Musics Of Many Cultures

The foremost authorities in the field of music from around the world have contributed twenty original essays for this volume, edited by Elizabeth May. Only European musics have been omitted, except insofar as they affect other musics discussed here. North American music is represented by the musics of the Native Americans and the Alaskan Eskimos. The essays are profusely illustrated with maps, drawings, diagrams, photographs, and music examples. There are extensive glossaries, bibliographies, and annotated film lists. The book is directed to readers seriously interested in acquainting themselves with musics beyond the confines of Western musicology. Contributors include Bruno Nettl, Kuo-huang Han and Lindy Li Mark, Kang-sook Lee, William P. Malm, David Morton, Bonnie C. Wade, Margaret J. Kartomi, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Trevor A. Jones, Atta Annan Mensah, John Blacking, Alfred Kwashie Ladzekpo and Kobla Ladzekpo, Cynthia Tse Kimberlin, Jozef M. Pacholczyk, Ella Zonis, Abraham A. Schwadron, David P. McAllester, Lorraine D. Koranda, and Dale A. Olsen. Please note: this book was originally published with records. The edition available now does not include the records. We are hoping to make the original recordings available in some other way.

Twenty essays, on various musics of the world outside the European tradition."Musical Times.

On ethnomusicology

Take students in grades 5 and up on a field trip without leaving the classroom using Music of Many Cultures! In this 80-page book, students explore the musical traditions of Southeast Asia, Latin America, India, ancient Persia, and Africa. The book covers topics such as the bells of Bali, the dances of Latin America, Holi in Allahabad, Bengali poetry duels, and Jongo drums. The book presents and reinforces information through captivating reading passages and a variety of fun, reproducible activities. It also includes a complete glossary, index, and answer key.

Musics of Many Cultures is designed to guide students through the diverse chapters of Elizabeth May's textbook for college and university world music classes. The workbook will help both music and non-music majors to more clearly understand the materials in the book; it will also aid in preparations for exams.

The purpose of this book of essays is to provide a novel sort of introduction to music. Struck by the fact that most introductions to the art are oriented toward an historical approach or, on the other hand, cover the field of music systematically by giving attention to selected parameters such as melody, rhythm, and harmony, or to genres of music such as symphony, opera, and song, the authors were impressed by the attractiveness of an approach that focuses on music in the contemporary world, and particularly on the way in which it interacts with those social, political, and cultural processes that distinguish the twentieth century. The authors have attempted to produce a group of original essays, each of which is devoted to an approach to the study of music and musical culture, and which has one repertory or culture as its main topic of discussion. The authors view the contemporary world as consisting of the industrialized nations of the West and the developing countries of the Third World; they include among contemporary musics all sorts of musical styles that have come into existence in the twentieth century, whether their background is part and parcel of the twentieth century or whether it is to be ultimately sought in the distant past. The authors feel also that the reader will be interested in musics of the educated and elite as well as those of the broad masses of urban and rural population.

"This volume contains a wide-ranging survey of musics of the world in historical and social contexts, from ancient times to the present day. It begins by describing aspects of musical style and function in relation to the early developments of civilizations, as background to a study of later transformations. It then describes, in some detail, musical traditions of Africa and Asia, in relation to history/geography and to other aspects of culture. A compendium of information currently available as well as a dialectical examination of musical causation and function, this book aims to lead students, teachers, and those who practice Western music towards a deeper understanding of the various musical traditions that contribute to the modern, multicultural environment."--Publisher's description