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Musical snobbery (was Re: Songs for BL)

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Musical snobbery (was Re: Songs for BL)
From: Cameron Mabon <cmabon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 13:54:41 +0100 (BST)
In-reply-to: <357F98DB.D5CDCD13@kisser.net.au>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Thu, 11 Jun 1998, Peter wrote:

> Seems to me though, and again this is my HO and I am sure I will be shot down,
> but people who do get into that seem to disappear up their own you know what.
> Same as modern art. People might look at that and start discussing between them
> just how wonderful it is when really, they don't want to let face down with each
> other. they are just going along with it if you like.

This is a conversation I have had many times with a variety of musicians 
and non-musicians (namely, percussionists :). I think it should be 
possible to enjoy music without knowing anything about it (chord 
progressions, structure, etc.). I am the first to admit that I don't know 
very much at all about the musical structure behind Rachmanninov's 2nd piano 
concerto, but that doesn't stop me enjoying playing or listening to it. 

I think that many people are so obsessed with following the "workings" of 
modern music that they forget to actually listen to the music. If they 
are continually listening out for such and such a chord, or for 
particular melodic or harmonoic patterns, they lose the benefits of 
taking the music at face value. 

The analogy with modern art is appropriate. (Not so long ago, I remember a 
group of art critics were asked to comment on a set of colourful 
paintings. The majority agreed that the paintings were of significant 
merit, and read a lot into the brush strokes on the canvas. What they did 
not know was that the paintings had been produced by an elephant). 
Similarly, the effect of a good poem can be marred by looking too closely 
at every word in every line.

Regards,

Cameron

-- 
  Cameron Mabon (International Idiot)	   cmabon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Piano, cornet and duck-call
  Fundamental Brass	       http://users.ox.ac.uk/~newc0349/fun
  City of Oxford Band     http://www.jesus.ox.ac.uk/~cmabon/COSB.html

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- Re: Musical snobbery (was Re: Songs for BL)
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References:
- Re: Songs for BL (was National Test Piece)
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