THE PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC







A Study in Thought

sa090



by





Marius Heuff

Chapter 1

Content

The world around us, and the assumptions we make about it.
We give the quality of existence to everything we are aware of in our particular world.
We create the realities of the present and the past, and we project or imagine the potential realities of the future.
The specifically human and biological nature of the world we exist in.
A look at the special sense-organs of sight and hearing.
The world of sound and music.
In the final analysis, philosophy has always a pragmatic objective.
The beauty of music, knowledge and understanding merge in the purpose of finding an enhanced level of viability in the experience of satisfaction.
When sound acquires a conscious significance on its own; the abstraction of sound.
The isolation associated with an inability to see or hear.
Experiments with sensory deprivation.
The nature of hallucinations.
We need a continuous contact with our environment through special and general sense-organs.
The perception of reality is a function of an intact and consciously aware human being.
The three-dimensional sphere of visual and auditory realities.
The perception of reality does not require the quality of a verbalisable awareness.
A non-verbalisable sense of "familiarity".
The function of stereoscopic vision.
The projection of space through binaural hearing and vision.
The physiology of hearing.
The functions of sight and hearing during the emergence of symbolic representations.

The world appears to us as an enormously vast complex of transient or changing phenomena, together with a variety of more stationary conditions or items of existence. As a rule, we seem to have little influence upon this world; at least, our ability to influence the natural and social surroundings is limited, in particular, if we look a little further than our immediate environment.

We also assume, largely subconsciously, that the people around us, as well as the multitudes we can see at the periphery of our personal horizon, share essentially the same world, be it, each from our own particular vantage-point, and, we assume, that the world exists independently, or, nearly independently, of our own particular existence, even, if we realise, that, we, collectively, may have an enormous impact upon this world; as we can see in the problems of pollution, over-crowding, warfare and resource scarcities.

Yet, if we think about it, carefully, we realise, that we give a name to all these separate items and phenomena of existence, just as we give a name to each other, and, if we think again, we realise, that, each one of us gives the quality of existence to whatever exists in our particular world, because "our world" is, in essence, a composite of all we know, are aware of, or think about.

It may not be so obvious to us that we create, indeed, the world around us in the form of a sphere of awarenesses, and, it may not really matter to us, that we give the quality of existence to whatever exists in the sphere of our reality perceptions. It may not concern us a great deal, as yet, that we create the reality of today, as well as the realities of the past (so far as we know this past), and we may not realise, that we even create, in the present, the imagery of possible future events or items of existence.

It may leave us cold, that some of us interpret reality this way, and, that we see ourselves as the central creator of a Universe of awarenesses, which spans, not only, the present, but, also, the past and the future. However, I am convinced, that, some day, it will matter a great deal, to most people, that man creates, indeed, a sphere of reality around himself with observable, describable and communicable items and events.

Some day, we will become more aware of the specifically human and biological nature of our particular world of realities, hopes and fears, because, some day, we will realise, far more clearly than we do today, that such a way of looking at reality will be immensely helpful in settling our disputes; in recognising each other's needs and requirements; in avoiding violent conflicts and devastating acts of warfare.

As we have mentioned, so often, a relativistic reality perception is needed, before we can discuss meaningfully, with each other, the design and creation of a global order of justice, and, in this essay, we will examine the specifically human, but biologically determined, world of sound, which seems to fuse, at least, on a physiological level, with the world of sight and the other realities of the world we live in. Let us see, then, how important our two main special sense-organs are in building-up a confident imagery of reality, and, let us see, how the world of sound evolves, at least, for many of us, to a world of music.

In essence, the world of music is based on a process of becoming consciously aware of the sounds that exist around us, including the sounds we can deliberate produce with our voice, our mouth, hands or with a variety of implements, which happen to be around us, or, which may have been specifically created to produce a variety of sounds.

In the third essay of this "trilogy" on the philosophies of various faculties, we will examine the world of knowledge and conscious awareness, as well as the institutions needed to transfer the culture of knowledge and learning, while, in the second essay, we will concentrate, in detail, upon the methods of communication upon which all our awarenesses and reality perceptions rest.

However, the main purpose is not to review, how we can make a variety of sounds, and, how they may, eventually, fuse into a sophisticated piece of music, nor, is it our intention to merely trace the psychological mechanisms behind the desire to make music, or, to examine the impact of musical sounds and the art of enjoying music by listening to it. All these aspects are important, because we need to know about them in order to understand what is happening, when we are experimenting with sounds and rythms, but, the overall goal is to trace the importance of our senses; here, in particular, our sense of hearing, as well as our abilities to manipulate and experiment with the perception and interpretation of our auditory realities.

In the final analysis, philosophy has always a pragmatic purpose. It always has the objective to understand ourselves better; to make life more meaningful and easier for ourselves; not by dominating others, but, by understanding and cooperating with others, and, by understanding and cooperating with those, who are potential enemies or actual rivals. The beauty of music, just as the beauty of knowledge and understanding, finds its meaning in the purpose of finding an enhanced degree of viability for everyone, who is willing to seek a solution to the problems of competitive strife in a process of increasing inter-dependence.

However, let us not dwell upon overall goals here, because we hope, that these objectives will eventually emerge as natural, and, even, unavoidable conclusions of our discussions and considerations. Let us proceed by tracing the evolution of the ability to hear, and, let us trace, in a speculative manner, how man became, eventually, consciously aware of a large number of images; images, that were originally inextricably linked to a large number of sounds. However, slowly, the sound acquired a focus of attention and a concious awareness on its own, and, this gave man an opportunity, as well as an incentive, to experiment with producing deliberately a variety of sounds.

What a disaster is it, when we lose our sight, but, how complete is the disappearance of our world of realities, if we deliberately place ourselves in a situation, where we cut ourselves completely off from all the lights and sounds which stimulate our special sense-organs, every moment of our waking hours.

If we make an attempt to exclude other sensory perceptions as well, such as those of touch, temperature and proprioception, (by immersion in a warm or luke-warm bath), we come to the startling conclusion, that we lose, quickly, the ability to "know reality". The world of existence has disappeared; we lose track of time; we are unable to orient ourselves and, soon, we can not distinguish between images that well-up from our memory-banks and the sub-conscious zone of our awarenesses, and, the images that represent a reality. The memory of the actual reality we lived in, before this experiment with total sensory deprivation began, fades quickly, and, the perception of reality merges with imageries of fantasy and fear, hope or expectation. They all start to mingle in a vivid dream or nightmare, which may become so intense, that we fear to lose our sanity.

The crux of the matter lies in the fact, that we need a continuous contact with our environment through our special and general sense-organs, in order to live normally and happily in our particular world. The fragility of our reality perceptions has been brought home to us by extreme isolation experiments, as well as the break-down in reality perceptions that can occur, when we are extremely fatigued, or under the influence of a number of hallucinogenic drugs. These awarenesses, observations and studies support the conclusion, that the perception of reality is a biological function of an intact and consciously aware human organism.

The sense of hearing, or, the ability to perceive a large variety of sounds, varying in their frequency from about thirty cycles per second to fifteen or twenty thousand cycles per second, must have been of great value in the struggle for survival, just as the ability to see became quickly indispensible for most animals, because they had to move through their environment, either, to hunt for food and seek shelter, or, to find a mate.

Just as most objects and events radiate diffusely a certain amount of light back into the environment, whenever they are illuminated directly or indirectly by the light of the sun, so are many, if not most phenomena, especially, those with an element of change, creating some sort of a disturbance in the air. This disturbance travels as a wave-front to the hearing devices of an organism, and, these traveling sound-waves may, therefore, reveal the presence of a particular phenomenon. In our world of reality, the human being has emphasised the awareness of items and events in visual terms, but, nearly all these observable events or items of existence have an audible component as well. The audible component becomes clear, when we consider the many items we use or manipulate, such as tools or utensils.

Certainly, the sun, the moon and the stars are silent, even, if people have imagined them, also, to be a source of sound, but the wind and the waves, the leaves and the trees, the grasses and the seeds, the brooks and the animals; in short, everything that can move or be moved, be it by the wind or the force of its own musculo-skeletal system; everything that can move, can make a sound, and, we may add, also, the rumblings of the thunder, the frightening noises of a volcanic eruption, or the low rumble of an earth-quake. Sound and sight mingle everywhere, and they build for us the fundamental structure of our reality perceptions.

However, the perception of reality does not have to have the quality of a verbalisable awareness, where the individually discernible items and phenomena of existence can be named separately. If we look at the sophisticated mammals, we see, that they have the same special and general sense-organs, and, they, too, receive, almost continuously, throughout their waking hours, a stream of sense-impressions, which is being classified by the brain with the help of the faculty of memory into "familiar" or "known" entities. There is occasionally an unusual sense-impression that alerts the animal and triggers an automatic response of "alertness", where the less or unfamiliar sight or sound, or, some other composite sense impression, is evaluated "consciously". However, animals do not have a human type of conscious awareness with the ability to put a name or verbal symbol upon their awarenesses.

The sense of vision emphasises, strongly, a spatial orientation, even, without the help of the faculty of binocular vision. In binocular or stereoscopic vision, the image acquires the quality of "depth", or a three-dimensional spatial orientation. However, there is a spatial orientation possible, even with one eye, because the function of a single eye is centered around the ability to perceive a composite, spatial image that is projected through the lens upon the retina.

However, as a rule, the visual images arise from both eyes. A particular visual image is, then, translated into a binary code of nerve-impulses and is transmitted to the brain, point by point, with the help of numerous nerve-channels. These impulses reach the primary visual areas of the brain, where the image is "processed" and integrated with a near-identical image from the other eye, which has been transmitted to the brain via a similar system of neural connections. At least, this mechanism exists in those species' that have developed stereoscopic vision with overlapping visual fields.

In the faculty of sight, a distinction between the various frequencies of the electro-magnetic spectrum is perceived as different colours, while the frequency-variations of sound are noted as a different pitch. The range of frequency-variations is much greater in the faculty of hearing compared to the faculty of sight, but one ear can not receive a "spatial" picture of sound. The determination of the direction where the sound is coming from, depends on the "stereo-effect" of binaural hearing, which is based on the ability to hear slight differences between the sensory input upon the ears. With one ear, it becomes more difficult to locate a sound accurately, but with a mobile external ear, or, with the ability to move the head and determine the direction from where the sound is heard best, an organism can locate the origin, or, at least, the direction of the sound, even, if it has to work with only one ear.

When the ear with its external, sound-gathering shield is located broad-side to the beam of sound waves, the reception will be maximal, and, this helps in determining the direction of an auditory stimulus. The ear has a remarkable capability to register a large number of vibrations simultaneously, because the inner ear contains a large number of sensors along a helical scale. These can be stimulated, simultaneously, by a complex pattern of standing waves in the fluid, the endolymph, that bathes this scale of hearing sensors.

The point we want to make here, is the fact, that it was obviously existentially important for many animal species' to develop these specialised sensory capabilities, because the capabilities of hearing and vision, as well as smell, allow an animal to sense, detect and recognise a large number of phenomena and happenings at a great distance; without the need for close physical contact. Close contact is necessary, if we explore the world around us with the more generalised sense of touch. If we keep in mind, that our ability to perceive a large number of sounds and rythms represents a biological heritage of our organic existence, we can trace, at least, in a general way, how these capabilities form the foundation for the ability of making and appreciating music. Let us sketch the evolution of the sense-impressions, in particular, those of sight and sound, when the species of man began to emerge in that dim and distant past, and started to experiment with the techniques of a deliberate recall of its mental imagery.

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Chapter 2

Content

A review of the evolution of symbolic representations.
A complex "re-play" of sights, sounds and emotions.
Abstractions.
Deliberately making a sound for its own sake.
A look at the ability to make specific sounds.
The function of "echo-location".
Vocalisations, seen as a form of communication.
The synchronisation of moods.
Pre-symbolic and symbolic forms of communication.
A "ground-tone" for the more intellectual and conceptual communication of specific information.
The wide range of human vocalisations.
Variations of sounds; in pitch and duration, intensity and rythm.
Deliberate musical variations with the vocal cords seem to be a typically human pass-time.
The act of "singing".
Vocalisations, that are controled and sustained, as well as deliberately varied in pitch, rythm and intensity.
Mechanisms of cultural transfer.
Is the ability to sing closely related to the ability to speak?
The singing of birds.
The factor of conscious awareness, when appreciating the qualities of a particular sound.
Human singing is essentially different from bird-song.
The vocal cords become an instrument under conscious and deliberate control.
The limitations of the human voice.
The sense of "tonality".
The voice can only produce one tone at the time.
The world of tonal harmony had to wait, until man developed the the ability to sing together at different tone-levels.
The emergence of the multi-stringed instrument.

