our culture views music as entertainment

Issues: By and large, our culture views music as entertainment. Even when it is used in a functional way (in ceremony or even in worship) it is hard to ignore the entertainment element. This creates some questions when we listen to music that has, or had at its creation, a specific function:

· What do we miss when this music is divorced from its function?

· Is the piece still the same work, or has it been transformed into something subtly different?

· Should a performer try in some way to evoke the nature of the music’s original purpose?

· If we do not hold the beliefs (cultural, religious, or otherwise) that are tied to the piece, will we still be able to appreciate it fully?

Project: The web is a great place to start looking in more detail at any of the topics you cover in class. For this Cultural Perspective, try doing a web search for the following terms and see what you can find:

· Music and Ritual

· Music and Social Function

· Music and Worship

· Ceremonial Music

· Noh Music

Task: Write what you think about the issue and what you have found out.