Math, tuning, and life.

Boys and girls,

Joe Monzo wrote:

>theoretical manifestos have
>their own kind of beauty, not unrelated to a musical score itself.
>The enjoyment of reading both theoretical treatises and scores
>is different from the purely aural sensation of listening to
>the music.

This is not difficult to understand: the performance of music, the study of
music, and the experience (listening to) of music can be separate and/or
complementary pleasures. But...

Johnny Reinhard wrote:

>Math is music. Math is the true universal language.

Therefore, music is also a universal language. Which means that my
grandparents would appreciate hip-hop, and the kids at the end of the block
shredding curbs on their skateboards must luxuriate in the devine
sensations of any of Purcell's operas.

Not.

But the biggest one, if obvious, goes back to Joe:

>The secret that mathematicians know, and which remains generally
>obscure to the rest of us, is that *anything* can be described
>by mathematics.

Describe these three things:

1. The beauty of a sunset from any one of the more easily reached summits
in the High Sierra range. Or the White Mountains, for that matter.

2. Me

3. Joe Monzo, and his aspirations in life, while you're at it.

A bit new-Agey, but such blanket statements don't help matters. Let's be
clear.

Paul Erlich is much more in focus:

>Tuning is an inherently mathematical subject and we all should approach
>it with a willingness and curiosity to learn more mathematics.

Absolutely. Undeniably. *That* is why I read the list. Numbers cannot and
will never replace, supplant, or stand in place of music.

Unless you're Milton Babbitt.

Cheers on a beautiful (and non-mathematical) Sunday,
Jon
`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`
Jonathan M. Szanto : Corporeal Meadows - Harry Partch, online.
jszanto@adnc.com : http://www.corporeal.com/
`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`

{Jonathan M. Szanto:]
>The tone of my post was to refute the idea that music is
intrinsically or primarily a mathematical construct.

Though 'math' dose seem to me to be 'bound up' in some strangely
vicarious (and decidedly recursive) relationship with 'music...' and
although I have little doubt that the fundamental intuitions and
accomplishments of say the number theorist and the composer, are, or
rather: _can be_, borne of the same essentially 'artistic' longings,
desires and drives... I happen to 100% agree with Jon here - "Music is
not math."

Dan