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Mon, 17 Jul 2000 23:12:41 GMT |
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Bill Pirkle asks of Stirling Newberry:
>Are you saying that music is not at least a series of sound effects?
I assume that Stirling will answer this question, but I'd also like to
respond to the inquiry and then branch out from there. I see two major
problems with Bill's premise. First, music has an internal foundation;
it exists because it has impact within individuals. Sound has an external
foundation. Music exists without any sound at all. Let's not confuse
music with the conveying of sound to the eardrums.
The second problem is that the definition is so "clinical" and pays no
attention to the crucial connection between music and the individual.
I'll try to clarify my position in some kind of order:
1. Music exists because it has impact on the individual, hits the right
buttons that please or stimulate the person from the inside. Without
this feature, there would be no music; nobody would want it.
2. Any definition of even minimal viability has to key on the relationship
between music and the internal workings/preferences of the individual.
3. When an individual detects from within that music exists, that
sensation/recognition is entirely valid for that individual. Whether
other persons recognize it or not is not germane concerning its being music
to the original person. If it was germane *or* controlling, that person
would have to tell him/herself and others that he/she likes non-music.
That would be an absurd scenario and screwy as well - "Although I like
those sounds, they must be something other than music because everybody
says so, and I don't have any internal fortitude anyways".
4. Hence, definitions imposed by other persons or groupings are only
viable to those creating and imposing those definitions. Why would people
want to do such a thing? To improve the common ground of beliefs and
communication levels? To simply have control? To impose their own internal
notions of music on others? To have the foundation for exam questions in
school? Whatever the motivation, it's not good enough to crush the
foundation of the matter.
5. So, I end up concluding that music is internally based and that each
individual decides what constitutes music. In actuality, that's what
happens on a daily basis except for those whose "herd" instinct is very
strong is controlling.
Don Satz
[log in to unmask]
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