Dear Read,
A lot has been published on the matter in the musicological and
psychology of music literature. Even the French ethnomusicologist Claude
Levi-Strauss wrote a book on that.
I have some hesitation about that because this notion of music as
language is typical Western. By trying to apply to Japanese and
shakuhachi music, we will be making assumptions and drawing conclusions
that are external to his native and cultural sources and backgrounds.
For example, there was a discussion a couple of months ago about scales
in shakuhachi music. This was interesting but at the same time
misleading because shakuhachi music and even the shakuhachi are not
based on scale. Scale is a typically Western principle that appeared
after the advent of the tempered scale in the 17th century. Applying
this principle of scale to Japanese music is applying something which
makes no sense to it, based on its origin, source and background. We
might end up doing the samething with music as language.
Yet, I think it is a good ground for a better understanding of music. We
have to be careful not to be ethnocentric...
=20
-------------------------------------------
Bruno Desch=EAnes
T=E9l.: (514) 277-4665 * Fax: (514) 844-5498
E-mail: musis@videotron.ca
Web Site: http://pages.infinit.net/musis/
-----Original Message-----
From: Reid . [mailto:reid1898@hotmail.com]=20
Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2002 3:44 PM
To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
Subject: Music as Language
I would be interested in getting thoughts from this group regarding
music as=20
language.
I have always heard that music is an international language, but I
always=20
interpreted that on a superficial level (e.g., western notation is
studied=20
and understood in most of the world). However, I was recently reading
some=20
books regarding linguistics, the deaf and aphasia, and I now better=20
understand that language is not just for communicating with others, but
is=20
also the tool for thinking. I am therefore returning to the "koan"
about=20
music being a language. For example, what constitutes a language? Is
it=20
meaningful to consider music a language? Does it relate to language in
the=20
more typical meaning of the term?
I just wanted to know if others have had any thoughts or insights in
this=20
regard, especially since the music this group works with is outside the=20
western patterns of music. This, of course, is a large part of the
appeal=20
of shakuhachi music to me. Also, the fact that the shakuhachi tradition
recognizes the core value is not necessarily performing for others (so
it is=20
more like thought than communication, in a language connotation).
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