When man started to explore the possibilities of image-recall with the help of gesticulations, mimicry and other representative imitations of a variety of memory-traces, man had already inherited a full set of special sense-organs, and, we assume, that the perception of reality occurred along similar, physiological and subconscious mechanisms as they are still taking place in the non-verbalising, but highly developed mammals and anthropoids.

The recall of a mental image into the focus of awareness by such imitations and gesticulations, whenever the members of the small social grouping were watching the antics of one of their fellow members, must have been a powerful and highly emotional event, and, the significance of this evolutionary development lay in the fact, that, in this way, highly significant experiences and memory-traces could voluntarily be brought back into a focus of conscious awareness. We have discussed, before, the fact, that non-verbalising animals have to wait, until they experience an analogous situation, before the appropriate memory-trace is evoked into a focus of awareness.

With the help of symbolic representations, it became possible to recall a large number of experiences and memory-traces, without the need to experience an analogous situation with its similar existential significance or dangers. It is safe to assume, that, a particular memory-trace would, initially, be recalled "en bloc", and, this means, that a whole series of events with all the details of sounds, sights and emotions would be triggered into a recall, or a "re-play", by a successful symbolic representation.

Only later, when the ability to recall memory-traces became common-place, was it possible to recall, or focus attention upon, specific details, and, if we are allowed to make a large jump to the most recent and sophisticated techniques of symbolic representation and mental recall, speech, we see, that it then became possible to start "naming" a variety of "details", or separately discernible awarenesses. We have seen, how "qualities" found, eventually, a separate form of mental representation as an "abstraction"; such as a colour, the texture or the feel of an object, its size, or shape, etc., and, we may postulate, that it also became possible to focus attention upon the audible details or components of a specific awareness.

Man learned to see, and hear, a large number of awarenesses separately, which were originally part and parcel of the totality of a complex event, and, we see, that the concept of "sound", or "light", is an abstraction of a large number of separate and individually discernible events, which share a common denominator; the quality of sound, or the phenomenon of being visible, or, being illuminated by light.

It seems safe to assume, that man's elaborate acts of symbolic representation would, not only, be a pantomime, but included, in all probability, a large number of vocalisations and other, specifically created sounds, which would help to evoke a sense of recognition in the onlookers and participants of such a communal act of memory-recall. This means, that, man had already a long tradition of making sounds, vocally as well as with the help of crude implements, or, with the clapping of hands and stomping of feet, before the awareness of sound arose as an abstraction, and, before the deliberate intention evolved of making a sound for its own sake.

We should look, for a moment, at the evolution of the ability to make specific sounds. As always, we see, that a specific capability arises in response to a need, or, at least, it has to produce an existential advantage. We are not thinking, here, about the many sounds animals can make as an incidental phenomenon to their locomotion; their ability to fly or to move around. If a specific organ develops, such as the larynx with its vocal cords, the sound is emitted for a specific reason. This can be a method of navigation, such as "echo-location", but, this is a rare and somewhat misleading example, because in echo-location, sound plays a role that is generally played by the sense of vision.

Vocalisations and other associated sounds, such as snorting, stamping hoofs, etc. are all a form of communication. With it, an animal indicates to others in the herd, or the flock, that there is a danger, or, the sounds and gestures may form an elaborate courting ritual; or, the cry may indicate various forms of distress. We may also see a vocalisation take place at a moment of triumph or ecstasy, such as when a prey is captured, or at the climax of copulation.

The common denominator, here, seems to be, that the utterance of a specific sound, such as a cry, a moan, a snort, or combination of sounds and postures, has the purpose to communicate to others a particular "mood". The mood, or status of alertness, may be one of caution and suspicion, or, it may be an awareness of danger, or, the mood may be one of stress. This may vary from a whimper, when the level of stress is mild, or, it may be a final, agonising cry, as the animal senses that it is about to die.

As we have mentioned, the vocalisation plays an important role in sexual contacts, because the moods of two different, and, often, somewhat competitive animals have to be synchronised. We may summarise these various behavioural phenomena by saying, that, vocalisations, sounds and gestures form, together, a vehicle for communications. This communication is not symbolic or conceptual in nature, but, it serves as a "synchroniser of moods".

We have discussed, on several occasions, the many forms of communication that developed, before we see the specifically human capability of communicating with symbolic representations. These pre-human communications do not evoke specific memory-traces or experiences, relating to a specific event, but, they convey a general "feeling", or ground-tone, which is a particular form of awareness that is centered around one of the three existential poles; defense, aggression or sexuality. We also know, that, we, as human beings, still communicate in essentially the same manner, but, because we have developed this rapid and sophisticated form of symbolic communication, or speech, we see, that the emotional communication, (the forms of communiation that convey a mood, or, perhaps, a more specific and more transient emotion), functions as a sort of "ground-tone", or undertone, for the more intellectual and conceptual communications.

The human being shows this range of vocalisations in full. We see, how an infant cries when it experiences some form of distress, and, it may make soft, babbling noises when it is content. Soon, the range of expressions, as well as the type of vocalisations become more varied. There is a difference between the vocalisations of anger and distress, fear and frustration, pain and sorrow, happiness and sadness, triumph and relief, etc.

All these vocalisations involve the utterance of sounds that vary in pitch and duration, intensity and rythm, but, we still do not see any of the deliberate "musical" variations in the ability to produce sounds. These musical variations resulting from a deliberate manipulation of the vocal cords, seem to be a typically human pass-time. So far as I know, the vocal cords and the laryngeal structures of many mammals, and, certainly, our close relatives, the anthropoids, are structurally and functionally not any different from our own, and yet, it seems, that the human child, after it has become two or three years old, will spontaneously experiment with an act of "singing".

In the act of singing, a child experiments, primarily subconsciously, with vocalisations that are controled in pitch, and, these vocalisations are deliberately varied in rythm as well as pitch. However, we see, here, already an important cultural transfer at work, because this experimentation with a deliberate act of singing seems to occur at the time the child begins to manipulate word-symbols, and, it seems, that these word-symbols are often set, spontaneously, to some sort of an impromptu melody. We should not forget, that the child has heard singing from the other members of its social environment, and, just as it starts to absorb the cultural currency of names, so is it understandable, that the human child learns to "sing"; or, at least, it learns to excercise its vocal cords in a way that is based on imitation, and, later, these abilities may become refined into the art of singing.

It would be interesting to know, whether or not the ability to sing is closely related to the ability to speak. So far as I know, the human being is the only animal that can sing, in the sense, that it can deliberately vary the pitch and duration of sounds that come from its vocal cords. A bird can sing, because it has evolved a genetically instructed imprint to emit a short and nearly invariable repertoir of sounds that are often "musical" to our ears, because they may represent a sound that is maintained for a short period at a specific pitch, and has, therefore, the definition of a "tone". The human being has no genetically instructed repertoir of songs, and, it seems, that the ability to produce musical tones, or notes, is the result of an ability to become consciously aware of the peculiar and appealing characteristics, when the vocalisation is maintained at a steady pitch and intensity; at least, for a few seconds, until the need to take a breath makes an end to the effort to sustain a musical tone with the vocal cords.

It seems useful to link the capability of infinitely varied song in the human being to the ability to be consciously aware of the qualities of a particular sound. This awareness is stimulated by examples from other members in the environment, and, it is promoted by a specific process of "teaching". The adult generation teaches, step by step, with the help of examples, as well as verbal symbols and concepts, how it is possible to gain even more and better control over one's vocal cords, so that an individual can, eventually, imitate, faithfully, a particular song or melody in an act of singing.

If we see the capability of singing in this light, we also see the reasons, why it is essentially different from the song of birds, in spite of the fact, that some birds seem to have a remarkable capability to reproduce or imitate sounds and vocalisations from its environment. We see, then, that human singing is very closely related to the capabilities of conscious awareness; of abstraction, deliberate experimentation and imitation, as well as to the capability to analyse and comprehend the act of singing in conceptual and intellectual terms.

For these reasons, the voice, (the larynx with its vocal cords and the nerves that allow a finely shaded variation in tension of these vocal cords), becomes an "instrument" that can be finely tuned and expertly manipulated by a combination of "feeling" or talent, (which is a natural endowment), intelligence and expert teaching or coaching, as well as the persistent and patient pursuit of a high standard of excellence. We see, therefore, that the art of singing brings into play a large variety of features, or qualities, which are specifically human and require, in their ultimate, professional and artistic form, a complete and total dedication of the entire personality; with a life-long pursuit of the goals of excellence, beauty and integrity.

Yet, the human voice has also great limitations, in spite of the fact, that it is traditionally regarded as man's most perfect and beautiful musical instrument. The range is, often, quite limited. The infinite variety of pitch makes it more difficult to develop a sense of "tonality", or, a feeling for the basic relationships between musical tones of various pitch levels. Neither is the voice is a very good instrument to accentuate rythmical variations, or, perhaps, even, more importantly, the continuity that comes with a persistent rythmical beat.

Finally, the voice can only produce one tone at the time, and, the world of tonal harmony had to wait, until man developed the discipline and the ability to sing, together, at more than one tone level, such as we see in the performance of a choir. The sense of harmony came really into its own, when the development of multi-stringed instruments made it possible for a single individual to "tune" a variety of strings in a specific pattern, and, to experiment with the tonal qualities that emerged, when a number of properly tuned strings were producing a sound, or, a series of tones, simultaneously.

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Chapter 3

Content

Learning about harmonic relationships.
A personal note about my musical interests.
The psychological function of music.
Nearly everyone is somewhat sensitive to the beauty of music.
Music is often used to communicate a mood or feeling.
The non-symbolic meaning of sound.
Music can be used for a variety of specific purposes; to impress, to elevate spirits, to foster a martial or euphoric attitude, or to induce an atmosphere of nostalgia or romance.
Anticipating "a concert".
Wanting to be "swept-off our feet"
A life-long devotion to bringing a high-quality performance.
The beguiling persuasiveness of the ability to express, fluently and accurately, a wide variety of moods in an intriguing and appealing idiom.
The inter-actions between musicians and audience involve a large spectrum of communications that can be partially verbalised as psychological mechanisms.
The nostalgic factor when listening to music.
Music is much more than the production of "pleasing sounds".
When the sounds of a musical sequence became divorced from a conceptual meaning.
The evolution of polyphonic sound.
Multiples or simple partials of each other's vibrational characteristics.
A genuine artist seeks a new or personal meaning within a framework of traditional and proven techniques.
The wide range of musical appreciation.
A unique opportunity to be persuasive, brilliant and dominant without harming anyone.
The combination of musical sounds and text; the song.
Shifting the emphasis from text to sound.
The world of "classical music".

Let us not give the impression, however, that the sophisticated, multi-stringed instruments were the only way in which man learned about the possibilities of harmonies, or the simultaneous sounding of multiple tones. Many objects when struck, will emit a more or less definite tone, such as a hollow tree or branch, or a piece of hardwood; or, a specific sound will be generated, if the wind blows over a hollow object, or past a reed.

A variety of sounds could be produced simultaneously, but, because it depended upon the haphazard chance of several, or, at least, two objects making a sound together, as well as upon a peculiar or specific harmonic relationship between these objects, the experience of a particular harmonic quality must have been a rare and fleeting moment that was difficult to reproduce. For this reason, we may assume, that the sophisticated exploration and experimentation with sound, sound-clusters or harmonies, or different sound and tonal qualities, as they arise from different implements, only arose, when man had, indeed, developed the technical and intellectual capability to make a large number of specific musical instruments; when man had a sophisticated social organisation to teach a number of people to sing in a chorus, and, to sing together, at varying levels of pitch.

It is not my intention, here, to retrace, in any detail, the history of music, because many capable people have written scholarly books about it, and, I am far from an expert in this field. I enjoy music as a listener, and, to some extent, I enjoyed making music on an instrument, but, by and large, music functions for me as a back-ground to thinking. This does not mean, that I use the music as "background noise". On the contrary; I often listen to music with earphones, and, I am, then, totally engulfed by sound, but my thoughts often wander-away from a specific intellectual attention to the way the music has been composed, or is being played. Music helps me to relax and think, even, if "demanding" music often absorbs my interest. However, once music is "familiar", even, the most complicated music becomes relaxing, as it is a joy to be taken along by a stream of beautiful sounds that have been so well put-together by the composer, and are so convincingly played by the performer, or performers, of a particular piece of music.

