'A Commonsense View of All Music'
Reflections on Percy Grainger's Contribution to Ethnomusicology and Music Education

John Blacking restates and reflects upon observations and attitudes relevant to contemporary problems of ethnomusicology and music education.

John Blacking (Author)

9780521319249, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 November 1989

216 pages
21.6 x 13.8 x 1.6 cm, 0.29 kg

'The first chapter …evaluates Grainger's contribution to ethnomusicology … through the succeeding six chapters Blacking discusses many philosophical and political points touching on the nature of art and art objects, the relationship of individual to universal musical experience, the task of ethnomusicology, the origins of musical ideas, the definition of music in terms of human behaviour rather than just an art …act of organised sound and, significantly, the extension of music education to cover world music ... [Blacking] comes close to the heart of all debate on the nature of musical art: from where do musical ideas come?' The Musical Times

Taking Grainger's views as his starting point and heading each chapter with a quotation from Grainger's writings, John Blacking restates and reflects upon observations and attitudes relevant to contemporary problems of ethnomusicology and music education. Professor Blacking discusses these issues in the light of his own research, musical experience and convictions.

1. 'The complexity of folk music': evolution, invention and diffusion in music
2. 'The impress of personality in unwritten music': music as a means of communication and ethnomusicology as social science
3. 'Irregular rhythms': movement, dance, music and ritual
4. 'The world's most lovely melodies': form and feeling in unwritten music
5. Democratic polyphony: political and musical freedom
6. 'the goal of musical progress': music as work or as leisure?
7. 'Let all the world hear all the world's music': popular music-making and music education
Appendix A. A common sense view of all music Percy Grainger
Appendix B. Musical transcription Percy Grainger
Notes
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Individual composers & musicians, specific bands & groups [AVH], Folk & traditional music [AVGH], Theory of music & musicology [AVA]