Klarinet Archive - Posting 000003.txt from 2009/01

From: "Peter Gentry" <peter.gentry@-----.uk>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: If Mozart Were Alive Today...
Date: Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:44:43 -0500

Your mail introduced the notion of music appreciation as learned or cultural
and not absolute. Possibly in a way like language - how could we appreciate
Thai literature without understanding the language or have a good
translation. Secondly is there a ranking in literature that transcends
cultural or learned taste?

I would try and argue that there is a shared human experience that
transcends culture and learning that all people can appreciate. So parts of
most "music" will touch a deep chord within the listener. However just like
literature the listener must be in a prepared state must have a store of
life experience the keys upon which the music "plays". So as we grow from
childhood through adolescence to maturity the colours available will broaden
and deepen. We will be less likely to identify with a peer group and more
able to identify with humanity as a whole. We will cease to be exclusively
rappers or jazzers (trad or modern or whatever) and appreciate all the
"good" music and tolerate kindly the less than good.

Anyone who clings to one fashion or genre is just in the process of growing
up. Anyone who dismisses any genre out of hand is also in the same process
of growing up. There is good and bad in all of us.

regards
Peter Gentry

-----Original Message-----
From: Chane Smith [mailto:chane@-----.net]
Sent: 01 January 2009 05:04
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] Re: If Mozart Were Alive Today...

I generally don't have a lot to say on the list, but this is such a
delightful topic that I have to chime in! I agree with the argument that
has been set stating that different people identify with different kinds
of music. That's why this all got started isn't it?
Now, as to defining music, (more so if rap is music or not) it
seems like those against rap are not thinking their argument through
completely. The "definitions" of music presented in this tread seem to
be mostly stuck within the barriers of Western music. The music of
Thailand, has an extremely different taste as for as the melody,
harmony, and rhythm go.

------------------------------------------------------------------