(props up the oppression tool on the coffee table) While we were in class today, someone was discussing a piece by Verdi and an Italian folk song and how they are different. This got me thinking are they really that different? While you can easily argue their origins are different, are they not fundamentally the same? Are they not both musical medium? Do they bring out or result in the conveyance of a message or feeling? Do they both result in a reaction from listeners?
I guess the question i have at the core of this is why do people have such a overwhelming desire to label and to segregate. "That's Verdi, not some Italian folk song." "That's west coast pop punk, not east coast pop punk." While I'm not saying we should not indicate some differences, it is those similarities that lie at the core of our beings.
this is not a thought, but a "tentative statement"
S
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And a very good tentative statement! It seems to me that people label things to make it easier to catergorize in their brains. If nothing had a label, things would be much harder to keep track of. There are, of course, very real problems with labels--stereotyping, etc. However, it seems part of the human condition and all we can do is be aware of it and attempt to do less labeling ourselves. Also a tentative statement.
YES SHAUN! This is what I am saying- where is the line? is it about "canon"? What is the canon? Where can I find it? I could really rant right now but I think you have articulated quite well.
That certainly makes me think! It is probably as harmful to solely compare music for its similarities as to solely contrast it for its differences. Both methods of inquiry should be included for balance. Extending this practice to discussions of multicultural education and so forth, the "we're all the same" approach, without noting any differences in people of origin or the music they produce, could be aligned with colorblindness and other such phenomena. Conversely, it would be very difficult to establish a community if we seek only differences.
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