The Power of Music I Music—so easy to understand and yet so inexplicable "…music remains…resistant to conventional forms of explanation” —Edward F. Kelly and Michael Grosso ♫ November 9 – December 14, :13

Outline of the Course I.Music—Easy to Understand yet Inexplicable II.Things we Do Understand about Music III. Hearing Music, Listening to Music IV. Musical Instruments, Musical Structures V. The Power of Music VI. Music Therapy 2

Course Website 3

Good books to accompany the course Elena Mannes, The Power of Music, 2011 Robert Jourdain, Music, the Brain, and Ecstacy, 1997 Don Campbell, The Mozart Effect, 1997 William Benzon, Beethoven’s Anvil,

Questions for Today What is music? Why is music so appealing? Why is music so powerful? 5 Without music, life would be a mistake. Nietsche

Aspects/components of music “Music”: an abstract category – Not one thing, but a composite of several – And they don’t all have to be present together Rhythm Tone – N.B.: The appeal of a single tone Melody – Prerequisite: Intervals Harmony Structure 6 More than anything else, rhythm and melody find their way to the inmost soul and take the strongest hold upon it. —Plato

Other composites Songs – Music with words Rap – Words with rhythm Dancing – Usually with music – Sometimes with only rhythm – Specialized form: ballet Opera – Music with words, story, costumes, sets 7

Observations on the Appeal and Power of Music Carl Jung and Margaret Tilly (Campbell 1997:169) Jazz and the ending of the Cold War (Campbell 1997: 266) 8 “When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable, I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.” —Thoreau (1857)

Is Music Universal? Do people all over the world have music? What similarities are found in music around the world? If all humans have music, it is (somehow) biologically built-in? – In our DNA? – If so, why is it there? What biological advantage does it confer? Maybe we have a basic biologically built-in capacity/predisposition for music – That gets shaped differently in different cultures 9

Is Music Universal? Is music built in? Maybe Inborn and developed differently in different cultures – Or lost if not exercised Absolute pitch – Chinese vs. Americans – Vietnamese (Mannes 49M) 10

Is Music Universal? Some song-types found all over the world: – Lullabies (Mannes 54L) African Armenian Native American – Laments (Mannes 54L) Musical elements found all over the world: – Intervals-melodies Musical elements not found everywhere – Chords 11

Is Music Universal? Similarities and differences in music around the world Some examples: Indonesia Uganda India Australia Congolese Congolese musicCongolese music Tibetan monks Tibetan monksTibetan monks Native American music: Hupa Brush-Dance songHupa Brush-Dance song 12

13 T h a t ‘ s I t f o r t o d a y !