Philosophy of music

Girard believes that Imitation is the basic mechanism of learning and contends that reproducing someone else’s behaviors can have a positive outcome. However, he also posits that when we imitate another’s desire for a given object; conflicts and rivalries may occur. He distinguishes this type of imitation as “mimesis.” He further classifies this potential conflict as “internal mediation.” Sheehan and Jordon place Girard’s theory of mimesis in a choral rehearsal context where the subject…

If anyone asks me what have motivated my life, my answer would be this: “The two gears that have been driving my life are art and social engagement.” Since childhood, I have experienced various genres of art, covering classical music, traditional Korean painting, and creative writing. With all these experiences, I fell in love with art, more specifically with the delights generated from expressing my imaginations and communicating others with the language of beauty. In the mean time, I have…

and artist, has been composing music since he was about 14 years old (Morrison). Upon entering Cornell at 16 years of age, Reich studied philosophy- focusing specific attention to the compositions of Paul Wittgenstein (Morrison). Wittgenstein was involved in a serious accident, leaving him with just his left arm, and so created piano arrangements designed to be played with one hand (Oram). Returning to Reich, he developed the use of repeating patterns in his music after he collaborated with…

Jazz, a music genre that originated from New Orleans with ties to blues and ragtime and had spread through the continental US during the early 20th century. This genre not only has ties to music but also art, literature, philosophy, and social organization. Jazz, the American Theme Song by James L. Collier details the economic and social developments in the United States that led to the creation of a new age known commonly as the Jazz Age as well as discussing music theory topics essential for…

himself/herself from other authors who have explored the same problem before or is it a completely new problem? The topic of music and its’ unifying effect in the early days of the American Republic has not been analyzed in great detail. Instead, historians have primarily focused on early American music as a divisive political tool. However, as Wood methodically points out, music was viewed as a valuable, unifying instrument in early American politics. Wood argues that political songs had a…

world. More importantly, they believe that the creation of jazz music is reserved for only African-Americans. This is evident when Roach says in his essay, “Beyond Categories”: “I am often asked, ‘Can whites play your kind of music?’ My answer is ‘Yes’...But no whites have ever contributed to the creative or innovative aspects of black music” (Roach 268), and when Jones comments in his essay, “Jazz and the White Critic”: “Negro music, like the Negro himself, is strictly an American phenomenon”…

described the philosophies that influenced your processes for decision making, thinking, and developing preferences? How would you have described your level of conscious choice of and commitment to these philosophies? What helped form or develop the belief in that philosophy? After class discussions, have you had any realizations or made any changes in regards to the philosophies that influences your decisions, actions, or preferences? Has your level of conscious choice to these philosophies…

Juan Luis Guerra was born in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic who is a producer, composer, singer, and songwriter. In his music, he implements jazz, salsa, merengue, bachata, blues, Afro-pop, soukous (French, African origins), gospel music, etc. Some of his influences were the Beatles and heard bachata elements in songs such as “Till There Was You” and “If I Fell” and on “Till There Was You,” where it used bongos. He heard African musician, Papa Wemba playing with Peter Gabriel in NY.…

Is it possible to recreate a historical event through music? Daniel Bukvich attempts this very feat in his piece Symphony No.1(In Memoriam, Dresden, 1945). This piece of music has been the topic of many discussions in the musical world, and I’m sure that it would be a hot topic in the philosophy world as well. In particular, I think that Aristotle and Leo Tolstoy would have a lot to say about this piece. Aristotle’s definition of art focuses on humans’ ability to mimic real life and create a…

Ra. Why did John F. Szwed, the author, write this book? The author wrote this book to tell the story about “Sun Ra-(“Herman Poole “Sonny” Blount”)” who had created unique music for a broad audience. Sun Ra wanted his unparalleled audience to desire more than just to be entertained. He wanted the world to understand his philosophies. He was also a philosopher and taught his audience his teachings. He took his audiences well beyond the domain of the artistic to those that are a part of the humane…