By Dr. David Uerkvitz
“What? Write an article for the Model United Nations? Moi? I’m a pianist, not a diplomat!”This was my reaction when I was asked to write this article. But then I began to think about how important music is to all the peoples of the world, and thought, “Well, why not?”Many years ago, Colin Turnbull wrote a book called The Mountain People about a tribe in Africa called the Ik, a tribe that had been displaced so its land could be included in a National Park.Turnbull reported that the children of this tribe were left on their own at the age of three to work in bands in order to survive. He also reported about the complete lack of caring and compassion amongst that depraved society. Old people were left to go out into the wilderness to die when they were no longer productive. He saw no evidence of any kind of music in that tribe.Is that what happens to a culture with no music? Although subsequent to the publishing of his book, Turnbull’s research was called into question, many of his points and observations were valid, and the book caused me to ask myself if the complete depravity of that tribe was somehow related to the lack of music in their lives and in their souls. No music: no soul.When the Ayatollah Khomeini took absolute power in Iran, in 1979, he forbade any kind of music to be played or sung. The country went completely and fanatically out of control. I taught piano to two college girls who had escaped the regime. They loved music, but had been forbidden to study it, even though their older brother was a pianist. They were desperately hungry just to produce some simple music themselves. Does a society bereft of music lose its sanity as well as its soul? Let’s take a quick look at music and its connection to individuals and to the universe.Saying that music is the “international language” is not only trite, it is completely inadequate in what it is meant to express. Oral language is the language of the mind, and through its use it can reach the heart. Music is directly the language of the heart and soul, and immediately touches the depth of human feeling and existence.When we think of the breadth of music, we find it encompasses the entire globe, crossing all political boundaries, cultural differences and linguistic barriers. It has a magnificently broad scope of styles, from hip-hop to the timeless classics; from tribal music to Broadway theater. Its fabric is multi-dimensional in that it not only spreads geographically across the world; it touches all levels of society, and reaches back for centuries.For example, if we were to follow one simple thread in this multi-dimensional tapestry of musical sound, we might choose Gregorian chant, which was the backbone of religious worship in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. Although it was organized and codified in the sixth century under Pope Gregory, it reaches far into antiquity for its origins in Ancient Hebrew and Greek music. If we follow that string, we find that its modal structure highly influenced the music of Spain, and is heard in flamenco and other Spanish national music. Spanish music spread to the New World, and combined with African modes and rhythms. One center of this synthesis of styles was Havana, Cuba, from which sprang the Habanera. This, in turn, split, some of it heading northward toward New Orleans, and the other South to Argentina. The Habanera developed in Argentina as the Tango. In New Orleans it became the inspiration for jazz and blues, and eventually R&B [rhythm and blues], rock and hip-hop. Every piece of music reflects not only the inspiration of the composer, but the influence of the society which produced it. If we know the music of a society, we become closer to understanding that society and its culture. The more we leave ourselves open to all musics—the here-today, gone-tomorrow music of the pops scene, opera performances, Andean flute music, the Balinese gamelan or the calypso of the Caribbean--the richer our lives can be, and the closer our relationship to other people. Open the mind’s blinds and unplug the ears! Break out of the
“top twenty”! The world of music is available everywhere through CDs, iPods, and whatever technology is going to throw at us next. And, naturally, it’s more exciting to go to where the music is produced to hear it live. Can you perform? Do it live, or put it on YouTube or something and do it well! A musical ambassador should not produce tacky, cheap performances. Top-notch music will bridge the gap between cultures where poor quality will only build barriers. Let’s have more music! Perhaps music can unite us where words cannot. Why not a Musical United Nations?
“What? Write an article for the Model United Nations? Moi? I’m a pianist, not a diplomat!”This was my reaction when I was asked to write this article. But then I began to think about how important music is to all the peoples of the world, and thought, “Well, why not?”Many years ago, Colin Turnbull wrote a book called The Mountain People about a tribe in Africa called the Ik, a tribe that had been displaced so its land could be included in a National Park.Turnbull reported that the children of this tribe were left on their own at the age of three to work in bands in order to survive. He also reported about the complete lack of caring and compassion amongst that depraved society. Old people were left to go out into the wilderness to die when they were no longer productive. He saw no evidence of any kind of music in that tribe.Is that what happens to a culture with no music? Although subsequent to the publishing of his book, Turnbull’s research was called into question, many of his points and observations were valid, and the book caused me to ask myself if the complete depravity of that tribe was somehow related to the lack of music in their lives and in their souls. No music: no soul.When the Ayatollah Khomeini took absolute power in Iran, in 1979, he forbade any kind of music to be played or sung. The country went completely and fanatically out of control. I taught piano to two college girls who had escaped the regime. They loved music, but had been forbidden to study it, even though their older brother was a pianist. They were desperately hungry just to produce some simple music themselves. Does a society bereft of music lose its sanity as well as its soul? Let’s take a quick look at music and its connection to individuals and to the universe.Saying that music is the “international language” is not only trite, it is completely inadequate in what it is meant to express. Oral language is the language of the mind, and through its use it can reach the heart. Music is directly the language of the heart and soul, and immediately touches the depth of human feeling and existence.When we think of the breadth of music, we find it encompasses the entire globe, crossing all political boundaries, cultural differences and linguistic barriers. It has a magnificently broad scope of styles, from hip-hop to the timeless classics; from tribal music to Broadway theater. Its fabric is multi-dimensional in that it not only spreads geographically across the world; it touches all levels of society, and reaches back for centuries.For example, if we were to follow one simple thread in this multi-dimensional tapestry of musical sound, we might choose Gregorian chant, which was the backbone of religious worship in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. Although it was organized and codified in the sixth century under Pope Gregory, it reaches far into antiquity for its origins in Ancient Hebrew and Greek music. If we follow that string, we find that its modal structure highly influenced the music of Spain, and is heard in flamenco and other Spanish national music. Spanish music spread to the New World, and combined with African modes and rhythms. One center of this synthesis of styles was Havana, Cuba, from which sprang the Habanera. This, in turn, split, some of it heading northward toward New Orleans, and the other South to Argentina. The Habanera developed in Argentina as the Tango. In New Orleans it became the inspiration for jazz and blues, and eventually R&B [rhythm and blues], rock and hip-hop. Every piece of music reflects not only the inspiration of the composer, but the influence of the society which produced it. If we know the music of a society, we become closer to understanding that society and its culture. The more we leave ourselves open to all musics—the here-today, gone-tomorrow music of the pops scene, opera performances, Andean flute music, the Balinese gamelan or the calypso of the Caribbean--the richer our lives can be, and the closer our relationship to other people. Open the mind’s blinds and unplug the ears! Break out of the
“top twenty”! The world of music is available everywhere through CDs, iPods, and whatever technology is going to throw at us next. And, naturally, it’s more exciting to go to where the music is produced to hear it live. Can you perform? Do it live, or put it on YouTube or something and do it well! A musical ambassador should not produce tacky, cheap performances. Top-notch music will bridge the gap between cultures where poor quality will only build barriers. Let’s have more music! Perhaps music can unite us where words cannot. Why not a Musical United Nations?
No comments:
Post a Comment