Paste your essAuthenticity in Music and how it Matters in Music Education
Organised in time and sound as its critical features, music is a discipline known better as a cultural activity as well as an art. Melody and harmony are elements that govern the pitch of music, as well as the rhythm, whose primary constituents are articulation, meter, and tempo. Conversely, the colourfulness of music is characterised by the timbre, texture, and the dynamic, hence the softness and the loudness of the music (Godt, 2005). Nevertheless, different genres of music have various emphasis, hence the inevitable variation in the above-outlined features. Ranging from rapping and singing, music is expressed in many different forms, utilising critical tools like vocal techniques and instruments to aid in performance. Nevertheless, there are solo performances, others which require devices and others not (Brandt, Gebrian, & Slevc, 2012). The word music originates from the ancient Greek dialect, which depicts an art form and cultural activity that broadly touches and shares in aspects of tunes, songs, and symphonies among others. The Indian and Greek scholars in the disciplines of aesthetics of music, history, and criticism of music, have come up with diverse approaches to characterise music, which includes definitions of music like tones as well as melodies when ordered horizontally and vertically respectively (Brandt et al., 2012). Therefore, other that demystifying the background of music and its philosophy in education, it is imperative to highlight elements like the authenticity of music and its importance to the education sector, the jazz music, as well as the French post-war music, citing iconic individuals in the industry like Leo Ferre and Jacques Brel.
Background
The definition, significance, and performance of music, as well as the creation of the different genres in the discipline, vary depending on the elements like cultural diversity and societal set-ups. Some segments like the Beethoven`s 1825 Gross Fuge remains controversial as to whether it is classified as music or not. Furthermore, hardcore punk and jazz in the 1980s and the 1900s respectively faced similar controversies. However, it is vital to note that there are many variants of music which include traditional, ceremonial and religious, popular music, work songs, classical music, and chanteys. Unlike in the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries where improvisational music like avant-garde styles and jazz are played based on contemporary and chance, the music that characterized the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries was classical and strictly organized (Cross, 2001).
Music is a discipline that could be divided into so many genres, for instance, the style of country music. Furthermore, the genres have been divided into subgenres, like the pop country and the country blues are the two primary divisions of the genre of country music. Nevertheless, the boundaries authenticating the subdivisions are always personal and in most cases controversial, as the fundamental differences between or among the various subtypes are often subtle, for instance, unless one is a keen follower and very enthusiastic in rock music, they cannot easily differentiate between heavy metal and hard rock (Berenson & Smith, 2005). In the discipline of art, on the contrary, music could be categorized as fine, performing and auditory art.
Music has many advantages to the society, as it can be relayed and enjoyed in many forms. For instance, music could be played on the radio, performed in theaters, presented in rock concerts, heard live, viewed on television, or even sang and listened to besides other dramatic performances. Music as an art plays many fundamental functions across the communities in the world. Songs are sung and performed on special occasions like weddings and funerals, performed in religious and rites of passage rituals, in social and cultural events like dancing, as well as in choir. Other than playing and singing music as a hobby, other performers have the privilege to towering in the society as professional singers (Cross, 2001). Therefore, jazz band overseers, composers, songwriters and band musicians fall into the category of professional music. Furthermore, at a secondary level, music is a source of livelihood to many persons in the segments of dance, sound engineers, organizers of concert events and tours, and even scores to consumers.
The Philosophy of Music and Music Education
Music education is a very significant segment as a discipline of academia in the human curricular activities. Philosophically, it is important the educators create a learning environment which is diverse, friendly, and suitable enough to allow learners to achieve the best levels of ability in their pursuit. Therefore, it is a central requirement that the educators avail an appropriate learning and functioning technique to the students at all times (LeBlanc, 1996). Furthermore, it is critical that students are left independently to attend to challenges in a professional manner so that they gain the desirable skills, expertise, and experience to deliver in their independent capacities in their different fields of career. As such, the philosophy in music education prepares learners to amass skills that cannot only perform in the sheltered school environments but also in the outside world, to meet the needs of the society and improve the standards of service delivery in varied disciplines of specialization (LeBlanc, 1996).