Perhaps, we should examine, here, the psychological meaning and function of music. In spite of the fact, that, many people will consider themselves not particularly gifted musically, almost no-one is totally insensitive to music, but, our taste and appreciation often diverge so widely, that we do not recognise each other's musical taste as essentially similar in nature. As we discussed before, the perception of all sorts of sounds builds for us, together with the sense of vision and other sensory awarenesses, the world of reality, and, the ability to utter sounds is an important aspect in the evolution of communications, long before we see the emergence of the sophisticated and highly specialised ability to communicate conceptual awarenesses.

The function of communicating "moods", or synchronising the orientation of our atention upon one or other existential need or goal, is still reflected in the use and appreciation of music. Music still plays an important part to inspire courage and make us believe in the goals of our leaders, as we see in the use of martial music and military parades. Similarly, music is used to underscore our remembrances of the dead, or, the burial of our soldiers. Music plays a role in the funeral services of most citizens, and music plays an important part in courtship, creating an atmosphere of romance, as we prepare for a sensual encounter with a candle-light dinner and a bottle of wine.

Most of us will be able to agree with the observation, that music plays a wide-ranging role in society, and, we all have experienced, at one time or another, a strong musical influence upon our emotions and moods. The type of music, as well as the circumstances under which music can move us, vary a great deal, and, we see, that music is often used to underscore a sense of conquest; not only to conquer the lady of our choice, but, to triumph; to make a good impression; to shine in brilliance and virtuosity, and, to show-off the degree of mastery over our craft. Often, we use the ability to play an instrument, or to sing well, for the purpose of impressing others and gain acceptance or admiration.

Some people like the music they enjoy to be "dressed-up" with all sorts of visual aids and para-musical techniques, in order to enhance the level of persuasiveness of the music or its musicians. Many of us like the excitement and anticipation of "a concert", and, we do not mind, or, we even look for the clever psychological techniques and paraphernalia that enhance the mood of excitement and anticipation. Then, we have already "capitulated" beforehand, and we will scream our approval, regardless of what is being presented.

Some of us want such a feverish pitch of emotional excitement, where the factor of critical appreciation and evaluation is reduced to a minimum. Some of us want to be "swept-off our feet", and, we do not reject such techniques as visual and lightning effects, extravagant clothing, explicit sexual, or, at least, sensual posturing and gestures, together with an overwhelmingly loud sound, which has become possible with all sorts of electronic amplification and sound-creating instruments.

Yet, others are more critical, and, they want to be swept-off their feet by a true admiration for artistic excellence; by a life-long devotion to bring a genuine performance; by an absence of anything that interferes with the expression of fine nuances. Intellectual appreciation for the mastery and effort devoted to the ability to perform, is blended with a more intuitive appreciation for the excellence of a composition, a musical structure, a melodic line, a series of harmonic progressions, an intriguing rythm, or the unusual sound qualities or individuality that is apparent, when a gifted composer is able to express himself, fluently and accurately, in an intriguing and appealing idiom.

We see, therefore, that the inter-actions between musicians and audience involve a large spectrum of communications, which can be partially verbalised as psychological mechanisms, but, these inter-actions retain also an essential core of non-verbal or non-symbolic communication. This core is, to some extent, analysable as a number of factors, (such as mood-elevation, mood-expression or mood-synchronisation, and the beautiful and fascinating qualities of the sounds and rythms themselves), but the judgement of beauty depends, to a large extent, on exposure during the earlier years, the intimacy with a variety of musical styles and instruments, as well as upon the comfort and security that comes with the evocation of musical memories; when a familiar piece of music, together with a beautiful performance, brings back a variety of happy, comforting and pleasant musical memories.

It is, therefore, superficial and incomplete to equate the meaning of music with the production of "pleasing sounds", because the meaning of music is much more varied than just making pleasant sounds. Besides, this definition or statement fails to define what "pleasing" means, and, we know, from experience, that we all vary in what we find pleasant or unpleasant. From time to time, our own judgement varies, and, we may find something pleasing, which we did not like before, and vice versa.

Let us keep in mind, then, when trying to verbalise or conceptualise the meaning of music, that we are dealing with a form of communication that goes back a long time in evolutionary history; a form of communication that precedes the evolution of conceptual communications. We also know, now, that the deliberate creation of a "musical note" depends upon a conscious awareness of the quality of a specific sound, and is, therefore, closely related to the development of symbolic or verbalisable awareness.

However, in contrast to the sounds of speech, the sounds of a musical note became divorced from a conceptual meaning; at least, this happened, after music became fully secularised, and, we will trace, in our next chapter, the evolution of such abstract, conscious sounds, or music, as it arose from a background of religious beliefs and rituals. We have seen, that the more sophisticated forms of creating musical sounds depended upon a high level of technical sophistication in making musical instruments, as well as upon a stable and well-educated social environment, where music was used and subordinated, at least, originally, to the functions of religious worship.

Within the evolution of choral church-music, we see a variety of patterns evolve, which, eventually, led to the techniques of group-singing with different voices, or "parts". From these experiments in "polyphonic music-making", the experiences of "sounding together" evolved into an awareness of harmonic relationships. This awareness of harmonic relationships was, initially, purely pragmatic, and, it came to depend upon a convention of taste and acceptability. With the advent of scientific investigations, the nature of sound could be grasped much more precisely, and, harmonies became also more logical and comprehensible, as man discovered, that, by and large, sounds would go well together, if they were related to each other as multiples or as simple partials of each other's vibrational characteristics.

We will devote more attention to the magic beliefs and religious practices, as well as scientific principles, which lie behind the use and the appreciation of deliberately created sounds. We would like, here, to summarise the main psychological mechanisms that play a role, when making music or listening to music. We have seen, that tradition or fashion, (whatever is considered to be valuable or significant by a trend-setting and influential segment in society), plays a crucial role in determining the taste and style of music-making. The true artist seeks a new feature, a new sound, or an individualistic characteristic within this framework of traditional judgements and mannerisms. This new or innovative feature will make his music note-worthy, or, even, intriguing, without being so far removed from a traditional base, that the audience loses a sense of continuity with the more traditional ways of musical expression.

The persuasiveness of music ranges, therefore, all the way from the "connoisseur", who is knowledgeable and appreciative of the intentions, experiments, as well as the mastery of the musical artist, to the undifferentiated, non-critical mass-synchronisation of emotions, where people are actively looking for an opportunity to be stampeded into a frenzy by loud sounds, penetrating rythms, exciting paraphernalia and other psychological trickery. These aspects are primarily desgined to heighten expectations and lower the faculties of critical evaluation. Yet, the aspects of dominance and submissiveness remain an important part in all forms of music making, and, the dual role of the musician as a composer and a performer of music, gives rise to a unique opportunity to be persuasive, brilliant and dominant, and, to sweep the audience off its feet and into a state of rapture.

Music is, indeed, frequently abstract, where the meaning is confined to the persuasiveness that comes with a particular combination of melody, harmony and rythm, but, we should not forget, that the more popular forms of music are, nearly always, supported by the meaning, or, at least, the presence of words. When words are sung and accompanied by musical instruments, we see, indeed, the most natural form of music making, because the music does not become totally abstract, and the "meaning" of music is naturally and easily conveyed by the text.

Originally, the text was dominant, and, music remained a discrete supporter of moods, as the narrative wound its way through one story or another. However, in modern times, the music has become dominant, even, if the words remain. The main reason for writing a song has become a musical idea, or, the peculiar and exciting sounds of a particular combination of electronic and conventional instruments, and, even, in popular music, we see, often, that the words are omitted all-together, as the accent falls on a musical creation.

In "classical music", (defined, here, as a school of music that is based on a much longer tradition than popular music, and, where the musical form, its melodies, harmonies and rythms are woven into far more complex patterns), we see, that the song is still an important musical creation, but, it too, has been over-shadowed by brilliant technical and musical innovations, which were opened-up as the art of music-making, as well as musical instrument-making, continued to create new possibilities for interesting, appealing, or, at least, evocative sound-patterns.

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Chapter 4

Content

In the beginning, the worlds of symbolic representation and music, of words and pantomime, were inter-woven.
Emotionally charged memory-recalls.
A unified reality-experience.
From evoking a memory-recall to evoking an anticipation.
A forum to express hopes, fears and expectations.
Emphasising the positive aspects in rituals and prayers.
Realities, based on primary, biological sense-impressions.
The rise of magical manipulations.
Sounds and musical sequences were originally part of a much larger "portrayal" of actual events or ritualised manipulations.
A limited ability to criticise.
We all have a tendency to relate the meaning of a musical composition to a non-musical frame of reference.
A coherent architecture of musical ideas and expressions.
The world of musical expression is too vast to be known in its entirety by one individual.
For most of us, music does not become completely abstract.
Music retains an important link with religious beliefs and practices.
The appreciation of religious music has shifted, for many people, towards an aesthetic and psychological plane.
Opportunities for a professional career for many different people.
The "music-lover".
A source of relaxation and inspiration.
A background for thought and reflection.
A sense of mystery remains for the ardent music-lover.
For the professional musician, music becomes "business", as well as a way of life.
It is logical, therefore, that the professional musician admires and relaxes with the artistry, knowledge and mastery of another field.

At the time when the faculty of conscious awareness was coming to the fore, the patterns of religious behaviour and secular knowledge, of art and music, of words and pantomime, were all interwoven, and did not even exist as separate, consciously identifiable entities of existence. An act of mimicry and gesticulation, with vocalisations and dance-like movements, evoked powerful, complex and emotionally highly charged memory-recalls, and, only later, did we learn to distinguish between beliefs of a religious nature and knowledge that was based upon careful observation, experiment and discussion. The worlds of religion and science were one, and, the powerful, even, overwhelming experience of a successful act of imitation and mimicry gave the impression, that it had "magical" powers, because a "reality experience" could be obtained, not only, by experiencing the actual circumstances of a reality, but, also, by a such a skillful act of imitation and gesticulation.

Perhaps, we see, here, one of the major reasons for the characteristic human trend and capability to manipulate the environment. With the advent of the ability to represent symbolically certain events, happenings and other memory-traces, man learned, that he could recall certain realities at will, and, no doubt, man did not distinguish very clearly between the reality of an actual experience, and the similar, but not identical reality of a memory-trace that had been evoked by a successful symbolic representation.

From the ability to evoke the memories of a recent experience, it is a small step to enact an event, or experience, which would represent the anticipation of a similar event. Therefore, the act of symbolic representation did not remain a "re-play" of past events, but, it started to function, quite naturally, as a forum to express the hopes, fears and expectations of a small community. Because of the powerful reality-experience associated with a successful act of memory-recall, we may assume, that man became very cautious and hesitant to portray happenings that were a disaster to him. However, the natural inclination to hope for a repeat experience of something that was beneficial or pleasant, must have given rise to frequent expressions of such hopeful expectations.

We still see in the portrayal of events that are essentially disastrous for a community, (such as the death of a leader, a destructive fire, or some other calamity, a bad harvest, a scarcity of game, or the threat of an enemy attack), that the rituals of prayer and sacrifice are emphasising the positive aspects; the placation of an offended god, or, the preparations necessary to ensure a happy after-life for a fallen hero, etc.

The reality experiences of early man were entirely based upon his primary, biologically determined sense-impressions, without the refinements and details we so automatically super-impose upon these same primary sense-impressions in our contemporary reality perceptions. These primary sense-impressions and experiences were, slowly, woven together into an anthropomorphic network of explanatory force-fields, which were named, and visualised, as forces with a voluntary will, just as man's will could arbitrarily be to the good or the detriment of a small community.

Man's primitive religious beliefs were, therefore, just as real to him as our sophisticated scientific imagery of today, and, man's attempts to influence these realities were guided by, or, even, a result of, the fact, that these reality experiences and beliefs could be recalled into a focus of attention by acts of gesticulation and mimicry. These acts of gesticulation and mimicry were so important, that we have come to see them as the origin and foundation for the processes of conscious awareness.

As soon as these same acts of imitation and gesticulation assumed the purpose of influencing an actual happening in the near future or the present, we see man's instinct for manipulation come to the fore, but, because these magical manipulations seem so strange and ineffectual to us who are heirs to a scientific knowledge-structure, we feel somewhat uncomfortable and apologetic, if we look at this structure of super-natural beliefs, which our early ancestors pursued with so much fervor and abandonment.

