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MusicP
what is now called "currently popu–
lar teen-age music." There is jazz,
film and theater music, country–
westem, folk and soul. There are
classical symphonies, sonatas, op–
eras, oratorios andan array of other
forros of traditional, secular and sa–
cred music. There is electronic mu–
sic, serial music and music of the
avant-garde of whatever descrip–
tion. And new forms and styles,
often created by freely borrowing
from and integrating other forms of
music, appear so rapidly that it is
hard to keep up with them all. But
now look at the variety of music
outside the Westem system.
To the Australian aboriginal, mu–
sic may be a tribal chant about the
latest hunt, accompanied by a two–
note drone on a hollow eucalyptus
branch.
In Indonesia, music may mean
the sound of the venerated, tradi–
tional gong-chime orchestra, the
gamelon.
It comprises metal and
wooden chimes, each playing differ–
ent variations of the same melody
pattern simultaneously, and is punc–
tuated rhythmically by gongs and
drums.
Classical music in India may
mean a three-piece ensemble featur–
ing a plucked, stringed instrument
called the
sitar,
which elaborates the
melody, a pair ofsmall drums called
the
tabla,
which gives rhythmic or–
ganization, and a drone instrument
which supplies a continuing poiot of
reference.
To sorne African tribes, music
consists ofvarious drums playing an
intricate rhythmic web.
Opera among the Chinese in–
eludes elaborate costumes, painted
faces, stylized movements and often
PLAIN TRUTH May 1973
legendary or patriotic themes. There
are sorne 300 different varieties,
such as the highly developed Peking
variety, with its well-known use of
the high, nasal, falsetto voice.
These brief examples give an idea
of the tremendously wide variety of
music that exists in the world today.
But great though the variety of mu–
sic is in a broad cultural sense, it is
even greater in a personal and indi–
vidual sense.
Your Unique Response to Music
No two people are exactly alike.
And in few areas is this more appar–
ent than in the way we perceive and
respond to music. Even those with
similar backgrounds and experi–
ences will sometimes have remark–
ably differing musical tastes.
Music that is a rapturous delight
to one person may be boring to the
next. In fact, it
is
not at aH uncom–
mon for one person to enjoy a par–
ticular kind of music that others
would not even caU music! And
somewhere on earth there is proba–
bly someone doing something which
only he would !abe! as music.
Your response to music is as indi–
vidual as your fingerprints. Nobody
else could duplicate it exactly, even
if they tried. This response is both a
matter of your heredity and your
environment.
Sorne people seem to be virtually
"turned on" to music at birth.
Others may become sensitive and
cultured individuals with respect to
literature, paintings, etc., yet some–
how lack excitement for music.
They don't necessarily dislike it; it
just doesn't do that much for them.
But while we all grow up with dif–
ferent musical talents, in another
way, we were all born exactly the
same. At birth, each of us knew ab–
solutely nothing. Everything you
· know today, you acquired since you
were born - including your attitude
toward music and your musical
tastes.
Many of our attitudes were
largely formed before we were old
enough to become conscious of
them. One of the most importan!
keys to our response to music later
in life involves whether our early
childhood experiences with music
have been pleasant or unpleasant.
Many a weU-meaning parent has
caused a child to dislike music by
making childhood music lessons an
unpleasant experience. And many
an unqualified music teacher, lack–
ing perception and understanding,
has caused young students to learn
to hate music so deeply that it be–
comes extremely difficult to change
their attitudes toward it later in life.
On the other hand, many children
have leamed to !ove music because
of pleasant childhood experiences.
As an illustration, take the re–
cently published account of two
sixth grade classes in the same
school. It was found that in one
class, 86- percent of the students said
they disliked music; in the other
class, all the students said they liked
music. Both classes consisted of the
same cross-section of students from
tbe same neighborhood. The only
variable was the teacher.
Youngsters are very quick to pick
up the example of their parents,
their teachers and the society
around them. In many primitive so–
cieties, music is such a part and par–
ce! of everyday life that everyone
just naturally enjoys it. Yet in our
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