In the subject of music, it is critical that students are made a part to the critical decision making in what is taught. By encouraging active participation from all quarters, the ability and hence the synergistic effect to meet desirable set goals and objectives becomes real. Therefore, collaboration and teamwork are cardinal in the pursuance of music education. Students should be encouraged to learn from each other and develop problem-solving abilities at their early stages of learning (Bloch, 2000). As such, individuals with independent and sophisticated minds are nurtured, to bring out the meaning of entirely and hence the significance of music as a subject of diversity in the human race. Consequently, laying a transparent platform of how students should demonstrate the learning skills and the need to engaged appropriate styles of teaching is very relevant (Tinker, 2005).
Rather than educators in the discipline of music telling their students what exactly should be captured in class, it is more profitable to act as facilitators and mediators of the curriculum. This could only happen when the teaching fraternity realizes that the world has been affected by globalization, and hence the shared culture, beliefs, and traditions across the world. Diversity is everywhere, hence the desire for both the educators and the learners allowing each other room to learn from every individual, to share and analyze the different approaches and knowledge every party has to offer in music (Nichols, 1974). Mixed emotions emanate from music, and separate pieces of this art could attract diverse meanings in different minds. Therefore, when a piece or a genre of music is under study, the students and the educator should listen to or watch the same play, then subject it to critical scrutiny, based on the understanding of all parties, hence allowing a deeper understanding and broad approach to cover what the educator could not share as a single entity for the rest of the learners.
Music as a subject prepares the human psychological, social, and emotional centers to a universal exposure and intense acquaintance of highly functioning people in their respective communities. Since the teaching of music has been reported by scholarly evidence to be a source of encouragement, boosted spirit, and general outlook as well as an appropriate approach to life, the subject can help people improve the quality of the lives they lead (Elliott, 2009). Other than the critical elements music teaches us like a corporation and teamwork, creativity and flexibility, discipline and marketability. The discipline as well acts as a fundamental source of happiness, pleasure, and fulfillment. Therefore, philosophically, the learners of music as an area of specialty should enjoy the need to exercising independence and hence express their creativity to make all parties involved and the society as a whole a full partner and beneficiary (Mark, 1982).
Music viewed on the platform of academic philosophy is a very vast subject. Indeed, one has to recognize that the world is diverse and many different beliefs, culture, traditions, religions and social practices are embraced. Therefore, this discipline of music serves as a common platform to challenge the learners and the educators to recognize and appreciate the variations that there is in different communities over the highlighted segments herein (McCarthy & Goble, 2002). As such, the learners are not only capable of respecting those among their society but also keen enough to sense and honor the diversity of different individuals from various destinations in the world. Furthermore, globalization has made the field of academia a platform of uniting foreign citizens, whereby people from all walks of life meet to pursue common courses of study, hence the best arena for coming in conduct with human diversity (Jorgensen, 2001). Other than utilizing the Pestalozzian learning, many students whom English is not their first language can find a better chance of obtaining understanding by singing in different languages, as music is a universal language which brings all people to a common platform of linguistics experience (Jorgensen, 2001).
Identifying Authenticity in Music
The legitimacy and the geniuses in music as an art and as a cultural activity define the authenticity of the music. The nominal authenticity translates to how well music relates to the composer or the singer, as well as how the genre better pictures the tradition and cultural aspects of the art (Griswold & Peterson, 1998). Nevertheless, the emotional authenticity of music refers to how real, sincere and inherent the performer or the composer displays their piece of music, as well as the originality, invention, and the inherent authority of the piece. Furthermore, the authenticity of experience is critical, as the world is diverse and many people from different societies could wonder about the specific intention of the artist in performing certain music, and hence the authenticity of the same regarding encounter and experience is imperative to recapture (Matheson, 2008).