We assume, that the various techniques for creating sounds and musical tones arose as a part of this whole complex of magical manipulations and symbolic communications. As a matter of fact, beliefs and knowledge, the manipulation of sounds and other symbols, all fused in an elaborate and intensely convincing theatrical act of re-creating a reality of the recent past, or evoking a desired reality for the immediate future.

It is unlikely, that these small communities were plagued with the problems of dissent and criticism, because a failure to harmonise with the other members in the experiences that were evoked by these magic rituals, must have created an unbearable sense of alienation, and, it would surely have been followed by expulsion, or, perhaps, even, death. None of our contemporary arts, not, even, the movies with their stereoscopic and psychedelic effects, could remotely equal the persuasiveness and authority of the rituals and magical enactments of early mankind.

It is, probably, safe to assume, therefore, that early man made music, or produced deliberately sounds of one sort or another, as part of a reality-experience or reality manipulation, and, only quite recently, has man come to the conclusion, that it is possible, and sensible, to explore sound, harmonies, rythms and melodic intervals, for the sake of sound itself; or, rather, for the sake of the intrinsic qualities of a variety of sounds and rythms. There is nevertheless a tendency in all of us to relate the meaning of a musical composition to a non-musical frame of reference. Even those compositions, which do not have a text, an explanation, or some sort of an indication what the composition is supposed to represent, are eagerly scrutinised for a hidden meaning or motivation.

At our present stage of development, music can be used to explore the possibilities of sound and harmony by the musical materials and instruments that are available. We see, that, music tends to alternate between quickly paced, spirited, agitated or dramatic episodes, and slower, more contemplative and resigned, melancholic or sad passages, which can beguile the ear and mind by their sudden and unexpected twists and turns, the sudden refreshing changes from one tonality to another, novel harmonies or rythms, or, by a beautifully coherent, utterly flowing and coherent architecture of musical construction.

It is interesting to note, that the world of musical expression is so vast, that we can identify, emotionally, only with a very small fragment, while it is, of course, possible to become "intellectually knowledgeable" about a much larger range of musical expressions. We all know, that we are really moved by, or involved with, a small portion of the entire musical literature, but, throughout our lives we evolve, and, as a rule, our musical horizons widen, as we realise, gradually, that beautiful and meaningful music can come in a large variety of forms. Just as we learn only one "mother tongue", the language of our youth and early up-bringing, so are we primarily attracted to the musical language to which we were exposed when we were young.

For most of us, music does not become completely abstract. Most of us appreciate music as part of a larger framework of meaning, and, we need some sort of a text, or an event, to find meaning and relate a musical work to the rest of our reality perceptions. Some of us use music, almost exclusively, as a means to influence our mood, and, we are then less critical listeners than those, who can appreciate music, at least, to some extent, in an intellectual form. However, if we use music, consciously or subconsciously, entirely, as a means to make our mark in society; to make a living, or to impress people, we remain shallow and egocentric, and, the meaning of our artistry for others will, necessarily, be limited.

Even, in our contemporary societies, music retains an important link with religious beliefs and practices, as most churches and religious denominations still use some sort of music to support the expressions of devotion and worship. Many composers are creating religious works of art, especially, towards the end of their career, when they become more aware of their own mortality, and the transience of all living existence. Then, the realities and promises of their Faith assume a renewed significance.

In view of our evolutionary history, and, in view of the way music evolved in conjunction with the ability to communicate conceptually, it is not surprising, that the combination of music and text, be it in song with instrumental accompaniment, or, an elaborate choral work, based on a sacred text, is a most powerful way to evoke an atmosphere of reflective contemplation upon super-natural realities, or, an attitude of humbleness and awe. These attitudes of humbleness and awe are so necessary, before we can experience a true psychological benefit from our religious beliefs. However, as soon as we realise, that the benefits of our religion are psychological in nature, these belief structures lose some of their authority, and, the intellectual foundation for our religious beliefs starts to crumble.

Slowly the advent of scientific observations and explanatory beliefs have undermined the religious reality perceptions, and, for this reason, the appreciation of religious music, as well as most other religious experiences, has shifted towards an aesthetic and psychological plane. The sacred text loses some of its awe-inspiring authority, but, nevertheless, the totality of the experience in a well-performed religious musical creation, remains imposing, or, even, over-whelming, because we often want to be impressed and awed by the vague feeling, that there exists a far greater and unimaginably more complex reality, than we can be aware of with our modern scientific insights.

In our contemporary, affluent social environments, music has become diversified into many different worlds, because the various directions music has taken, have all proliferated and grown, occupying many thousands of people, throughout every major society, in a professional, full-time occupation. We will discuss the implications of a life that has been devoted to the making of music, and, we will see, that it has, just like every other professional artistic and scientific endeavour, its share of hard work and disappointments; its feelings of entrapment and the occasional triumph, but, it also provides a great opportunity for people to mature and understand the possibilities, as well as the limitations of human existence.

For the "music-lover", (the non-professional, who grows-up with music and becomes an amateur, but, then, seeks a career in another field and remains a life-long devotee of the art of professional music making), music remains a source of relaxation as well as inspiration. It becomes, sometimes, a background for thought and reflection, when a variety of experiences and memories happen to come into a focus of awareness, but, sometimes, the music remains at the center of the attention, and, every nuance, every passage, and, sometimes, even, every note is followed intensely, in particular, if the peformance is compelling and truly masterful. I have never found it necessary to think about a particular "program", or scene, as the possible source of inspiration for the composer. As a matter of fact, music with a strongly programmatic character seems to bore me fairly quickly, while the sort of music I go back to, time and again, is "pure music", where the composer was inspired by the possibilities of a particular melodic and harmonic idea.

Perhaps, the great advantage the amateur music-lover has over the professional, is the fact, that the amateur has never been able to penetrate the secrets of perfect music making, professional instrument playing, or musical composition, and, therefore, music, its peformance, as well as its composition, remain clothed with an aura of awe and sanctity. Therefore, it can remain a source of inspiration and admiration, regardless, how familiar a particular composition, and a particular performance, have become.

The professional musician penetrates these secrets. He has to, because, without this mastery, he would never be able to become a professional musician. While music becomes, at the same time, an object of awe and admiration for the many music-lovers who remain outside the sphere of intimate musical knowledge and mastery, music may lose some of its fascination and beauty for the professional, as he or she realises, now, the many technical tricks and refinements that are necessary to dazzle and awe the audience. It is, often, difficult for the professional to remain fresh and truly devoted to his art, and yet, as soon as he gives-in to the temptation to merely shine and glitter at a concert, his audience will start to melt-away, slowly, because people begin to realise, ever so vaguely, that something is missing.

It is logical, therefore, that the professional musician relaxes and admires the artistry, knowledge and mastery of another field, because, only then, can he re-capture, as a layman and outsider, some of those feelings, which his audience, and the intelligent musical amateur, are expecting from the professional musician.

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Chapter 5

Content

A rapturous feeling that transcends all knowledge.
The emotional surge that comes with an experience of beauty.
A strong feeling of nostalgia.
Our reactions to a piece of music may vary from time to time.
The beauty of being "exactly right".
How do we form an imagery of the "ideal sound"?
A gradually increasing element of "critical appreciation".
No chance of hood-winking a connaisseur.
The beauty of perfection is not limited to the performing and creative arts.
We all can do our work "to perfection".
The inspiring quality of good workmanship.
Precision and excellence, as well as honesty and efficiency, are the characteristcs of a master.
When art becomes "commercialised".
A long period of public evaluation is the best judge of quality.
An artificial exposure through the ability to "spend money".
An up-lifting dedication to the goals of excellence and integrity.
A commercialised work of art has "nothing to say".
The qualities of true artistry.
A convergence between attitudes and objectives.
Life has to make sense.
For future generations, the goal of survival will become an art in itself.

Regardless, how much we talk about it, or try to analyse its mechanisms, the sensation of beauty, together with the associated emotional surge, remain somewhat of a mystery, and, perhaps, this is the way we want it to be, because, if we would know, exactly, what is happening, and, why we are being moved by an experience of beauty, we would lose some of this rapturous feeling that transcends all knowledge and is so refreshing and inspiring at the same time. Yet, we will try to do just this; not so much, because we want to unravel the mystery of beauty, but, because we want to come closer to knowing, what is happening to us, whenever we are moved by an experience of beauty. Let us not be afraid, because it is so unlikely, that we will succeed; at least, it is unlikely, that we will succeed to the point, that the sense of mystery disappears. Very likely, we will only add to the sense of mystery by enhancing the feeling, that we have failed to grasp the essence of true art.

On previous occasions, we have already made various attempts to analyse the mechanisms of the experience of beauty, together with the resulting emotional surge. We have come to the conclusion, that the emotion of beauty arises from a fusion between an image of the way something should be, and, an actual experience as it occurs. For a moment, then, we fail to notice the discrepancy between an ideal or idealised situation, and, the situation "as it is", or, "as it is taking place". This general definition of the experience of beauty applies to music as well, and, it explains, why we fail to be moved by a sense of beauty, if the music we are listening to, is new or strange for us.

Sometimes, the mere recognition of something familiar may be sufficient to set-off a strong sensation of happiness, or, an emotional surge, in particular, if we happen to be lonely, far-away from our family and home-land. Then, anything that reminds us about home, about happier times, may release a strong feeling of nostalgia, and, if a particular fragment of music evokes such a moment of nostalgia, reminiscence or remembrance, we may suddenly experience a fusion between the feelings of the way it should be, and, the way it is.

However, most of us can experience a more quiet and less emotional sense of beauty, even, if we are happy and content to live in the surroundings we are in. Then, a sensation of beauty may not remind us about "the good old days", or, it may not have any obvious elements of nostalgia, yet, we may, on occasion, feel an emotional surge, if we come across a piece of music that strongly appeals to us. Why is this? Why does a piece of music appeal to us, and, under what conditions will we experience such a sensation? This same piece of music may, sometimes, leave us cold, and, on occasion, we will actively shut it out from our senses by turning-off the radio, especially, if we happen to disagree with the performance of a particular work.

The sensation of beauty arises, if the work of art, and its performance give us, suddenly, the impression that it is "exactly right"; that it is exactly the way it should be, and, if we have a well-developed "ideal" image of the way "it should be", the experience of such a fusion may not happen, very often, because our criticial faculties will frequently prevent such a complete fusion between the idealised sound-image and its actual occurrence in reality. However, if it does take place, the sensation is strong, or, even, overwhelming, and, the sensation of beauty mingles with a sense of admiration and awe, which extends to composer and performer alike, as well as everyone else, who has contributed to this happy occasion, where an ideal has been realised.

We still may ask ourselves, how we form such an imagery of the "ideal sound", and, we come to the conclusion, that it depends, largely, on the question, how thoroughly we have been exposed to this particular type of music in the past; to what extent we have aspired to the goal of becoming a professional musician; to what extent we know a particular composition, and, how many different performances we have heard.

The better we know a piece of music, and, the more we like it, the more critical we will be about its performance, and, yet, at the same time, we will be extremely grateful and appreciative for any performance, where the artist has devoted all his skills and energies to perform this work as truthfully and as accurately as possible. We can, then, sense and judge the amount of work, study and energy that has gone into the preparation of a performance, and, if we happen to like the way a performing artist approaches the various problems of technique and interpretation, we may, eventually, be persuaded, that his or her particular interpretation is flawless; that it is exactly the way it should be; that it is flawless, not only technically, but, especially, in the way it has been conceived and reproduced musically.

If we are a connoisseur, we can easily judge, where an artist has taken a facile approach, a "short-cut"; where he is merely trying to dazzle or befuddle the audience, and, we also know, when a performance of a work of art has become a true testament of integrity, skill and devotion, where no time and energy has been spared to bring a master-piece alive, in the best way possible.

The beauty of perfection is not limited to the performing and creative arts, but, perhaps, it is nowhere as obvious, and, as convincing, (at least, for those, who are familiar with the music that is being performed), as in the reproduction of a classical master-piece. Yet, we all can become motivated to do the work we have to do, as well as we can. Most of us become a craftsman, or, a professional in one field or another, and, while economic pessures dictate, often, the way we have to work, we should not forget, that, we all are able to appreciate work that has been done extremely well.

Work can be done well; not only, by doing it expertly, because a lot of work we do, in whatever craft or trade we happen to be in, is quite "routine" and does not demand the utmost in skill or attention. Yet, we should not forget, that the results of our work are being felt in a subtle way, for a long time to come. If we do our work efficiently, quickly and effectively, with a minimum of fuss, and, without demanding an exaggerated or inflated price for it, a lot of people will vaguely realise, that they are receiving "good value for money". Not only, are people happy, if they receive good value for money, but, there is an inspiring and up-lifting quality to the experience of giving and receiving good workmanship, in spite of the fact, that people are quick to take it for granted and demand, even, more, next time.

