Introduction to World Music Instructor: Amy Hacker

What is Music? Sound Vibration vs. Music What distinguishes music as something different than just sounds? What is the difference between singing and speaking? Between a knock on the door and a drumming pattern? Music exists in our brains. From the moment we are born, we are taught what music is and what music is means.

What is Music? Recognition of music derives from our lifetime of cultural conditioning. Different cultures will have different ideas surrounding music. People from the same culture will generally share the same concepts of what music is and what music means. Musical expression is both culturally determined and culturally encoded with meaning. Male dancers, Papua New Guinea

What is Music? The meanings we assign to music may vary between individuals as well as between cultures. Individual identity/personal meanings What personal meanings do you have for music? Group identity/shared meanings What meanings do you share about music with a large or small group? Click this link! National Anthem Does this song give you any particular ideas or feelings?

Music as a Cultural Phenomenon How do cultures use music? Religious Rituals Work Songs Ceremonial Activities Courtship Entertainment How does music reflect culture? What can you learn about a particular society by observing their musical activities? Shona (Zimbabwe) Mbira players

Music as a Cultural Phenomenon What does this statement mean? Music is universal but not a universal language. All cultures make music, but the sounds and meanings aren’t always understood by others. Ethnocentrism The unconscious assumption that one’s own cultural background is “normal,” while others are “strange” or “exotic.”

Insider vs. Outsider If music is part of a culture that produces it, how can we as outsiders experience this music? An insider has the ability to fully experience their music within their cultural context. An outsider has the ability to see connections between music and culture that an insider may subconsciously overlook. Why study music of other cultures?

Basic Assumptions A relativistic view no musical style is “better” than another In this course, we will be studying different musical cultures by using the three-part model: Sound Behavior Conception or Ideas “Music should be studied as a group of sounds, as behavior that leads to these sounds, and as a group of ideas that govern the sound and behavior.” Southeast Asian gongs

The Five Universals of Music 1) All societies have music. Every. Single. One. Societies from the extremely primitive to the highly advanced all create music. Left: Western Chamber ensemble Above: Australian Aboriginal musicians

The Five Universals of Music 2) All people sing. Most people in Western societies don’t think they “can” sing, but the truth is that all people sing be it “good” or “bad.” In most non-Western societies, singing is often a communal activity that includes all levels of ability. Refined “advanced” singing: Opera Singer Traditional “primitive” singing: Maori Singers When do you sing? In your car? In the shower? At a birthday party? During religious activities? I’m sure you answered yes to one or more…. European Opera singer, Polynesian group singing

The Five Universals of Music 3) Music is used in religious rituals to experience the supernatural. Scholars agree that humans first began creating music thousands of years ago in order to connect with the “supernatural.” Today, every religious or spiritual activity on Earth is typically accompanied by music at some point. Gregorian Chant Haitian Voudou Ritual From top: Afro-Cuban Santeria drumming, American Church choir, Indonesian trance ritual

The Five Universals of Music 4) Musical genres occur in all societies. Divisions between uses for music have always existed. Some original genre distinctions include work songs, religious songs and ceremonial songs. A few more current genre distinctions include traditional, folk, classical or popular. What are some of the different genres of pop music?

The Five Universals of Music 5) “Songs” or Pieces” are identified and distinguished from each other as common musical units. Music doesn’t just play endlessly… there is always a beginning, a middle and an end. People tend to label songs and distinguish them from other songs, and these can be taught or passed down to others. Native American flute player

Musical Diversity Why do different culture’s have different music? Musical Evolution Social Environments Natural Environments Human Migration Religious Systems From top: Tibetan Buddhist musicians, South Indian Musicians, West African Kora player

Ethnomusicology Ethnomusicology is defined as the scholarly study of any music within its contemporary cultural context. Ethnomusicology is a cross between Musicology and Cultural Anthropology. Some current issues include politics, racial/ethnic identity, gender studies, intercultural relations, nationalism, and globalization. Four phases of research Preparation Fieldwork Analysis Dissemination Click me! Me and my Teacher My teacher and I having a music lesson in West Java, Indonesia.

Musical Instruments How do people classify or describe musical instruments? The Western Orchestra organizes instruments into four categories: Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, and Percussion. The Chinese system, called bayin, organizes instruments by what they are made of. The eight categories include: Silk, Bamboo, Wood, Stone, Metal, Clay, Gourd, and Skin.

Musical Instruments The Sachs-Hornbostel system is the dominant academic system used to describe and classify musical instruments. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornbostel-Sachs The four primary categories are: Aerophones Chordophones Idiophones Membranophones Electrophones (a recent fifth category)

Aerophones Instruments that require air to produce sound such as flutes, reeds, trumpets, and bagpipes. Above: Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo Right: Lao Khaen

Chordophones Instruments having one or more vibrating strings stretched between two points. There are four types of stringed instruments; lutes, zithers, harps, and lyres. Above: Hindustani (North Indian) Sitar Right: Afro-Brazilian Berimbau

Idiophones Instruments that themselves vibrate to produce sound, such as rattles, bells, and various other kinds of percussion. Above: West African Balafon Right: Shona Mbira

Membranophones Instruments, such as drums, that use a vibrating stretched membrane as the principle means of sound production. Above: Japanese Taiko drums Right: West African Atumpan drums

Electrophones Electronic instruments such as synthesizers, computers, and the Theremin, seen below, the original electrophone. Above: Leon Theremin playing his own instrument