Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Musical taste is enculturated, not innate

It just happens early.

As reported in the Manchester Guardian, Cornell and Toronto researchers report that Bulgarian infants under 12 months "can detect subtle variations in complex rhythmic patterns of Balkan folk dance tunes. . . Erin Hannon, of Cornell University and a colleague at the University of Toronto report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that a seemingly innate musical awareness in infants seemed to falter as the months went by, and the babies heard more Britney Spears, Charlotte Church and the Crazy Frog."

Another argument for local and participatory music-making. Corporations do not want babies to distinguish or prefer local musics--because then corporations can't sell Britney Spears to local cultures.

Teaching and playing music is a revolutionary act. That's why I do it.

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