Precision and excellence, as well as honesty and efficiency in the work we do, are the characteristic traits of a master, a good citizen, as well as a good musician. After all, making music is a trade, as well as a profession, where a livelyhood is being sought by offering the people a good musical product, in the hope, that, the public is willing to pay enough for it for the musical tradesman to make a living. A poor musician has a difficult time to survive, not only, because he tends to lose-out in a field of stiff competition, but, the hardships of devoting one's life to making music and to strive, continuously, towards those elusive goals of perfection and truthfulness, require utter dedication and faith in one's ideals. Unfortunately, the "poor", less well motivated tradesmen in other trades are not so easily weeded-out compared to the "poor musician", and, we rarely see a standard of excellence in the more commercial trades, as compared to the artistic trades.

Yet, we also know, that it is possible to "commercialise" art, if an artist, be it a creative or performing artist, deliberately starts to shape his products in such a way, that it begins to appeal to a much larger audience. He may be tempted to do so for financial reasons, in spite of the fact, that he will lose the true connaisseurs of his art. In an affluent society, commercial pressures play an enormously influential role, and the taste of the public can be molded by the power of money; by the power of buying exposure-time on the mass-media, and, money determines, then, the exposure of the public to a work of art, and, this factor tends to disrupt the normal evaluative processes.

It used to be, that, a long period of public evaluation would, eventually, weed-out the weaker and less significant products from those, which were truly representative of a particular trend, or an established form of art. Because of such a process of "natural cultural selection", we could assume, that the classical works of art, which survived, and, to which the younger generations would be exposed, had, indeed, gained this position in the cultural hierarchy as a result of their inherent merits. Now, with the power of money to buy exposure-time, the taste of the public can be influenced and misformed, or perverted, by enormous commercial interests, when financial manipulations determine the rate of exposure of the public to a certain "work of art".

The disappearance of individualised excellence, such as the pride in workmanship, the rewards of having done a job well, together with the rise of huge commercial interests, mechanically manufactured items, and a propaganda-war between bastions of financial power, rather than the competition of excellence and truthfulness, are major draw-backs of our affluent societies, and, we will not elaborate, here, on their natural relationships with corruption and organised crime.

The most educative and up-lifting function of the true artist, is the dedication to the goals of excellence and truthfulness, or "integrity". With this, we mean, specifically, that a work of art has to reflect, genuinely, the feelings and concerns, as well as the artistic ideals of an artist, regardless, how unfamiliar, strange or un-commercial such a work of art may appear at first sight. Commercialism means, that the expression and objectives of the art-form are watered-down, until there is a superficially appealing, inoffensive and slick product that appeals to the prevailing public taste. It is self-evident, that such a work of art only "follows" a fashionable trend and, will soon be out-dated and forgotten. Such a commercialised work of art has "nothing to say"; certainly, not to the next generation, or, even, to the contemporary generation, if, and when, a particularly popular fashion or fad has passed.

True art and genuine artistry will always rebel against such falsehoods and facile compromises for the sake of easy commercial acceptance. True art is never rebellious for the sake of being rebellious, because such an attitude may also reflect a superficial and fashionable attitude. True art and genuine artistry are always a product of a living human being, who reacts or creates, exactly, according to the way he or she perceives the reality to be, and, not to the way his clients or audience would like reality to be.

If a genuine artist sees, more clearly, or feels, more strongly, than his contemporaries about the discrepancies and hypocrisies that exist in society, he will speak-out and react. Such a reaction may be in the form of a piece of writing, but, it may take any artistic form, because the essence of good art is a renewed effort to see, hear or feel reality from a fresh perspective, and, to give a truthful form to this subjective perception of reality.

Here, in a nut-shell, we see a convergence between attitudes and goals, not only, of the various artistic pursuits, but, also, of the crafts and the trades, the thinkers and the scientists, the political leaders and the clergy; here, we see the hallmark of whatever may be considered to be valuable to a future generation, as it tries, once again, to seek meaning in a life that is difficult and oppressing; unjust and polluted; a life, that seems to teeter on the brink of a sense-less destruction, while there are so many simple and beautiful moments to be enjoyed.

Life has to make sense. Every generation has to search, again, for a meaning to its existence. This meaning can come from the images of the religions, but, hopefully, also, from the scientific belief-structures. The meaning of life has to be found in an emotionally and intellectually satisfying form of art, which may not give intellectual solutions to the problems of life, but, good art will educate and up-lift. It will show us, time and again, that we should be thankful for being alive, and, that it is senseless to fight and destroy. Good art will teach us, in a subconscious and intuitive manner, the values of being alive; of being a sensible individual, who is well-integrated with the social and natural environment. Good art gives us an opportunity to see ourselves as we are; with our follies and our wisdoms; our ever-recurring instinctive drives, as well as our moments of mastery, rationality, excellence and dedication to a common goal of survival in dignity and essential equality.

For future generations, the goals of survival will become an art in themselves, and, a genuine contribution by an individual, a group, or an entire society to the chances for survival in a state of dignity and comfort, in justice and essential equality, will, eventually, evoke just as strong an emotion of beauty, together with a sense of gratitude and truthfulness, as the flawless and dedicated performance of a musical master-piece.

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Chapter 6

Content

A slide from the art of music to the art of survival.
Some aspects of the physics of sound.
The characteristics of a particular musical instrument.
The "melodic relationships" of sounds.
The fluency of a melody depends on its contours and intervals.
A melodic sentence.
The unity of four melodic lines with characteristic variants.
Melodic and rythmic variations.
The basic opening movement of a sonata or concerto.
Back to artistic principles.
A thing of beauty is a joy for those, who are able to appreciate it.
Artistic knowledge, skill, as well as familiarity with the artistic material, require a great deal of study, hard work and self-discipline.
Great art is always rooted in traditional techniques, but has a flavour of excitement and a refreshing innovativeness.
Great art has anticipated, correctly, what a large number of people in future generations will find beautiful and relevant.
Art has to have a social function, but this does not make contemporary political leaderships qualified to judge art.
The role of government in the teaching and development of the arts.
Governments should not be involved in encouraging specific artistic trends, or patronising specific artists.
Teaching the basic principles of the arts and sciences to our youngsters.
Making available, for study and reflection, the artistic subjects and artifacts, is a proper role for government institutions.
Tonal and atonal music.
A chaotic imitation of chaos remains chaos, and does not become art.

I told you, that we would not come much closer to the mystery of beautiful music, and, here we are; on the verge of declaring the struggle of survival against environmental deterioration, an art that requires a similar degree of dedication, expertise, excellence and truthfulness, as we have come to expect from the genuine artist.

So far, we have not said much about the physics of sound; the knowledge of vibrating strings, which have been struck, or have been made to vibrate, continuously, by the frictional energy that is released, when a bow is stroked across a string. I do not intend to go into this in any detail, because there are many publications that unravel the relationships between an object and the way it vibrates, if it has been struck, or, when it is imparted some sort of a vibrational energy.

We know, e.g., that a string can vibrate at its lowest possible "ground tone", where the whole string vibrates as one standing wave, but we can also see smaller waves vibrating at the same time. This means, that higher tones are generated as well, and, they sound simultaneously with the ground tone. These tones are multiples of the groundtone, as two, three, four or more standing waves produce sounds that are super-imposed upon the ground tone.

A ground tone and its complex of "over-tones" are perceived as a certain quality, or characteristic, of the sound made by a specific instrument or voice, and, we see, here, an opportunity for infinite variety. The quality and characteristics of a tone depend, therefore, upon the manner in which it is produced. Is it a string that has been plucked, or, has it been struck with a hammer, or, is the string bowed? If the sound is produced by a vibrating column of air in a pipe, the quality of the sound depends on the size of the pipe, as well as on the material it is made from; is the pipe made of wood or brass; is the column being put into motion by the vibrations of a reed or the lips of the musician, or, does it start to vibrate spontaneously, if a column of air is blown over an entrance or opening?

The quality of the sound depends, also, on the resonance of other objects in the vicinity of the origin of the sound. Such a "sounding board" influences, not only, the tonal characteristics of an instrument, like a piano, but, it also functions as an amplification mechanism. All these variables are responsible for the peculiar sound characteristics of a particular instrument. Then, there is another variable. This is the difference in sound resulting from slightly different and individualised "techniques", which the players develop when handling their instruments. These differences give rise to subtle but important differences in the quality or beauty of the sound, and, they determine the sonority and crispness of the sound. The techniques used in handling an instrument when playing a piece of music, determine the impression of ease and control conveyed to the audience, and, these qualities are an important part of the quality of a performance.

We should discuss, here, briefly, the "melodic relationships" of sounds. This is the relationship between sounds, when they are produced in sequence, while the tonal qualities of sounds when they are produced simultaneously, is the domain of "harmonic relationships". We all know, from experience, that a certain sequence of notes may be pleasing or attractive, while others are meaningless or difficult to remember. The fluency or "naturalness" of a melody depends upon its contour, or "line". In a melodic line, or "sentence", there is a certain rise and fall of the sequence of notes, which stretches as a continuity from a beginning, through a number of curves or undulations, to a point of rest.

A melody is, usually, made-up of three or four lines or sentences, which resemble each other, but, they are not identical. As a rule, the four "sentences", or melodic lines, are more or less of equal length and duration, and, they are sub-divided by a rythm that is sustained throughout the entire melodic sequence or statement. After the first sentence has been uttered, the melody seems to come to some sort of a resting point, but, the rest is not definitive; there is some sort of an anticipation that makes the resumption of the melody with the second "sentence" a natural and expected occurrence. If the second sentence has a similar duration and rythm and only a slight melodic variation, some sort of a unity is created.

In a naturally flowing melodic statement, the rest-period, after the second sentence, seems to enhance the anticipation of more to come. The third melodic sentence is again of the same duration, rythm and melodic outline as the first, but the melodic line seems to reach some sort of an "apogee"; a high point, which makes the last and fourth sentence, not only, anticipated, but a necessity. During the last and fourth sentence, the melodic line brings the anticipations, created by the first three, to an end, and the resting point is, therefore, a genuine one. The whole sequence is, then, repeated, again and again, often, in a set of "variations", where the harmonic and melodic sequences are preserved, but, the rythm, tempo, ornamentations and melodic intervals are varied, continuously.

Here, we see, perhaps, the essence of the classical set of "variations upon a theme", which is, often, a short melodic sequence, set into four sentences. However, the art of music includes a large number of other variations; often, contrasting themes are set against each other, preceded by some sort of an introduction, and, after these themes have been stated and repeated, fragments of them are used in a sort of free fantasy or "elaboration", which is usually marked by daring, or, at least, remarkable modulations of the harmony, by rythmical variants, as well as a certain display of technical prowess. After this, the themes, or, at least, the principal melodic statements are repeated, and the "movement " is brought to an end with a crescendo of sound and virtuosity, or, with a characteristic fading of the musical idea. Here, we have sketched the basic opening movement of a sonata or concerto.

I would like to abandon this sort of description, because others have done a much better job in describing compositional as well as performing techniques. I like to go back to the basic artistic principles, where the artist, be it a composer of sound, form, image or object of use, is busily trying to fashion the materials he has to work with in such a way, that the product becomes a "thing of beauty". We have seen, that, something can be beautiful, if it succeeds in expressing something many of us can recognise as valuable, and, something, that has not been expressed as well, as precisely, or, in the same manner, before.

In order to find this mode of expression, the artist has to have, first of all, a good schooling in the traditional methods in which the materials of his art have been used by artists before him, including previous generations. Only, by knowing, quite well, what has been done with these materials, will he be able to judge, whether or not a slight variation on a traditional way of doing things, is something new; whether or not it is something that has been tried before; or, perhaps, it is something that has been tried and discarded because of a number of flaws and disadvantages that were associated with this particular way of doing things.

The acquisition of this knowledge and familiarity with the artistic material and its possibilities, requires a great deal of study, hard work and discipline. A composer will have to know, intimately, what certain melodic tone-sequences will do; which harmonic progressions seem to "make sense"; when an innovation seems to open-up an exciting possibility for a personal touch, or a personalised way of saying something musically, and, when it seems to deteriorate into formless and useless experimentation.

