Soundscapes organizes the study of music in the way people encounter it - by its function in their lives and their communities. Through a series of case studies, this text presents the fundamentals of music in a variety of social and cultural settings. This three-CD set contains 75 selections, each accompanied by a listening guide in the text. A Web-site enables students to reinforce their studies and explore related topics.
In recent years classical music has become a test case for debates over the future of culture. As times have changed, the value traditionally placed on this music has been challenged on social rather than aesthetic grounds. Lovers of classical music have been asked how its privileged history can be reconciled with growing demands for social justice and social inclusiveness. They have been asked how the music’s standing as one of the great accomplishments of the West can be reconciled with the many injustices on which those accomplishments in part depended. How can the future of classical music escape the darker shadows of its past? ‘Classical Music in a Changing World: Crisis and Vital Signs’ addresses the crisis provoked by such questions in two complementary ways. Several of the chapters show how the classical music world is already grappling with the crisis, and finding vital signs beyond the borders of the music’s traditional European strongholds: in Turkey from Ottoman times to the present, in Colombia, and in a Black American film. Other chapters identify areas that still need improvement, especially on behalf of female and LGBTQ+ musicians, and suggest how advances can be made both on concert stages and in schools. This volume, which opens with an introduction by Alberto Nones that contextualizes the book and outlines the main arguments of its chapters, contains an essay by Lawrence Kramer that examines the place of classical music in the history of consciousness—a history now changing rapidly—and concludes with a Postscript written by the two editors. The writing in this volume will be accessible to a wide audience, including scholars and students, professionals and amateurs, performers and listeners. Teachers will find it a source of lively classroom debate, and scholars a source of learning outside the usual arenas. The book’s “vital signs” include the accompanying audio tracks (available for download at: https://vernonpress. com/book/1281), which feature vibrant music-making from a diverse range of performers and composers.
Twelve essays study the commercialization of ethnic music for markets in the developed world, and the impact on local music and performers in the third world. Drawing on a number of academic disciplines, and music from, among other places, West Africa, Indonesia, Slovenia, Colombia, Israel, and Cuba, the contributors challenge both traditional and progressive assumptions about music. No index. Distributed by St. Martins Press. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Music can either Connect You to God or Drive You to the Devil. God created the human race to enjoy music and to make music, and through music the world has been dramatically changed—for good and for evil. In this fascinating book Michael L. Brown takes the reader on a journey through the history of music—from classical to rock and from hip-hop to gospel—showing just how transformative music has been and how much God wants to use it to change the world again. Brown contends that it is time for all Christians to make a concerted effort to recover the potential of anointed music and song—in our assemblies and in society, in our services and on the streets, in studios and in schools. The counterculture revolution of the 1960s only succeeded with the help of satanically inspired music and mind-altering drugs. Could it be that today’s Jesus revolution can only succeed with the help of Spirit-inspired music and a life-altering encounter with God? What else will produce the necessary change in our perspective? After reading this book, believers will never again listen to music the same! They will finally understand its power and divine origin, but more importantly they will know how God wants to use it to usher in a global outpouring that will change the world forever. This book will show you how music can either indoctrinate or educate you, spark rebellion or patriotism, and drive you to the devil or draw you closer to God. “This book will stir up musicians, artists, and worshippers everywhere to dive deeper into an appreciation and adoration of the One Himself who created sounds, songs, and melodies!” —BECKAH SHAE, Dove Award-Nominated Singer/Songwriter “Musicians and non-musicians alike will be inspired by the powerful ways God intends to use music in today’s end-time drama.” —BOB SORGE, Author of Exploring Worship: A Practical Guide to Praise and Worship “Dr. Brown has written a must-read for all musicians, singers, and songwriters who desire to harness the power of music to glorify Jesus, change the atmosphere, and release heaven’s sound on the earth.” —KELANIE GLOECKLER, Worship Leader and Songwriter, Executive Director of Access Worship International
What do such artists as Bob Marley, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nina Simone, and Sun Ra have in common? All created uniquely powerful musical art that had a profound effect on their audiences. Through their music and their lives they became forces for liberation, challenging the established order and inspiring people around the world to look at life in new ways. So great was their originality that to a large extent they created their own musical genres, and listeners claim the music leads them to a higher state of being. Great Spirits: Portraits of Life-Changing World Music Artists presents personal encounters with some of the most interesting and important musical artists of the past fifty years--Bob Marley, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nina Simone, Sun Ra, Augustus Pablo, the Neville Brothers, Yabby You, and Nadia Gamal. Based on the author's meetings and interviews with these giants, the pieces reveal the unique essence of each musician as a person, as an artist, and as a force for social change. Spanning the realms of jazz, blues, reggae, gospel, African, and Middle Eastern music, these artists epitomize musical creation at its highest level.
Music industry veterans Robbie Robertson, Jim Guerinot, Jared Levine and Sebastian Robertson invite younger readers to share the celebration of 27 musical legends. Carefully compiled like a great playlist, the line-up features originators, rebels and risk-takers across diverse genres. From Ray Charles to Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry to Bob Dylan, Robertson shares anecdotes about these artists and the influence they had on his own musical journey. Filled with personal stories of creativity and collaboration that will fascinate, enlighten and inspire music fans of all ages.
At once joyous and somber, this thoughtful gathering of new and selected essays spans Kathleen Dean Moore's distinguished career as a tireless advocate for environmental activism in the face of climate change. In this meditation on the music of the natural world, Moore celebrates the call of loons, howl of wolves, bellow of whales, laughter of children, and shriek of frogs, even as she warns of the threats against them. Each group of essays moves, as Moore herself has been moved, from celebration to lamentation to bewilderment and finally to the determination to act in defense of wild songs and the creatures who sing them. Music is the shivering urgency and exuberance of life ongoing. In a time of terrible silencing, Moore asks, who will forgive us if we do not save nature's songs?
U2’s significant career far exceeds that of most average successful rock bands, with a prolific output of thirteen well-received studio albums and a sometimes relentless touring schedule. The band is famous for uniquely drawing together music, art, faith, and activism, all within a lucrative career that has given each of these elements an unusual degree of social and cultural resonance. Broad-minded musically and intellectually, U2’soutput is thematically rich, addressing a slew of topics, from questions of faith to anxieties about commercialism to outright political statements. With one of the largest fan bases in the history of rock music, U2 and their work require contextualization and exploration. In U2: Rock ’n’ Roll to Change the World, Timothy D. Neufeld takes up this challenge. Neufeld explores U2’s move from the youthful idealism of a band barely able to play instruments through its many phases of artistic expression and cultural engagement to its employment of faith and activism as a foundation for its success. This book outlines how U2 reshaped the very musical and even political culture that had originally shaped it, demonstrating through close readings of its musical work the dynamic interplay of artistic expression and social engagement.
The Music Export Business examines the workings of the fast-changing world of music industry exports. The music industry is in a state of flux, resulting from changes in technology, markets, government policies and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. In analysing the ability of organisations to access international markets from inception, this book assesses global trends in music industry business models, including streaming and national export policies. The book deploys author interviews with industry insiders including musicians, managers, record labels and government stakeholders, using case studies to highlight cultural and economic value creation in a global value chain Providing research-based insights into "export readiness" in the global music industry, this book reassesses the "born global" phenomenon, providing a unique and valuable resource for scholars and reflective practitioners interested in the evolving relationship between music industries, national economies, government policies and cultural identity. .
