It’s summer time, and I’ve been slacking on my posts a little, but there’s a video that I just found that I’d really like to share. This is Ron Clark, and his teaching methods are really interesting. He incorporates music to teach other subjects. This link is to the CNN report about his method and how he’s teaching using a method that truly speaks to the kids.
functionsofmusic
Anthropology of Music
We talked about something in class today that I found fascinating, and I’d like to share it with all of you. It’s a book written by Alan P. Merriam entitled “The Anthropology of Music.” This book covers the “functions” that music performs world-wide. In other words, what people use music FOR throughout the world. Here they are –
- Emotional expression.
- Aesthetic enjoyment.
- Entertainment.
- Communication.
- Symbolic representation
(symbols within the text, notation, and cultural meaning of the sounds). - Physical response (dancing and other physical activity).
- Enforcement of conformity to social norms
(instruction through song and rhymes). - Validation of social institutions and religious rituals
(use of music in religious services and state occasions). - Contribution to the continuity and stability of culture
(music as an expression of cultural values). - Contribution to the integration of society
(use of music to bring people together).
What I found interesting is that Music Therapy is not world widely adopted as a medical practice, thus it didn’t make it onto his list. Merriam isn’t a musicologist, music therapist, composer, nor even a musician. He is an anthropologist who studied what the most common functions that people used music for worldwide.
Jonathan Newey 