Great art is, therefore, always rooted, solidly, in traditional techniques, and, it requires an intimate familiarity with, and knowledge of, the chosen artistic field. However, from this traditional base, the great artist finds a line of development that gives a flavour of excitement and a refreshing innovation to his work, while it preserves a line of continuity with the past. Great art is never formless; it is never irrelevant; it does not sweep tradition under the rug in a broad, thoughtless and un-informed "clean-up". Neither is great art an imitation of the past, or, a mere copy of a revered model. Great art never arises as a result of the desire to be commercially successful, but, neither can great art be founded in a compulsive attitude of wanting to be different.

Great art has relevance for other people, because it has anticipated, correctly, what a large number of people in different generations will find beautiful, appealing, meaningful or relevant. Therefore, the doctrine, that art exists for art's sake, is vague and misleading. If it means, that the artist has the right, or, even, the duty, to seek new and refreshing variations upon a well-known way of doing things, fine; and, if it means, that an artist should refrain from seeking immediate commercial success and should patiently search for a state of perfection and truthfulness; fine, then we are hitting the definition of art "right on". However, if we use the slogan of art for art's sake to shirk the chores of self-discipline and study, and, if we use this motto as a means to relinquish responsibilities and retreat into a world of egocentric pleasures and pursuits, then, we are failing in our understanding of the nature of art, and, we are merely seeking an excuse for a lazy, undisciplined and egocentric mode of existence.

Art has to have a social function and meaning, and, by this, I do not mean, that a contemporary political leadership has the right, the knowledge, or the capability, to judge the value of contemporary art, but, if such a leadership points-out the fact, that certain artistic practices give the impression of sliding into an egocentric and hedonistic attitude that is repulsive to the ordinary, disciplined and hard-working citizen, then, such a warning and expression of concern is justified; in particular, if official judgement is careful not to condone or condemn any particular form of art quickly and superficially. On the other hand, an official and fashionable trend, where art and artists are actively encouraged to seek a "national identity", or, to develop a cultural core, where none existed before, is just as ignorant and wasteful of public monies, as a campaign to suppress art that does not seem to conform to a particular political doctrine.

Is there a role for the goverment in the arts? Yes, there certainly is. However, the government, or leadership, of a society should concern itself, primarily, with the educational aspects of the arts, just as the entire field of education has to be a primary concern for the social leadership. It takes a communal effort, and, certainly, it takes communal funding to ensure, that a cultural tradition is preserved and taught properly to the younger generations. Governments should not be involved in encouraging specific artistic trends, or patronising specific artists. This leads, invariably, to mediocrity, as well as the creation of a bureaucratic elite, which excercises power, not so much, on the basis of artistic knowledge and excellence, but, because of its connections with the authorities and its ability to get hold of funds.

Let us concentrate, as concerned citizens and political leaders, on providing a solid, as well as advanced training in the arts and the sciences for the younger generations. Let us be concerned with teaching the fundamentals, and, let us make sure, that the people, as well as artistically gifted students, get a sound training in the basic principles of art and human existence, transcending narrowly based nationalistic aspirations. Let us teach our children the basic principles of all the arts and sciences, and, let us make sure, that pupils, who want to pursue a professional career in any of the arts and sciences, will be able to find expert teachers and an extensive source of knowledge, help and advise, as they try to climb the ladder of professional excellence.

Perhaps, it is irrealistic to expect, that the average pupil will be able to absorb much of the mechanics of harmonic modulations, but, certainly, those, who pursue a professional career in music, should have a good grasp of the history of music-making, the evolution of musical instruments, as well as the variety of styles and techniques with which composers have been expressing their musical ideas and findings.

Let us teach, how melodies flow; how they can be enhanced by a harmonic foundation; how harmonies may progress from one tonality to another, and, how they can produce a variety of marvelous tonal combinations. Let us teach, how tonality gives us the possibilities of musical tensions and anticipations, as well as the sense of "arrival and accomplishment". Certainly, "atonal music" can, and may, exist, just as the sounds of nature are, in essence, atonal. Our auditory apparatus has evolved because of the need to recognise a large variety of atonal and a-musical sounds. However, let us not throw the gains of a long evolution in music-making, as well as the gains of tonality and harmonies out the window in our eagerness to explore new avenues of sound-creation and music-making.

A careful approach may combine a few atonal or "strange" sounds into existing and familiar harmonies, and, the results may, then, once again, be exciting and refreshing, because the new elements are cautiously and carefully blended with traditional musical sounds and harmonies. Again, we do not want to impose, arbitrarily, where tonality and atonality have their limits or their usefulness, but, let us keep in mind the fact, that a chaotic imitation of chaos, decay, destruction and decline, remains chaos, and does not become art.

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Chapter 7

Content

How does art affect us, as a listener or enjoyer of art?
Why a moving artistic experience makes us a "better person".
How does a moving experience teach and "up-lift" us?
Social leaders can promote a broad-minded attitude towards art, as well as a high-quality education in the many forms of art that are popular in a contemporary social environment.
A discussion of "art".
Every skilled profession or activity can acquire the quality of being performed "as an art".
An appreciation for excellence and dedication.
Can a philosopher be an artist?
The gift of thinking clearly, and discussing a topic with lucidity and common-sense.
The scientist can also become an artist through the attitudes of dedication and hard work.
The peculiar "purity" of a scientific reality perception.
Objectivity, and the opportunity to acquire an insight into psychological dynamics.
An awareness of sub-verbal or sub-conscious communications.
The principles of an artistic expression go back to the origins of symbolic representation.
Artistic communications "by-pass" many of the more sophisticated modes of awareness.
The art of developing the tools of language communication and conceptual comprehension in an exceptionally skillful manner.
A fruitful topic for a philosophical discussion.
Truly great artists in the art of living and home-making.
The value of anonymous artistry.
The "con-artist".
The con-artist exploits his talents ruthlessly for his own benefit.
Expressing admiration for a "perfect crime" is senseless, amoral and ignorant.
Art and entertainment.
When we demonstrate a lack of moral awareness in our patterns of admiration.
We should be resigned, then, to the fact, that few people will be outraged, if we happen to become a victim of crime.
All our behavioural actions have to be judged on their impact upon other people.

"What is the meaning of good art, and, how does it affect us?", you may ask, and, it is a relevant question, because good art, be it music-making, or any other form of art, will "move us", and, it may give us a valuable experience, in spite of the fact, that we are, often, at a loss to explain, why a particular piece of music or a particular performance, moves us deeply and becomes extremely important to us.

In some ways, we may feel, that a moving artistic experience makes us a "better person", but, again, we have to ask ourselves, what we mean by this, and, we should ask ourselves, whether art has, or should have, indeed, a "social function"; not in the sense, that it serves as the reason for a social gathering, but, in the sense, that the appreciation of a particular form of art helps us to become a better socially oriented individual; more concerned with the well-being of others; more aware of the existential similarities between us all; more inclined to make us cooperate with other people, and understand those who oppose or challenge us. That is, perhaps, what we mean, when we say, that, art can, and should be, "up-lifting".

Let us make it again clear, that we have no way to compel art, or the artist, to be "socially up-lifting", and, we often destroy the spontaneity and the value of an artistic endeavour, if we try to force and regulate the processes of artistic creation. Even, if our leaders feel, that, often, artists are embarked upon a sterile, self-defeating and introvert form of behaviour or artistic experimentation, it is nearly impossible to prescribe, how artists should work and live. Our leaders can help by understanding the nature of artistic work, and, by formulating, clearly, a broad-minded policy that promotes a high-quality education in the many forms of art that flourish in a particular social environment.

Therefore, let us broaden our concerns in these final pages, and, let us discuss the basic principles of all art, and, not just those of music, because, music is, after all, only a particular branch of art. What is art, especially, good art? How is it judged? What is the psychologial impact of good art, and, does it, indeed, strengthen social instincts and trends, or, can it also strengthen egocentric and defensive behaviour-patterns, hindering, rather than helping, the processes of cooperation and social integration?

There are many activities of the human being, which we traditionally, and without much disagreement, classify as "artistic", and, we only have to think, here, about the art of singing or dancing, playing a role on the stage, drawing, painting or sculpting in any sort of material; from a highly prestigious marble or stone to metal, wood, snow or sand. The playing of a musical instrument, telling or writing a story, staging a drama or comedy, writing prose or lyrics; all these activities belong to the world of art, and, there are many more examples that border on this traditional and well-accepted world of "the arts".

Every skilled profession can acquire the quality of being performed "as an art", if an individual becomes unusually skilled and dedicated to his work. We often talk about the art of being a good doctor, but, a good carpenter or cabinet maker can do such fine work, that we call his work also "an art". Indeed, every human activity can, potentially, acquire the distinction of "being an art", and, we see, here, that the artistic quality does not imply a certain range of activities, but, it indicates an appreciation for the high level of excellence, enthousiasm and dedication that has gone into a specific endeavour.

Perhaps, then, we may, even, call the philosopher an "artist", if he is dedicated and successful in his efforts to discuss and correlate a broad field of awarenesses, and, if he is able to forge a logical and coherent framework that makes sense and can be grasped by the interested and somewhat knowledgeable individual. Just as the gift of melody or harmony is essential for the musician, so is the gift of thinking clearly and making good common-sense, the essential ingredient for someone, who wants to develop the art of discussion.

Even the scientist can become an artist in his particular field, if he brings an extra-ordinary degree of enthousiasm and energy, dedication and attention to his field of endeavour. Yet, the field of science belongs, in essence, to a separate category, because it represents a field that is purely intellectual and conceptual in nature, and, it tries to exclude many "human frailties", or, specifically human qualities that form the foundation for the arts.

We have seen, how the sciences have differentiated themselves from the general field of perceiving realities. This field has always been religious in nature and did not make a clear distinction between a conceptual abstraction and an emotional or existentially significant reaction of a human being, or a group of people, to a particular condition of existence. The peculiar "purity" of the scientific reality perception is one of the reasons, why it is difficult to accept, especially, emotionally, if one lacks the ability to verify, intellectually, the accuracy and persuasiveness of a scientific interpretation of reality.

As we became more sophisticated in understanding the mechanisms of our own existence, as well as the way we interpret reality, we became, also, more aware of our psychological needs and mechanisms, and, at the same time, with the evolution of our capabilities of building measuring instruments, we learned to observe, measure and record realities in a much more objective manner. This objectivity allowed us an enhanced insight into our own psychological dynamics, but, it also explains, why a purely intellectual or scientific approach to the phenomenon of art, gave the impression that it was, inevitably, short of the mark or beside the point.

After all, the essence of an artistic expression lies in the fact, that the communication also makes use of techniques, or methods, that are "sub-verbal", or sub-conscious. Even, the artistry of a good writer who works with conceptual symbols, goes beyond the realm of pure conceptual communication, as a significant portion of the contact with his readers occurs at a level that is beyond the immediate awareness or conceptual insight of the audience or the author.

It is interesting to note, that the principles of the artistic expression go back to the original imitative gesticulations that gave rise to the capabilities of conscious, verbalisable awareness. We have seen, how the various forms of art "came together", or, rather, "began together" in history, if we look at the religious practices and rituals of man, and, it seems, therefore, justified to consider "art" to represent a form of communication that has retained many of the subconscious complexities and intuitive behaviour-patterns of man when relating to his environment, which have been deliberately excluded from the practice of science.

With the ability to express "directly", in anyone of the art-forms, (reflecting a vestige of the art of mimicry and gesticulation that was necessary to evoke and recall memory-traces), we may, to some extent, "by-pass" the more sophisticated and more specific communications that are possible with language. This is the reason, why it is often so difficult to describe, precisely, why, and what, an artistic communication means, or, what it is doing to us, psychologically. Yet, the skill of describing something accurately, fluently, and with fine nuances, is also called "an art", because these abilities are, often, used on a sub-conscious, or, at least, intuitive level.

While we all learn, to some extent, to use the tools of language-communication and conceptual comprehension, some of us develop this ability in an exceptionally skillful manner. Not surprisingly, it is often difficult to pinpoint, precisely, why these differences occur, and, why some people seem to have the gift to keep an audience attentive with their stories and communications, while others feel highly uncomfortable, if they are required to tell a story to a large audience. The psychological mechanisms that lie behind the acquisition of conceptual and linguistic mastery, are still largely hidden from view, and, they are, therefore, a fruitful topic for thought and philosophical discussion.

