Table of Contents

1. 'The complexity of folk music': evolution, invention and diffusion in music; 2. 'The impress of personality in unwritten music': music as a means of communication and ethnomusicology as social science; 3. 'Irregular rhythms': movement, dance, music and ritual; 4. 'The world's most lovely melodies': form and feeling in unwritten music; 5. Democratic polyphony: political and musical freedom; 6. 'the goal of musical progress': music as work or as leisure?; 7. 'Let all the world hear all the world's music': popular music-making and music education; Appendix A. A common sense view of all music Percy Grainger; Appendix B. Musical transcription Percy Grainger; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Promotional Information

John Blacking restates and reflects upon observations and attitudes relevant to contemporary problems of ethnomusicology and music education.

Reviews

'For those who wish to question current thought and practice in Western musical life and education, Blacking's testimony will be essential reading.' Music Teacher

'The first chapter …evaluates Grainger's contribution to ethnomusicology … through the succeeding six chapters Blacking discusses many philosophical and political points touching on the nature of art and art objects, the relationship of individual to universal musical experience, the task of ethnomusicology, the origins of musical ideas, the definition of music in terms of human behaviour rather than just an art …act of organised sound and, significantly, the extension of music education to cover world music ... [Blacking] comes close to the heart of all debate on the nature of musical art: from where do musical ideas come?' The Musical Times