Authenticity of Provenance
The authenticity of performance refers to the ascertainment that the performance and hence the ownership of a piece of music has been confirmed. Indeed, despite the premium quality of a music genre or the humble presentation, it has been argued out across decades that it is inevitable to determine whether the piece of music is either genuine or someone’s forgery. Even though the countries like Thailand and periods dating back in the medieval era people were not carefully to noting the owner of the music, in the current twenty-first century, and more so in the western countries like the US, the authenticity of provenance is very critical in identifying the real creator of a given piece of music (Gunders, 2012). Because of the forgeries prevalent across the world, it is important to apply modern, sophisticated forensic technology in ensuring the provenance authenticity of the music.
Cultural Authenticity
The cultural authenticity refers to the traditional and stylistic characteristics of a given piece of music so that even if the authenticity of provenance is not known, the genre of music in question could be traced down to traditional legitimacy. Therefore, the elements of nationalistic, purity and lack of adulteration, as well as racial uniqueness are the central elements in this regard (Buneman, Chapman, & Cheney, 2006). The materials utilized in the creation, the language, the setting, processes of production and the particular styles of presentation clearly define authenticity of culture.
Authenticity of Performance
In the music industry, all the parties engaged like the composer, writers of music, and the performers are important when it comes to the authenticity of performance, because of the primary contributions each one of them makes in their guest to delivering the final product. Nevertheless, there are some philosophical controversies surrounding this form of authenticity (McLeod, 1999). While the proponents argue that it is a distinctive entity that should be highlighted, those opposed to it claim that the writer of the song could singularly dictate the final outlook of the performance of the piece of music, hence taking away the need to follow up its performance authenticity. Nevertheless, the authenticity of performance is typically essential, because music experts have argued that if a piece is performed with everything pertinent to a modern society while engaging ancient instruments discovered by other musicians, then the performance is not authentic as were it not for the earlier performance, the recent musicians would not have had any idea about the old instruments. Furthermore, the same experts have offered an example that if anybody performed one of the Shakespeare’s scenes without pronouncing the Elizabethan English as did the characters of Shakespeare, then on account of the authenticity of performance, they cannot be charged as real (Hill, 1986).
Authenticity of Expression
This nature for authenticity refers to the degree of commitments to the piece of music, regarding expression, rather than alleged interrelationships to other pieces of musical work. This, therefore, boards on integrity, honesty, and originality. In this course of the argument, other than different forms of art, music comes into the direct controversy between the authenticity of performance and that of expression. Indeed, if the dancer makes moves unique to themselves and their content of music, the expression is authentic, unlike when playing style and the moves made are emulated from some other piece of work (Mullaney, 2012). Therefore, both charismatic and unique moves of the performer are critical in ensuring the authenticity of expression.
Authenticity of Experience
The authenticity if the experience is very peculiar and sophisticated to detect about other forms of authenticity. For instance, of tourists come visiting a particular performance all the way from say an Asian or European continent to a North American or African continent, there is too much they can see and fail to fully comprehend based on the lack of experience with the new culture. Therefore, even though the authenticity of experience could be realistic and valid to the local communities, it remains to be an area of controversy when mirrored across the global platform (Harrison, 2008).
How Authenticity Matters in Music Education
Authenticity encourages engagement between the producers of music and the consumers. The genuineness and the quality of the genres released into the market are essential to the audience. Furthermore, the different stakeholders in the music industry are capable of observing their respective boundaries, and hence ensuring fairness and justice while doing their work. On the contrary, it is typically real to argue that music has become a profession whose specialists are a source of career and earning for those involved (Arts Education Partnership, 2011). Therefore, the question of competition comes in phase when evaluating the quality of production, the authenticity and the integrity withheld, as well as the reliability shown. If customers are satisfied with a given music corporation, then their brand becomes established, and their competitive edge easily towers above their peers. Therefore, authenticity is important because while it helps monitor the fraudulent characters in the industry who might be having the habit of claiming ownership of pieces of music which do not belong to them, it helps in regulating supply and demand in the market and hence somewhat rewarding the deserving individuals (Green, 2006). Considering that music is an important form of emotional connectivity, it remains cardinal in the human social aspects. Naturally, consumers of music products will always get attracted to stations where authentic, genuine and valid services are delivered. Therefore, it is almost predictable that with a real and justified brand, stakeholders responsible will engage a larger audience and be able to achieve their desires, including career development, broad support, coupled up with other benefits like fame and familiarity. Therefore, authenticity in music ensures enthusiasm and offers extra energy in performance, which could lead to negative pressure and loss in its absence (Green, 2006).