Let us come back to the aspect of "quality", which broadens the already vague and flexible scope of artistic endeavour. It seems, indeed, logical to acknowledge, that, any human activity, if it is done well, and, if it has some meaning for others, may be given a mark of admiration, and, we may say, then, that such an individual is an artist in his particular field, even, if we do not, as a matter of convention, include this particular endeavour as a form of art. We may say, then, that scientists, politicians and clergy-men, administrators and bureaucrats, businessmen and house-wives, labourers, as well as all sorts of otherwise ordinary and average people, may become an "artist", if they happen to do something very well, and, with utter devotion. We see the justification for this intuitive widening of the scope of artistry, if we keep in mind, that these qualities of devotion and perfection, imply the totality of a human effort, and, this means, in essence, an artistic attitude or endeavour.

I would qualify, therefore, as a truly great artist in the art of life and home making, any mother and house-wife, who is devoted to her family, and, who has become the central pillar upon which a few children of the next generation, find their possibility of existence, as well as a basis from which they can grow into mature, contributing and well-integrated citizens. Let us not underestimate the value of such anonymous artistry, and, let us not make the mistake to identify art, or the artistic worker, only with the glamorous endeavours that catch the public lime-light.

It is futile to try to limit or delineate, with any degree of precision, what activities can be called "art", and, what can not be called art. We extend our admiration to any activity that is done exceptionally well, even, if the act is criminal in nature. We have given the distinction of "art" to minor criminal activities, such as the "con-artist", who excells in the art of deceiving people for his own benefit; by the skillful exhibition of an elaborate facade or a fabricated story, which is designed to put the audience, or the victim, in a sympathetic and cooperative mood. The con-artist exploits such a reaction for his own benefit, while a real artist creates such an effect for the sole purpose of portraying a particular situation, a dramatic tension, or an emotion, as a form of entertainment for the audience.

Therefore, the definition of art has to concern itself with the motivation and purpose of a particular human act, otherwise, we would never know, whether or not a form of art is beneficial. For example, the way in which a murderer kills his victim can be done with an exceptional degree of skill, so that it becomes nearly impossible to trace the act of the killing, and, thereby, the criminal. The admiration for such a "perfect crime" is, of course, senseless and amoral, because we can not admire or applaud something that is destroying our social environment. We can not admire activities or attitudes that are destroying the way we live together, and the way we give each other a package of rights and obligations. Yet, we all are sensitive to the temptation to identify with the daring criminal, in particular, if the crime is against "the State", or some other, impersonal institution, which we fail to recognise as existing for our own benefit.

The art of the perfect crime is, often, used in a large variety of entertainment literature, where the accent shifts towards the "suspense" of an exciting and adventurous story. Then, the tension of intrigue and anticipation is "justified", because, in the end, the criminal is always "caught" and punished. In this way, we do not have to feel guilty, that we felt a twinge of admiration for the skill and daring behaviour of the criminal. However, if we think about it, clearly, we notice the disturbing fact, that most of us derive some sort of pleasure and entertainment out of the world of crime, and, if the distinction between right and wrong becomes blurred, or, if it seems, that a criminal can "get-away" with his criminal activities, many of us are quick to express our admiration more openly.

We rarely realise, how we demonstrate then our own appalling lack of moral and ethical awareness, because we fail to understand, that our admiration for a crime that does not seem to harm us personally, weakens our society, and, ultimately, our position in it. If this happens, let us, then, reflect soberly on the fact, that there will be many secret admirers of the daring criminal act to which we, or our family, have fallen victim. If we tacitly condoned, by indifference or ignorance, the power and adventure of a criminal act against someone else, or the society at large, we have to be resigned to the fact, that there will be few people outraged, if we happen to become the victim of a criminal "work of art".

All our behavioural actions have to be judged, therefore, upon their impact upon other people, and it is unacceptable to admire a skillful act without making a moral or social judgement about the consequences of this particular form of behaviour, regardless, how skillful, dedicated or daringly a particular activity has been carried-out.

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Chapter 8

Content

How do art and social justice tie-together?
The link between art and conscience.
Many people reflect a remarkable ambivalence towards their large and confusing social environments.
Ambivalent attitudes towards government and authority.
Artists are subjected to the same polarising tensions as other people.
Moral and ethical behaviour; defined as an allegiance to principles of behaviour, rather than a loyalty towards governments and authorities.
Recognising the egocentric trends behind many socially desirable attitudes and postures.
Not every recluse or misantrhope is as selfish as he looks.
The attitude of social responsibility is not easily judged.
When various egocentric and socially detrimental attitudes and activities are generating a measure of "admiration".
A professional career in a specific art-form always requires a long and hard struggle.
The criteria of excellence, craftsmanship, dedication and relevance play a role in every artistic endeavour.
The philosopher should not even try to "live off his art".
A clever act of criminality should arouse a feeling of concern, rather than admiration.
Not every well-meant attempt to contribute to social well-being should be revered as art.
A gradual improvement in our ability to analyse and discuss the many forms of art.
We have to learn the art of developing a coherent and durable large-scale society.
Art begins, and ends, in the art of living together.

How do art and social justice tie-together? What is the link between art and ethics? Is there such a link, and, should there be a link? My answer is a firm "yes", in spite of the fact, that this goes squarely against fashionable opinion. As a final argument, I would like to show, that, art becomes meaningless and ceases to be art, if it does not fulfill some sort of a social function. Let us examine, then, what sort of role art has to play in society, in order to qualify as art, and, let us, also, re-iterate the idea, that the social link, or, rather, the link between art and an attitude of social responsibility, does not mean, that, contemporary political and civic leaders, or members of the clergy, have the right, the insight, or the knowledge, to dictate in what form this link between art and conscience, or the common good, should exist.

If we go back to the definition, that a behavioural act becomes a form of art, whenever it reflects a high level of skill and dedication, we run into the situation, that criminal behaviour can also become "art". Obviously, there is a problem, here. We have discussed the tendency to adulate a daring, innovative or unusual criminal activity, and, we have all seen examples, where, at least, some people will applaud such acts, if it seems that such acts are condoned or tolerated.

Indeed, this attitude reflects an important ambivalence, which many people may feel towards their society, government and, in particular, the ruling elite of their social environment. We see, that leaderships always claim, without any hesitation or justification, to represent the society as a whole, but, large segments of society may not identify at all with such a leadership, in particular, if this leadership represents, primarily, an upper crust of conservative and wealthy people.

Yet, every thoughtful and intelligent citizen will acknowledge the fact, that some sort of government is necessary to maintain the basic principles of justice and orderly conduct. However, the interests of a wealthy elite, or a ruling political Party, always start to diverge from the interests of ordinary people, and, for this reason, we see, that, after a while, the degree of ambivalence grows.

Many people become ambivalent towards the government and its institutions, because, they know, on the one hand, that there is a need for law and order, and, they agree, that, in many ways, the established leadership is trying to be fair and just, but, on many occasions, the people see, that law and order becomes an instrument in the hands of a privileged elite and favours the established segments of society. This means, that the judgement of criminality becomes, also, ambivalent, and, what the established segments of society would call an incidence of treachery and sedition, may be interpreted by others as a justified rebellion against the tyranny and oppression of a privileged elite.

In a society that has become polarised, artists are subjected to the same polarising tensions. Some will seek their security in an association with the establishment, while others join the ranks of the rebels. Let us define morality and responsible ethical behaviour, therefore, not in terms of an allegiance to the overall political leadership of society, but, let us define ethical behaviour as behaviour that acknowledges the rights and needs of other people in the social grouping we identify with.

All our behavioural acts have to be judged on their "social content", or, on the level of social concern and orientation they display. Certainly, this judgement is not easy, and, we may judge wrongly, if we fail to be scrupulously impartial. If we look only superficially at someone's appearance, we may easily be mistaken, and, we may easily misjudge someone's real orientation towards others. Not eveyone pretending to be a great friend and showing an attitude of charity and concern, is, indeed, such a virtuous person as he or she believes himself to be, and would like others to believe, likewise. Behind this posturing, there may be strong egocentric motivations, where an individual seeks prestige, acclaim, or popularity with the purpose of wielding power, profit from friendly relationships, or seek satisfactions from being popular and admired.

Similarly, not every recluse or grumpy misanthrope, who shuns superficial contacts and is suspicious of the motivations of others, is, indeed, as selfish as he looks. He may not be very popular, and, he may even be somewhat feared, but, by being fiercely independent, the misantrope may be a silent champion of justice, refusing to make use of favouritisms; looking after himself, and, refusing to be a burden to anyone else; by not being involved in a network of nepotistic relationships, he can often speak, sharply and openly, about any perceived wrong-doings, as well as about the principles of justice. While such an attitude may not be liked, and may be resented by a slightly corrupt establishment, his attitudes towards social justice are, often, healthier and more honest than the popular civic leader, who is stealthely usurping popular good-will and his popularity for his own benefit.

The judgement of what is a socially responsible attitude is, therefore, not easy, and, it is, in retrospect, often judged differently than it appears to a majority of contemporary members of society. But the judgement has to be made, many times during our lives, whether we are an artist or a politician, a simple peasant, tilling the fields and breaking his back for a modest income, or, a leader and a professional, who happens to occupy a position of great authority and responsibility.

Time and again, we will have to make a behavioural decision that distinguishes between a socially oriented and an egocentric objective. If I become an expert in break and entry, I may become an artist in the eyes of some admirers, but, those, who admire me, are also aspiring to make a living by breaking-in and stealing from other people. If people admire me for the ability to gather a lot of money with clever business deals, they admire me for the power and the wealth I have, and, they would like to emulate this skill, but, in doing so, my example may have a detrimental effect upon the social environment, and, if my business dealings are somewhat unethical or unscrupulous, the admiration for my expertise may only serve to weaken the judgement of right and wrong.

If I make money by selling artifacts that have been produced with an eye upon popular taste, some people may admire my business acumen, as well as the way I am raking-in the money, but, I can hardly expect to become a shining example of a dedicated search for a meaningful and truthful artistic expression. If I produce works of art that stimulate a prurient, erotic interest, I am not glorifying the beauty of the human body, but, I am playing upon the fantasies and appetites of a lot of immature and frustrated people; with the sole purpose of making money, while feeding their egocentric, often perverse, or, even, criminal appetites.

If I work hard to become a successful musician, my early years are often absorbed by a chronic competitive contest with colleagues, and, it is, therefore, logical that my primary concern will be "to make it"; to shine as a virtuoso; to impress the public, my competitors and my teachers, so that I can build up a reputation, because a good reputation will give me access to the concert-halls, as well as a solid financial income. Yet, if I forget to make music in my zeal to excell and display a dazzling technical virtuosity, I will, eventually, leave my audiences disappointed, as they realise, intuitively, that my performance has become an egocentric vehicle to impress, and, that the music has been relegated to a place of secondary importance.

This means, that, any professional who seeks a career as an artist, will have to struggle long and hard; first of all, to acquire the technical know-how and the intellectual background to handle an instrument professionally, to understand the compositions one is going to play, and, to acquire sufficient dexterity to give the impression of "freedom", of easiness and spontaneity in one's performances. Secondly, the artist will have to learn to combine a masterful technique with a beautiful sound or "sonority", together with a sensitive, intelligent approach to the music; and, if the artist is able to feel an increasing love and admiration for the beauty of the musical heritage that is entrusted to him, he or she has the potential to flower into a truly great artist.

For the writers of music, prose and poetry, of discussions and philosophical essays, the road is less ostentatious, and, a little more lonely, but, they have also less competitive presures, because they are not required, again and again, to compete with colleagues in a concert performance. The criteria of excellence of craftsmanship and relevance of content remain the same, but, the process of feed-back is slowed-down to the point, that an artist may never be sure, whether or not his efforts will be of any value to other people.

There is certainly a persistent temptation to bend to a more popular taste, and, if the writer tries to make a living, he must have some sort of contemporary audience to support his livelyhood. The philosophical essayist seems to be in a hopeless situation, because no-one seems to enjoy reading essays, in particular, if they are somewhat "strange" and difficult, and, if they differ from current opinions and agreed-upon perceptions. The philosopher should, therefore, not even try to live of his "art", and, he should find other means to support himself. He should pursue his hobby of writing essays without any conscious attempt to "sell them".

Let us come back to the question of morality. We see, that it is certainly possible to admire anything that is done with a measure of excellence and intelligence, but, at the same time, an intelligent individual will recognise the fact, that our behavioural actions always have an impact upon others. We may marvel at the skill with which a criminal calligrapher copies a banknote, but, we can never forget, that the results of his art are a fraud against society; and some of us may be severely victimised by such a fraud, regardless, how clever and admirable the skill.

