Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "Music is the universal language of
mankind." If so, why are unfamiliar musical traditions sometimes
incomprehensible on first hearing? Is "music,"” in all its forms, truly a
universal language, or must it be learned as other languages are? What
makes music pleasing or strange to our ears? What makes it an effective
means of communication within and across cultures? Why is music such a
powerful form of expression and communication?
Through live performances, interactive musical activities, and
discussions
with experts on a variety of music cultures from around the world,
this
program will explore whether music is a truly universal form of
communication, or whether music from different cultures, like languages,
must be learned to be understood. Faculty panelists will include
Sue Tuohy, a scholar of Asian music, and Portia
Maultsby, a performer and scholar of African American music who
has studied its impact in other parts of the world, both from the Department of Folklore and
Ethnomusicology, and Shahyar
Daneshgar, a scholar from the Department of Central
Eurasian Studies who has performed and taught the music and culture of
the Silk Road people. The program will include performances by the International Vocal
Ensemble; the
Mbira Queens, an ensemble that performs Zimbabwean mbira
music; and Guido Sanchez and Alfredo
Minetti, who have played with the Latin American Music
Ensemble--as well as the opportunity to learn some music from other
cultures. The program and the reception that will follow are free and
open to the public.
Spring
2008 Programs |
Extracurricular
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