Re: [microsound] being 'political' in non-verbal music

[Steve Adam <spectro7@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >  Exegene wrote:
> > Employing a stoplight as a morse code transmitter requires that it 
> > does not function as a stoplight because stoplight as it is cannot 
> > be seperated from stoplight as traffic control. A spoon and bowl 
> > can just as well be used to tap out morse code, although in that 
> > case they would still be able to function as a eating implements, 
> > but that bears in no way on whether or not "soup slurping" is a 
> > language.

 aleks vasic wrote:

> Who cares if it does not function as a stop light.  It can still be 
> used as a tool to communicate in the same exact way you and i are 
> right now.

Not entirely the same way. It requires both knowledge of the language 
*and* knowledge of the stoplight code thru which to interpret that 
language. In this regard text is indeed a code as well, but it just 
happens to be one that is recognized by more people.

Which leads to my point: that IMHO music is more like a code than 
language. It can clearly convey messages that are understood by 
'transmitter and receiver' through some level of agreed cultural 
meaning (the less widespread the understanding, the more specialist 
the codes - and the music), but unlike text or stoplight codes, the 
code of music doesn't convey language, and unlike language (or 
'language about music') it cannot genuinely critique itself, convey a 
manifesto, or request another cup of coffee.

> Score one for the neanderthal in the opening scene of 2001space 
> Oddesey  when he realized a bone can be used to crush some sods head 
> with.

And then he started drumming with it, which IMO encapsulates the 
prototype of 'instrumental' military music ; )

S.

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