experienced, but difficult to explain.

Cultures The Kung Bushmen live off the land in Namibia and Botswana in Southern Africa. They are nomadic and survive in a harsh desert environment through hunting and gathering. In the Kung Healing Ceremony, music induces trance and has great power to heal the sick. The music heard in this ceremony is made up of a number of fragments sung by individuals, which combine to create a melody in a technique known as hocketing. In a trance-like state, the medicine man is able to address the spirits causing the sickness and the gods directly and drive the illness away. Watch and note: How is the creation of melody in this ceremony dependent on community? What are some of the ways in lack of words for this music which aids in the direct appeal to the emotions and subconscious? The Epirote music shown in this traditional Greek wedding is an example of music used as part of a life ritual, as an important element in making the event a special occasion. Watch and note: John Cohen states that the slow movements shown in the dancing here have magic. What does he mean? Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh that combines bluegrass rock (think the Grateful Dead) with a number of world percussion influences. On the video, band members talk about the power of group interaction with the audience and cathartic transformation and self-reflection that music can bring to people. Watch and note: How does the environment and experience created at these concerts transcend the musical elements of the performance? American gospel music is used as an example of the role music plays in religious ritual to inspire an energetic connection to beliefs and community. Watch and note: Randolph Scott-McLaughlin notes that Tommy Dorsey was the godfather of gospel music, bringing elements from his career as a blues musician to the church. While at first the reaction to using this type of music in services was mixed, he states that it really speaks to the people in a way that no other does. Why would this be so why would one style of music be better at inspiring feelings than another? Protest songs mentioned on the video include We Shall Overcome from the Civil Rights Movement and Waist Deep in the Big Muddy by Pete Seeger, which is about the Vietnam War. Watch and note: What are the roots of songs like these what genres did they come out of and why? What are some of the signs that people in power consider music to be potentially dangerous?