Understanding Material Culture and Music

Material Culture and Music Definition

• Material culture refers to the physical objects created by a society.
• Music should be studied on its own terms according to the creators.

Musical Concepts

• A measure is a grouping of beats used in music.
• Music functions in a culture similarly to energy in an ecosystem.
• Pitch indicates the highness or lowness of tones in music.
• Dynamics assess the loudness levels of musical pieces.
• Meter involves specific groupings of beats.
• Tempo determines the speed of the beat.

Cultural Perspectives in Music

• Not all cultures have a specific word for music.
• Affect pertains to emotions conveyed through music.
• Presentational music is typically not performed by all in the soundscape.

Components of Music Culture

• Four main components of music-culture exist, excluding nonhuman animal music.
• The tonic is a chord built on the first scale degree in music theory.
• Culture encompasses a community's total way of life, transmitted through generations.

African Music Context

• Zulu culture was not covered in class discussions.
• The Dagomba people of Ghana have performers called lunsi, similar to the Mande jalolu.
• The instrument used by the Dagomba approximating speech is the luna.
• Both Ghanaian postal workers' music and BaAka music exemplify participational music styles.
• The BaAka people primarily reside in the Central African Republic.

Instrumentation in African Music

• The mbira is played by plucking its metal tongues (spines).
• Agbekor translates to "clear life," emphasizing its significance in learning music.
• The Kagau is classified as a type of membranophone.

Ethnocentric Terms and Misconceptions

• The term "pygmie" is considered ethnocentric and is infrequently used now, with the Forest People including the BaAka.
• Featured instruments in African music forms vary; the assertion about drums is false.

Contemporary Influence and Style

• Chimurenga embodies various musical elements.
• Thomas Mapfumo and Blacks Unlimited represent contemporary music from Zimbabwe.
• Mbira keys exhibit unique tonal arrangements with varying pitch distribution.
• The Shona culture enhances traditional instruments, like mbira, with rattles or buzzing sounds.

Global Musical Influence

• Contemporary Western artists like Herbie Hancock have drawn inspiration from BaAka music.
• "Folsom Prison Blues" encompasses various interpretations and styles.
• Frank Mitchell is recognized as a Navajo Blessingway singer.
• Listening examples include complex rituals featuring music, dance, and sand painting, such as the Navajo Yeibichai song.

Native American Church and Musical Traditions

• Yei-bi-cha translates to “gods-their-grandfathers” in Navajo culture.
• Rattles are incorrectly categorized as membranophones.
• The Sioux Grass Dance song originated as a war song.
• Peyote serves as a sacrament in the Native American Church, along with water drums utilized in the Navajo peyote style hymn.

Explore the intersections between material culture and music through this quiz. Delve into key musical concepts, cultural perspectives, and the components that define music within various societies. Test your knowledge on how music functions within a culture and its emotional impacts.