Re: [microsound] practice comes before theory...

[Garry Kling <kling007@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 09/02/2002 09:03 AM, anechoic at kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> so I guess western educational systems have it all backwards?

Having been educated by this system, specifically in a music school, I think
I know what you mean. I think that the difference between descriptive and
prescriptive theory is important here. Theorists (and their students) are
often confused on this point. Should theory set the rules, or describe a
practice? There are theories in music that do both - Schenkerian analysis as
descriptive, and serialism as a prescriptive theory, for example. You can't
make music from a Schenker graph, but you almost have to know the rules of
atonal theory in order to write atonal music...well that satisfies you
teacher...

So theory is often used in the music school to inform practice. Depending on
who your teacher it is, it can get really fascist and oppressive. I've spent
much of the last year of my life unlearning the sensibilities I picked up in
school. Especially in regards to putting practice in front of theoretical
construct...


Garry