A clever act of criminality should arouse, at the same time, a feeling of concern, or, even fear, as we contemplate its possible effects, and, this means, that an act that is "positive", that encourages the feeling that we can get-along together, may give us, not only, a feeling of admiration for the hard work and the technical skills that have gone into the accomplishment, but, it also gives us a feeling of gratitude and joy for the fact that it represents a contribution to social well-being.

This does not mean, that, all well-meant attempts to contribute to social well-being should be revered as art, or, that they should be elevated with official approval to a status of high authority. Many well-meant acts of social well-being are superficial and ill-conceived platitudes, or, they represent exhortations that have, long since, lost their conviction, or, they rest upon out-dated concepts and attitudes. In the latter case, a well-meant attempt should be criticised and patiently dissected, so that we all can see, and understand, why it is not convincing, or, even, irritating, regardless, how strongly our traditional and established leaderships believe in these rather facile and superficial exhortations.

It is my hope, and expectation, that, in the future societies, we all, our leaders included, recognise, better, the conditions that allow for a fruitful and constructive artistic development. By this, I mean, that we should have a better idea, how to organise our societies in such a way, that most people live in a state of security, well-being and opportunity, because these are the conditions that allow for a harmonious development of talents and potentials.

Future societies will allow their citizens the maximum possible degree of freedom to develop and learn, and, they will provide, not only, the freedom to seek for meaning and perfection, but, the future societies will also be able to provide their citizens with all the necessary facilities and circumstances to develop a range of sophisticated skills and talents. In order to become and remain motivated to search for skill and excellence, an individual has to be basically secure and well-integrated, as well as well-stimulated and exposed to competitive pressures from the social environment.

However, in order to keep the awareness alive that these beneficial social conditions require an act of contribution and good-will from everybody, we have to teach our students, first of all, a solid program of educational concepts and principles about the essence of being human, and, being a member of a large and complex society. Unless we learn the "art" of developing such a coherent society, together with a solid program of teaching to transmit these ideas from generation to generation, we will always remain somewhat confused, restless and ambivalent about the values of our society, as well as about the meaning and usefulness of our own existence.

Art begins in the art of living together, and creating, collectively, the type of atmosphere and psychological climate that motivates us to trust each other and to cooperate. Then, we can afford to give each other maximum freedom of behaviour and expression, in the trustful expectation that this freedom will be used to develop one's capabilities in such a way, that we all can benefit. If this is not the case, we will always have to fear, that, freedoms and opportunities will be used to our disadvantage or detriment. Then, a glorious example of achievement, as well as the beauty of dedication, may easily deteriorate into a pernicious arms-race, regardless, how skillfully executed.

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Summary

1. The world around us, and the assumptions we make about it.
   We give the quality of existence to everything we are aware of in our particular world.
   We create the realities of the present and the past, and we project or imagine the potential realities of the future.
   The specifically human and biological nature of the world we exist in.
   A look at the special sense-organs of sight and hearing.
   The world of sound and music.
   In the final analysis, philosophy has always a pragmatic objective.
   The beauty of music, knowledge and understanding merge in the purpose of finding an enhanced level of viability in the experience of satisfaction.
   When sound acquires a conscious significance on its own; the abstraction of sound.
   The isolation associated with an inability to see or hear.
   Experiments with sensory deprivation.
   The nature of hallucinations.
   We need a continuous contact with our environment through special and general sense-organs.
   The perception of reality is a function of an intact and consciously aware human being.
   The three-dimensional sphere of visual and auditory realities.
   The perception of reality does not require the quality of a verbalisable awareness.
   A non-verbalisable sense of "familiarity".
   The function of stereoscopic vision.
   The projection of space through binaural hearing and vision.
   The physiology of hearing.
   The functions of sight and hearing during the emergence of symbolic representations.
   
   
   
2. A review of the evolution of symbolic representations.
   A complex "re-play" of sights, sounds and emotions.
   Abstractions.
   Deliberately making a sound for its own sake.
   A look at the ability to make specific sounds.
   The function of "echo-location".
   Vocalisations, seen as a form of communication.
   The synchronisation of moods.
   Pre-symbolic and symbolic forms of communication.
   A "ground-tone" for the more intellectual and conceptual communication of specific information.
   The wide range of human vocalisations.
   Variations of sounds; in pitch and duration, intensity and rythm.
   Deliberate musical variations with the vocal cords seem to be a typically human pass-time.
   The act of "singing".
   Vocalisations, that are controled and sustained, as well as deliberately varied in pitch, rythm and intensity.
   Mechanisms of cultural transfer.
   Is the ability to sing closely related to the ability to speak?
   The singing of birds.
   The factor of conscious awareness, when appreciating the qualities of a particular sound.
   Human singing is essentially different from bird-song.
   The vocal cords become an instrument under conscious and deliberate control.
   The limitations of the human voice.
   The sense of "tonality".
   The voice can only produce one tone at the time.
   The world of tonal harmony had to wait, until man developed the the ability to sing together at different tone-levels.
   The emergence of the multi-stringed instrument.
   
   
   
3. Learning about harmonic relationships.
   A personal note about my musical interests.
   The psychological function of music.
   Nearly everyone is somewhat sensitive to the beauty of music.
   Music is often used to communicate a mood or feeling.
   The non-symbolic meaning of sound.
   Music can be used for a variety of specific purposes; to impress, to elevate spirits, to foster a martial or euphoric attitude, or to induce an atmosphere of nostalgia or romance.
   Anticipating "a concert".
   Wanting to be "swept-off our feet"
   A life-long devotion to bringing a high-quality performance.
   The beguiling persuasiveness of the ability to express, fluently and accurately, a wide variety of moods in an intriguing and appealing idiom.
   The inter-actions between musicians and audience involve a large spectrum of communications that can be partially verbalised as psychological mechanisms.
   The nostalgic factor when listening to music.
   Music is much more than the production of "pleasing sounds".
   When the sounds of a musical sequence became divorced from a conceptual meaning.
   The evolution of polyphonic sound.
   Multiples or simple partials of each other's vibrational characteristics.
   A genuine artist seeks a new or personal meaning within a framework of traditional and proven techniques.
   The wide range of musical appreciation.
   A unique opportunity to be persuasive, brilliant and dominant without harming anyone.
   The combination of musical sounds and text; the song.
   Shifting the emphasis from text to sound.
   The world of "classical music".
   
   
   
4. In the beginning, the worlds of symbolic representation and music, of words and pantomime, were inter-woven.
   Emotionally charged memory-recalls.
   A unified reality-experience.
   From evoking a memory-recall to evoking an anticipation.
   A forum to express hopes, fears and expectations.
   Emphasising the positive aspects in rituals and prayers.
   Realities, based on primary, biological sense-impressions.
   The rise of magical manipulations.
   Sounds and musical sequences were originally part of a much larger "portrayal" of actual events or ritualised manipulations.
   A limited ability to criticise.
   We all have a tendency to relate the meaning of a musical composition to a non-musical frame of reference.
   A coherent architecture of musical ideas and expressions.
   The world of musical expression is too vast to be known in its entirety by one individual.
   For most of us, music does not become completely abstract.
   Music retains an important link with religious beliefs and practices.
   The appreciation of religious music has shifted, for many people, towards an aesthetic and psychological plane.
   Opportunities for a professional career for many different people.
   The "music-lover".
   A source of relaxation and inspiration.
   A background for thought and reflection.
   A sense of mystery remains for the ardent music-lover.
   For the professional musician, music becomes "business", as well as a way of life.
   It is logical, therefore, that the professional musician admires and relaxes with the artistry, knowledge and mastery of another field.
   
   
   
5. A rapturous feeling that transcends all knowledge.
   The emotional surge that comes with an experience of beauty.
   A strong feeling of nostalgia.
   Our reactions to a piece of music may vary from time to time.
   The beauty of being "exactly right".
   How do we form an imagery of the "ideal sound"?
   A gradually increasing element of "critical appreciation".
   No chance of hood-winking a connaisseur.
   The beauty of perfection is not limited to the performing and creative arts.
   We all can do our work "to perfection".
   The inspiring quality of good workmanship.
   Precision and excellence, as well as honesty and efficiency, are the characteristcs of a master.
   When art becomes "commercialised".
   A long period of public evaluation is the best judge of quality.
   An artificial exposure through the ability to "spend money".
   An up-lifting dedication to the goals of excellence and integrity.
   A commercialised work of art has "nothing to say".
   The qualities of true artistry.
   A convergence between attitudes and objectives.
   Life has to make sense.
   For future generations, the goal of survival will become an art in itself.
   
   
   
6. A slide from the art of music to the art of survival.
   Some aspects of the physics of sound.
   The characteristics of a particular musical instrument.
   The "melodic relationships" of sounds.
   The fluency of a melody depends on its contours and intervals.
   A melodic sentence.
   The unity of four melodic lines with characteristic variants.
   Melodic and rythmic variations.
   The basic opening movement of a sonata or concerto.
   Back to artistic principles.
   A thing of beauty is a joy for those, who are able to appreciate it.
   Artistic knowledge, skill, as well as familiarity with the artistic material, require a great deal of study, hard work and self-discipline.
   Great art is always rooted in traditional techniques, but has a flavour of excitement and a refreshing innovativeness.
   Great art has anticipated, correctly, what a large number of people in future generations will find beautiful and relevant.
   Art has to have a social function, but this does not make contemporary political leaderships qualified to judge art.
   The role of government in the teaching and development of the arts.
   Governments should not be involved in encouraging specific artistic trends, or patronising specific artists.
   Teaching the basic principles of the arts and sciences to our youngsters.
   Making available, for study and reflection, the artistic subjects and artifacts, is a proper role for government institutions.
   Tonal and atonal music.
   A chaotic imitation of chaos remains chaos, and does not become art.
   
   
   
7. How does art affect us, as a listener or enjoyer of art?
   Why a moving artistic experience makes us a "better person".
   How does a moving experience teach and "up-lift" us?
   Social leaders can promote a broad-minded attitude towards art, as well as a high-quality education in the many forms of art that are popular in a contemporary social environment.
   A discussion of "art".
   Every skilled profession or activity can acquire the quality of being performed "as an art".
   An appreciation for excellence and dedication.
   Can a philosopher be an artist?
   The gift of thinking clearly, and discussing a topic with lucidity and common-sense.
   The scientist can also become an artist through the attitudes of dedication and hard work.
   The peculiar "purity" of a scientific reality perception.
   Objectivity, and the opportunity to acquire an insight into psychological dynamics.
   An awareness of sub-verbal or sub-conscious communications.
   The principles of an artistic expression go back to the origins of symbolic representation.
   Artistic communications "by-pass" many of the more sophisticated modes of awareness.
   The art of developing the tools of language communication and conceptual comprehension in an exceptionally skillful manner.
   A fruitful topic for a philosophical discussion.
   Truly great artists in the art of living and home-making.
   The value of anonymous artistry.
   The "con-artist".
   The con-artist exploits his talents ruthlessly for his own benefit.
   Expressing admiration for a "perfect crime" is senseless, amoral and ignorant.
   Art and entertainment.
   When we demonstrate a lack of moral awareness in our patterns of admiration.
   We should be resigned, then, to the fact, that few people will be outraged, if we happen to become a victim of crime.
   All our behavioural actions have to be judged on their impact upon other people.
   
   
   
8. How do art and social justice tie-together?
   The link between art and conscience.
   Many people reflect a remarkable ambivalence towards their large and confusing social environments.
   Ambivalent attitudes towards government and authority.
   Artists are subjected to the same polarising tensions as other people.
   Moral and ethical behaviour; defined as an allegiance to principles of behaviour, rather than a loyalty towards governments and authorities.
   Recognising the egocentric trends behind many socially desirable attitudes and postures.
   Not every recluse or misantrhope is as selfish as he looks.
   The attitude of social responsibility is not easily judged.
   When various egocentric and socially detrimental attitudes and activities are generating a measure of "admiration".
   A professional career in a specific art-form always requires a long and hard struggle.
   The criteria of excellence, craftsmanship, dedication and relevance play a role in every artistic endeavour.
   The philosopher should not even try to "live off his art".
   A clever act of criminality should arouse a feeling of concern, rather than admiration.
   Not every well-meant attempt to contribute to social well-being should be revered as art.
   A gradual improvement in our ability to analyse and discuss the many forms of art.
   We have to learn the art of developing a coherent and durable large-scale society.
   Art begins, and ends, in the art of living together.

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