TUNING digest 1030

Hi John (and Mark),

At 07:31 AM 3/30/97 -0800, you wrote (in TUNING Digest 1030):
>Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 13:07:48 -0800 (PST)
>From: John Chalmers
>Subject: Harmony Grid
>
>I just got a letter from Mark Rankin, who desires information about
>a Mac program called "Harmony Grid," which dates from the 1988-91
>epoch and was published by the HIP Software Company in Cambridge, MA.
>Mark said that their old phone number and and street address are no
>longer valid (117 Harvard Street, Suite 3, Cambridge, Ma 02139, (617)
>661-2HIP). If anyone knows anything about the company, or the program,
>please email me and I'll forward the information to Mark.

I never heard of the program, but I'm interested in it (hopefully there's an
IBMPC version of it as well).

>Mark specifically asked whether this software used a bi-axial cartesian
>Fifth x Major Third grid or the tri-axial one with the minor third as
>well.

Can you explain the "tri-axial" coordinate system? Wouldn't you end up with
a triangle, instead of a third dimension, if the third coordinate is a minor
third? E.g.:

G
/ \
C---E

(In case email reformats the above, it's supposed to be a triangle
connecting C, E, and G of a C Major Triad.)

Later,

--Mark Nowitzky
+------------------------------------------------------+
| Mark Nowitzky |
| email: nowitzky@pacificnet.net |
| www: http://www.pacificnet.net/~nowitzky |
| "If you haven't visited Mark Nowitzky's home |
| page recently, you haven't missed much..." |
+------------------------------------------------------+


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I would like to second John's comments about the cultural relativism of the
effects of music. I've sometimes wondered how 18th-century European
philosophers, so disturbed over the question of variation of taste, would
respond to the startling differences in interpretation of music between
cultures.

Wayne Vitale brought up a good example of this subjectivity: the Balinese
gamelan angklung. This 4-tone per octave ensemble plays some of the most
bright, lively, wonderfully happy melodies on the island, and yet it is
associated with death rites and cremations. The Balinese explained to Wayne
that they find the melodies melancholy, not bright or happy at all.

On the other hand, if anyone wants to make a fast buck, there are Chinese
modes and tones that, in their metaphysical music theory, are supposed to
promote weight loss. I think a CD of this music, promoted in the right way,
would be a big seller.

(Please note that I'm not trying to be flip about the belief systems of the
Chinese, just Western tabloid exploitation and shallowness.)

Bill

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
^ Bill Alves email: alves@hmc.edu ^
^ Harvey Mudd College URL: http://www2.hmc.edu/~alves/ ^
^ 301 E. Twelfth St. (909)607-4170 (office) ^
^ Claremont CA 91711 USA (909)621-8360 (fax) ^
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On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, John Chalmers wrote:

>
> Anyway, I don't want to belabor my skepticism regarding the value of
> music therapy, particularly for organic illness. I recall the late
> Ivor Darreg once getting a phone call from an acquaintance who announced
> that he had just discovered the ultimate laxative theme. Prudence or
> good taste, alas, prevented Darreg from recording it, so it's been lost
> to posterity.
>
> Basically, I think music should be a treat rather than a treatment. I'm
> willing to listen to good music on its own merits regardless of its
> underlying metaphysics.
>

John, I feel the effects of music, though sometimes extremely apparent,
more often are on the level of tobacco smoke or asbestos--occasional
exposure having seemingly little effect, some not being effected at all,
while long term exposure seems to eventually have drastic consequences.

I hope that interested individuals won't be kept from reading David Tame's
book based on several of the posted reviews. I believe his main thesis is
that music has a great influence on the civilization and culture which
creates it. He analyzes Chinese, Western, and Indian music traditions,
and to some extent pre Greek and Greek music. There is much material
which is thought provoking, though his conclusions are rather sweeping and
general. I believe it is unfair to interpret his thoughts as
racially biased, although he is hard on most "modern" Western music,
including jazz and R&R. Should one dismiss Indian ragas
because they believe Indian culture at one time condones(d) the caste
system and abuse of women?

Bruce Kanzelmeyer



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