source file: mills2.txt Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 18:47:08 -0800 Subject: Re: Tail Wagging the Dog? From: Johnny Reinhard Since an instrumentalist, all the way through teaching theory, I have considered "music theory" as an abstraction, a scaffold built from music proper. Theorists were "after-the-fact" people that gave explanations for why things are the way they are. Significantly, this list indicates that this may no longer be so. With "microtonal" theory, composers are eager to follow the findings of theorists (some of whom may also be composers). Instrumentalists will put in the neccessary sweat to find fingerings, but first the music's theory must be adequately laid out. Frankly, I am elated that theory merits greater importance with its mapping of ever new pitch relationships. Microtonal theorists can be proud of the positive influence they have on new compositions and on the higher general understanding of players and listeners, oh...and instrument builders. Johnny Reinhard American Festival of Microtonal Music 318 East 70th Street, Suite 5FW New York, New York 10021 USA (212)517-3550/fax (212) 517-5495 reinhard@idt.net Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Fri, 28 Mar 1997 07:19 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA20217; Fri, 28 Mar 1997 07:19:37 +0100 Received: from ella.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA20212 Received: from by ella.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) id WAA28330; Thu, 27 Mar 1997 22:17:37 -0800 Date: Thu, 27 Mar 1997 22:17:37 -0800 Message-Id: <199703280615.WAA28269@ella.mills.edu> Errors-To: madole@mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@ella.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@ella.mills.edu