Transcript 03 Music TOK camp

Musical TOK
Problems of knowledge in Music
1
SOME THINGS MUSIC DOES (“Functions”)













ENTERTAIN
THRILL/EXCITE?
CALM
BIND A COMMUNITY TOGETHER
MARK A COMMUNITY OR INDIVIDUAL RITUAL OR RITE OF
PASSAGE
MAKE A POLITICAL OR MORAL MESSAGE
IMITATE (or reflect) NATURE OR REALITY
EXPRESS EMOTION or FEELINGS OF SOME SORT
CREATE BEAUTY
PRAISE A SPIRITUAL POWER
UPLIFT THE MIND
CAPTURE SOME “HIGHER”/ TRANSCENDENTAL TRUTH
OTHERS…………………..
2
WHAT IS MUSIC?
 Listen to some examples. Agreed? Is it all
Music?
Havok From the cradle to the grave
Anna Kendrick Cups
 Techno 2013 Hands up and Dance Remix
 Definition could be: music is sound
organized in time, involving elements of
difference of rhythm and pitch, tone, colour
and other elements
3
DOES MUSIC HAVE TO INVOLVE SOUND?
Listen to two examples
Smetana Ma Vlast
Beethoven op. 131
 Both were composed by deaf people (Beethoven and
Smetena)
 How is this possible?
 Could someone who went deaf as an adult
appreciate, compose or perform music?
 Could someone deaf from birth appreciate music?
 Could someone deaf from birth write music?
 Could someone deaf from birth perform music?
4
DO WE THE LISTENERS PERCEIVE THE
SAME?
If we all listen to the same piece of music…..
 Do we hear similar things?
 Do we make the same associations?
 Do we get the same feelings?
 i.e. Do we interpret a piece of heard music
the same way?
5
DO WE THE LISTENERS PERCEIVE THE
SAME?
Listen to some examples
Write any associations or feelings you get.
Two are associated with funerals, one with
weddings, can you guess which?
 Strauss Piece
 Widor Piece
 Wagner piece
 Fong Nam piece 1
 Fong Nam piece 2
 Bach piece
6
FACTORS AFFECTING OUR PERCEPTION
 Some people may interpret the music in the
same way, may make similar associations get
similar feelings, may like and value the music
similarly.
 Other people may have big differences.
7
WHICH OF THESE FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT?










Familiarity
Education
Acculturation
Intelligence of some sort
Genetic make-up
Attitude and beliefs about life
Attitude and beliefs about music
Technical knowledge
Your Aesthetic value system.
Your experience and associations made during your
life so far.
 Other?
8
MUSIC AS A COMMON LANGUAGE?
 We don’t understand the spoken language of
most other countries
 Is the same true for their musical language?
 Is the language of music very different in
different countries?
 Or is music a universal or common language,
understandable by all?
9
IS MUSIC A LANGUAGE DERIVED FROM
NATURE AND THE LAWS OF PHYSICS?
 Deryck Cooke’s “The language of music” argues that
it is, and that it expresses emotion.
 e.g. listen to Mozart, most pop songs, regular
rhythms, beats, tonal (“in-tune”) type of melody and
harmony (“chords”)
 Does this sound in tune because it obeys some kind
of absolute natural, physical, mathematical laws
existing in reality?
 Is there an amount of objectivity in musical
language and perception?
10
OR IS MUSIC A RELATIVE HUMAN CONSTRUCT NOT
DERIVED FROM NATURAL LAWS AT ALL?
 e.g. listen to Webern or Schoenberg or Penderecki
 It sounds kind of out of tune?
 If we were brought up listening to this music would
we think it the normal, and consider Mozart and pop
songs, etc., horribly out of tune?
 That is, is what we consider to consider to be “goodsounding” relative?
 Is there an amount of subjectivity in musical
language and perception?
 (Note: These stand-points are not mutually
exclusive-(explain?)
11
THESE “MUSICS” REFLECT DIFFERENT
PARADIGMS:
1. The so called “tonal system” dominant 1600-
1900
2. An attempt to abandon this system around
1920 -1970 in favour of a new atonal system
based on different rules, (“total serialism”)
abandoning old conceptions of what sounds
harmonious and melodious.
12
IS MUSIC THE “LANGUAGE OF
EMOTION”?
 Or does it equally include REASON?
13
VALUE JUDGEMENTS IN
MUSIC:
 Is the music a work of genius, great, good, bad? Is the music “Art”
music rather than something else?
 Which of the following statements would you agree or disagree with?
It is up to you what you like, and it does not matter, it’s your right
Everyone’s value judgment on a piece of music is equally correct
Value is determined by experts
Value is determined by history
Value is determined by market forces
Value is determined by consensus in a society (lots agreeing)
A complicated piece of music showing great skill of composing or
performance is better than a simple piece
 “Art” or “classical” music is better than “pop” musics.
 “Art” or “classical” music has more to say than “pop” music, capturing more
transcendental and spiritual truths, and the “higher” aspects of humanity
 “Western” music, in particular, has so far achieved the highest achievements,
14
just as “western scientists” have in science.







Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven
I must be strong, and carry on,
Cos I know I don’t belong, here in heaven
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven
I’ll find my way to brighter days
Cos I know I don’t belong, here in heaven
Time can bring you down
Time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart
Leave you begging “please”………
Guitar solo…
Beyond the door, there’s peace I’m sure
And I know I don’t belong here in heaven
15
INTERPRETATION BY THE PERFORMER:






What makes a good or interesting performance?
Technical ability?
Beauty of voice or tone? Some other quality of the tone?
Other ways to interpret or perform the piece of music?
The appearance of the performer or other non-musical factors?
The “charisma” of the performer in some way?
 PROBLEMS WITH INTERPRETATION
 Is it a problem if you re-interpret the composer’s intent? Why?
 Or is it something to be encouraged? If so, why?
16
MUSIC AS A CREATIVE ART
 What might “creativity” mean?
 What might “originality” mean?
 Are they necessary?
 Science discovers and technology invents.
 Does music discover, invent or create?
17
SOME DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
 Just look at one or two, or more or all. Report back with some
comments, ideas, examples raised during the discussion.
1. “Without music, life would be a mistake”: Friedrich Nietzsche Could
2.
3.
4.
5.
you live without music, is it an essential or a “frill”?
Music can be written down in notes, i.e. visually. Therefore would it
be possible for someone born deaf to understand and enjoy music,
or to compose it, using the written notation music rather than ever
hearing the actual sound?
Will any of the present “commercial pop music” become the
art/classical music of the future? Try some predictions as to what
might achieve this.
Is “Western” pop music widespread round the globe, and if so, is it
because it is “better” or are there other reasons?
Do you agree that classical music is “better” than pop music? If you
agree, give a few reasons why. If you disagree, give a few reasons
18
why you disagree.
SOME PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES
 You may report back with a very short practical demo or
performance instead of speaking about a discussion question.
1. Make up and practice some rhythms or melodic phrases which
might communicate a mood or feeling, e.g. sadness, happiness,
fear, heroism, etc. Perform two or three of them to the group
and discuss their effectiveness and people’s perception of them
2. Choose a favourite song, or a well known standard like “Happy
birthday” or “Twinkle twinkle”, and perform it with two different
interpretations or feelings. No need to perform the whole song,
up to you. Discuss the perceptions of the two interpretations.
19
ESSAY QUESTIONS WHICH COULD
USEFULLY CONTAIN MUSIC EXAMPLES

Q1 For some people science is the supreme form of all knowledge. Is this view
reasonable or does it involve a misunderstanding of science or of knowledge?

Q2 “For it is in the long run that, somehow, truth may survive – through the
decay of untruth.” (John Lukas). To what extent is this case in different areas of
knowledge and in your own experience?

Q5 “Doing the right things starts with knowing the right things.” In what ways
does responsible action depend upon sound, critical thinking?

Q6 What are the differences between “I am certain” and “It is certain”, and is
passionate conviction ever sufficient for justifying knowledge?

Q7 To what extent may the subjective nature of perception be regarded as an
advantage for artists but an obstacle to be overcome by scientists?

Q10 Is knowledge in mathematics and in other Areas of Knowledge dependent
on culture to the same degree and in the same ways?
20