Discussions on Jazz Music
Toward the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the genre of music called Jazz originated among the African Americans in the US in the state of New Orleans (Gioia, 1997). The performance orientation of jazz became famous in the 1920s, attracting a wide audience from across Latin America, Europe and the traditional cultures from the African Americans from across the world. The primary characteristics of Jazz music include the blue notes and swing, improvisation and response vocals as well as polyrhythms. Indeed, historical evidence has shown that the traditional features of Jazz music have been virtually emulated from the West African cultures, as well as the European bands of the military disciplines and the African American traditions in the music industry (Zack, 2000). Whereas it is broadly known that the black Americans have been the largest ethnical group regarding culture and traditions in influencing Jazz music, a keen research gives an insight that many distinguishing features of this genre of music are attributed to other cultural diversities from across the world. Among the many original art forms that have been declared in the twentieth century to date, Jazz music has been applauded as one of the American finest productions (Salamone, 2005).
As the jazz music spread across continental borders into different countries of the world, it became evident that diversity was setting in, and as would later be appreciated, the various forms of the piece were inevitable. For instance, the New Orleans Jazz was incepted in the early 1910s, as was uniquely characterized by polyphonic improvisation, blues and ragtime, French quadrilles, and marches of the brass band (Berger, 1999). Nevertheless, in the 1930s new styles of jazz emerged in the city of Kansas, revealing elements like bluesy, hard swinging and gypsy jazz. By the end of the 1940s, changes had become a collective experience, and features like cord-based improvisation and faster tempos making the Jazz music danceable were incepted. Long and linear melodies, smoother and gentle sounds as well as less fast tempos defined the cool Jazz music in the late 1950s. Free jazz, gospel, blues and modal jazz became evident in the 1960s. Latin afro-Cuban jazz and jazz-rock fusion had been incepted into the system by 2000 (Farley, 2008).
French Post-War Music; Leo Ferre and Jacques Brel
The French chanson by Leo Ferre and Jacques Brel is utilized as the contemporary art from in representing the post-war identity of the French. As a central media event, the coming together of Léo Ferré and Brel, Georges in the year1969 was the epitome of photo opportunity, radio discussion, and major journalistic articles by one François-René, an occurrence which would within no long time unfold as an aura of the emblem of modern Frenchness (Caballero, 2002). Indeed, owing to the respect and honor regarded as the two iconic individuals in the French history, in 2008, the Comédie-Française was restaged to meet the public demand and interest in the traditional music of France. Born in 1993 July 14, Léo Ferré had his career thrive after the Second World War. He towered above his contemporaries as an unmatched poet, live performer, and composer of music (Tinker, 2002). He composed over forty albums, and his music gained many audiences in the 1960s and 1970s, and some of his admirable genres included C'est extra, Paris canaille, and Jolie Môme that made up the French chanson classics.
Jacques Brel is a renowned French musician. Most of his genres were translated into English by one Eric Blau and his close accolade Mort Shuman. The Off-Broadway production in the year 1968 was especially an excellent combination that lasted a four-year period of excellence in the industry ( Tinker, 2005). Furthermore, the Village Gate release was another production by Jacques Brel that went running for over four years. Most of the French music and lyrics were a significant contribution by Brel in many of the French albums then (Baston, 2010). Hommage à Jacques was a gala expose of the 1972 January 25 that Brel a more attended with more than twenty artists in attendance interpreting Brel`s music, hence the climax of his career.
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