Cultural Considerations

Cultural Considerations

1. Cultural Knowledge

   • Issues
     • Insider/Outsider mentality
   • Solutions
     • Immersing yourself in another culture/learning about other cultures.

2. Value Systems and Hierarchies

   • Issues
     • Sense of "our music is the best", ethnocentrism.
   • Solutions
     • Introducing other cultures early on and encouraging open mindedness.

3. Music and Identity

   • Issues
     • Self perception of a culture or person being influenced by others' perceptions of them based on experience or stereotypes.
   • Solutions
     • > Being aware of styles and subcategories. > Being self aware of tradition and identity within a culture.

4. Use vs. Function

   • Issues
     • Affiliations of use and function being combined or mixed.
   • Solutions
     • Don't mix functions and uses EX:> Use in ceremonies> Function to cleanse

5. Music and Spirituality

   • Issues
     • Music affects everyone differently
   • Solutions
     • Learn how other cultures have belief in their music.

6. Music and Ethics

   • Issues
     • Used to influence people
   • Solutions
     • Rid of limitations on music so that the experience of other music can open peoples' minds.

7. Music and the Environment

   • Issues
     • > Noise pollution > The endangerment of many plant and animal species have caused many instruments to have be changed from their traditional forms.  > No transport of traditional instruments because of international environmental laws prohibiting certain materials in certain countries.
   • Solutions
     • > Preservation

8. New Theoretical Perspectives

   • Issues
     • Not truth, just interpretations
   • Solutions
     • Learn other culture's jargon.

9. Music Technologies and Media

   • Issues
     • Lose authenticity
   • Solutions
     • Experience a performance live or in its raw form.

10. Music and the Arts

    • Issues
      • Music is often associated with other aspects of art and their meanings.
    • Solutions
      • Use music for understanding context.

11. Transmission and Pedagogy

    • Issues
      • Seclusion of traditions > People who aren't given permission or access to certain teachings within a culture are separated from those who are because it is oral tradition. This can cause a rift in the culture.
    • Solutions
      • Written documentation of the teachings, so that they can be shared within the culture and throughout the world.

12. Notation Systems and the Creation of Music

    • Issues
      • Discrediting people who are not musically literate.
    • Solutions
      • Not put so much dependence on literacy of music and just enjoy it.

13. Exchange and Adaptation

    • Solutions
      • Documentation.
    • Issues
      • No preservation of instruments in their original/traditional form.