Chapter 2: The Nature of Music, Vocabulary for Listening and Understanding

Definition of Music
All music includes the elements of sound and time, but the nature of music involves much more music is sound that is appealing to the ear Most of us respond well to sounds that we like But if pleasing means only pretty or beautiful, then this definition excludes a great deal of music Defining music solely on the basis of how pleasing it seems to us may exclude much western European art music composed in the last 100 years, as well as much music from non-Western cultures music that may not be intended to be pleasing to Western ears music is sound and silence organized in time This definition is relatively objective, because it includes all music from any place at any time, but it avoids the subjective We cant really define music w/o subjective factorstaste, judgment, and personal reactions music is sound that you want to hear as music Sound that is not organized in some fashion typically cannot be called music Yet the roar of a waterfall, the sound of falling rain, or the chirping of birds can be music to my ears Though not music in the objective sense, these sounds are pleasing and thus, perhaps, musical sounds The sounds of birds, water, and whales have been taped and used in organized music Sounds that some listeners might perceive as noise can be incorporated into music if the composer or performer wants them to be If you do not like a certain style of music, you can still respect it, value the creative process that produced it, and learn from it

Music as a Science
The physical characteristics of music involve principles of acoustics, physics, mathematics, and engineering Acoustics is the science of sound and the physical basis of music People who are aware of the scientific aspects of music include those interested in the specifications (specs) of stereo components, sound reinforcement at recording studios and concerts, the creation and performance of electronic or computer music, and the acoustical design of rooms and concert halls Acoustical principles are applied to the construction of musical instruments, audio equipment, auditoriums, recording studios, homes, and offices and to medical technology through sonar (sound-related) diagnostics and treatment

Audio enthusiasts refer to principles of acoustics when they use such terms as: frequency range, echo, graphic equalizers, and signal-to-signal ratios To reproduce music, an audio enthusiast will want a speaker system w/ the widest frequency response Saying that a room has good acoustics means that the degree of resonance and reverberation is suited to the rooms purposes A facility constructed of porous material will absorb sound waves, creating dead acoustics A facility constructed of hard, dense material will bounce the sound waves around the room, resulting in live, or highly resonant, acoustics

Music is Sound and Silence Music is an aural phenomenon; we listen and respond to it as sound Yet silence is also very much a part of music Many composers and performers recognize that silence is an important compositional technique with its own aesthetic and dramatic effects Music Moves through Time Music, like motion pictures, moves from one moment to the next To appreciate music (or movies), it is important to remember what happened before and to anticipate what is about to happen By contrast, arts such as photography, painting, or pottery are static: What the viewer sees at one moment will still be there the next Much music moves forward w/ energy and momentum, in a predictable progression, to a clear conclusion such as the end of a phrase Other music may move through time with less noticeable forward energy; such music may seem static, suspended in time, and lacking a clear phrase structure

Expressive and Functional Qualities of Music

Music is a science, but it is also an art possessing the power to elicit feelings and images to which individuals respond in a variety of ways Much music is functional, serving nonmusical purposesceremonial, therapeutic, or religious

Music Is an Art Music exists on a continuum ranging from folk music (music for the masses) to classical music (music for the connoisseur) Classical music is art music The best music of any tradition, regardless of style, lasts Concert music is substantial enough to challenge listeners and performers A great piece of music encourages listening, performance, and study The creation of great music that will last for generations is very important in Western civilization Worldwide, the more common attitude is to create something for immediate use, not for preservation

Music from every culture, like all the arts, is a reflection of the society in which it was created

Music Is Universal Music exists in all cultures and among all people and has existed as far back in time as we know People in different cultures value music for different reasons Each culture has developed its own musical traditions and reasons for using music in its communities, whether for purposes of religion, recreation, or entertainment All cultures have music bc of its power to stimulate emotional responses and to convey powerful feelings, moods, images, and associations Music provides a means of communication for people who share a common identity and have common values and aspirations Music Is a Means of Expression Music is an expressive language by which people can communicate feelings and images and generate aesthetic responses that may transcend cultural boundaries or be unique to a specific culture Music can communicate such feelings as joy, sorrow, pain, love, merriment, and spiritual exaltation it can stimulate physical reactions, such as foot tapping, weeping, or shouting, and physiological reactions, such as goose bumps Music Can Be Functional music serves many functions in human societies music therapists use music to alter peoples feelings and attitudes graduates of music therapy programs work in mental health clinics and hospitals, public schools, and private practice music therapists use music to help people of all ages improve their self-esteem, find joy in self-expression, achieve success through music, and learn better ways of interacting socially background music or elevator music is not to be listened to attentively and with discrimination Music Is a Changing Art

The Creative, Performing, and Listening Experiences

people of all ages experience music as creators, performers, and listeners when music is notated a score (a printed version of a piece of music) contains the composers symbols, which performers can transform into musical sounds notation in music is the use of written or printed symbols to represent musical sounds the notated tradition provides for the preservation and dissemination of music by means of hand-written or printed music music that is improvised is simultaneously created, performed, and listened to by the performer the creative process may be simple or sophisticated

we may recognize a composers name, or the composer may be completely unknown (anonymous)like the composers of much folk music in either case, the creative process is fundamentally the same the composer chooses elements of sound and organizes them to achieve a desired result: the creators own piece of music although music is created by individuals, these individuals are part of a culture and share with their intended audience a particular view a creator usually chooses elements of organizes them in ways that are culture specific the process of creating music may be spontaneous or painstakingly deliberate the music may or may not be notated the process may be loosely controlled the process may be highly controlled the performance process is interpretive