Re: What is Jewish Music?

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

The distinction between the composing of music (i.e., its source:  who, why, 
for whom, etc.) and how it is used seems to me very useful and important.  
It parallels the definition of folk music (generally) offered by Norm 
Cohen--he refers to it on the liner notes for at least two important 
collections of American folk music--which relies on not how the music 
originated (e.g., by known or unknown composers, as "popular" music or not, 
old or new) but on what *became* of it--on how people ("the folk," i.e.) use 
it and regard it.  Pete Seeger, I think, is very much in accord with 
this--as, fwiw, am I.  And I think this also accords with the definition 
offered by the late Richard Neumann (two n's, I think), which I believe I've 
shared before:  "the music of Jews at a given time and place."  In other 
words, the music that Jews hear/sing/regard as Jewish music.

--Robert Cohen




>I attempted to provide a means to evaluate cases which I stated was
>fluid and contingent and which permitted many variables of agency
>regarding the 'use' of music.  I had no intention of providing a
>formula that was failsafe and upon which everyone engaged in this
>debate would agree.  If one attempts to answer this question on a
>case-by-case basis in which only the composition and the composer are
>considered, I would recommend revisiting the definition, because
>using music and composing it are neither the same thing nor mutually
>inclusive.
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