Re: honesty

[Alex J. Lubet <lubet001...>]

Judith is correct of course.  All music is ethnic in that it comes from
folks who have cultural backgrounds.  We can try to parse things out between
oral and notated traditions, but that quickly gets us into other quandries.
For example, Patricia Sheehan-Campbell has written about the degree to which
the greatest Western classical violinists have studied with a handful of
great teachers who transmit an oral tradition of the interpretation of
notated works.  On the other hand, the transmission of 'oral tradition'
musics often relies extensively on notation.  Much of what I know about
playing the blues (a passion I share with lots of Jewish musicians) comes
from my collections of transcriptions into tablature by (surprise!) Stefan
Grossman, who apprenticed with guitarist Reverend Gary Davis.  The term
ethnic is one I used as convenient rather than definitive, one most of us
seem to agree on as a reasonably safe identifier.  Taxonomy is a very blunt
instrument.



Judith R Cohen wrote:

> hi, I'm not sure what is even meant by "ethnic" music,(I remember a
> colleague in FOlklore STudies having a button made, and proudly wearing
> it - "English is ethnic too!")
> In Sephardic (and other as well of course) music, I would much rather
> listen to a very innovative performance which is honestly presented as
> innovative, than to one which claims to be "authentic" or "historical"
> or whatever, and is anything but (even given the dubious value of words
> like "authentic".) If it's presented honestly, I can sit back and enjoy
> it (or not enjoy it) based on musical criteria, and often do enjoy it;
> but if it's presented as "authentic" which it hardly ever is then I end
> up so annoyed that appreciating the music as music becomes difficult.
> Judith
>

--
Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music and Jewish Studies
Adjunct Professor of American Studies
University of Minnesota
2106 4th St. S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612 624-7840 612 624-8001 (fax)


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