Listening to and learning about the music of other cultures (and sub-cultures).

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        One of the most enlightening experiences is to learn about and experience the ways of life and values of a culture foreign to one’s own. Throughout this quad, it has been very enlightening and interesting to learn more about the music of people throughout the world. One of the dangers of being a music major in a school where classical performance is the sole focus is to develop the kind of thinking that idealizes the music studied and performed as the only music worth hearing. While my personal view of music tends to do this to Western music, I have always been able to respect the quality of the music of other cultures. For me, the determination of whether music is good or bad is twofold. It depends on the technical aspects of the music and also that for which the music is propaganda. For example, if music of any culture is performed inaccurately, it is bad, even if it promotes something completely wholesome. In addition, a piece of music that is technically perfect, yet promotes something unwholesome, it is also bad. Any music that meets these two criteria is, to me, good music. Thus, music to which I do not enjoy listening or find intellectually stimulating, is good music by the aforementioned basis for analysis. While this may be a somewhat pretentious viewpoint for the judgement of different styles of music, I have no qualms about maintaining this viewpoint as I become more educated in relationship to all music. It is necessary that one be educated in music before any judgement as to the quality of any music can rightfully be made.

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        For me, one of the most enlightening experiences in this class took place during the discussion about whether or not music can be inherently good or bad. Never before had I given thought to the music of other cultures as being good or bad. Rather, I recognized it as unique to a certain culture and decided that I had no place to determine the value of the quality of that music. However, in hearing others’ views about deciding the quality of the music from another culture, I was (and still am) forced to think about the standards to which I ...

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