source file: mills2.txt Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 10:19:17 -0800 Subject: Re: Music therapy, metaphysics From: alves@orion.ac.hmc.edu (Bill Alves) I would like to second John's comments about the cultural relativism of the effects of music. I've sometimes wondered how 18th-century European philosophers, so disturbed over the question of variation of taste, would respond to the startling differences in interpretation of music between cultures. Wayne Vitale brought up a good example of this subjectivity: the Balinese gamelan angklung. This 4-tone per octave ensemble plays some of the most bright, lively, wonderfully happy melodies on the island, and yet it is associated with death rites and cremations. The Balinese explained to Wayne that they find the melodies melancholy, not bright or happy at all. On the other hand, if anyone wants to make a fast buck, there are Chinese modes and tones that, in their metaphysical music theory, are supposed to promote weight loss. I think a CD of this music, promoted in the right way, would be a big seller. (Please note that I'm not trying to be flip about the belief systems of the Chinese, just Western tabloid exploitation and shallowness.) Bill ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ Bill Alves email: alves@hmc.edu ^ ^ Harvey Mudd College URL: http://www2.hmc.edu/~alves/ ^ ^ 301 E. Twelfth St. (909)607-4170 (office) ^ ^ Claremont CA 91711 USA (909)621-8360 (fax) ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Wed, 2 Apr 1997 20:32 METZ Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA01518; Wed, 2 Apr 1997 20:32:30 +0200 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA01516 Received: from by ella.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) id KAA28927; Wed, 2 Apr 1997 10:30:46 -0800 Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 10:30:46 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@ella.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@ella.mills.edu