Dancing With The Muses A Historical Approach to Basic Concepts of Music

by M. Zachary Johnson

An expansion of teaching materials created for students at the Mannes College in New York, this book draws on the author's years of experience as teacher, composer, writer, lecturer and listener. "Dancing with the Muses" deals with the phenomenon of of living linear motion in music. It melody and melodic coherence; the elements and basis of melody in interval, scale and time; the art of combining lines in a musical fabric; and the basic nature of harmony. The book teaches concepts by means of the stories from history which gave rise to them. The historical approach makes the material more vividly meaningful and memorable. It answers the Where do these concepts come from? How did they come to be? Why are they what they are? Why are they worth knowing? Designed for efficiency, the book is a concise, essentialized presentation, an overview of the fundamentals of the field rather than an encyclopedia of detail. In contrast with more academic, technical books, "Dancing with the Muses" considers music as an expressive human art form. The book continually addresses not only the definition of the musical elements, but also their emotional effect. Find out why the human brain requires the diatonic scale as the basis of musical intelligibility. Delve into the controversy over the "primacy of melody" versus the "primacy of harmony"--Which comes first? Hear the dramatic story of the heretical monk who invented musical staff notation and solfege singing. Learn what makes the notes of a melody fit together-and where the very concept of melodic "fitting together" comes from. Meet the great innovators in the history of our knowledge about music, including Pythagoras, Zarlino & Helmholtz. * * * Composer M. Zachary Johnson's music has been described as "the first serious Romantic music to be produced by a composer who is part, not of the 19th-century past, but of the 21st-century future." Reviewing his music, About.com music guide Aaron Green "If this is the direction classical music is heading, well, I'd say the future will be full of wonderful music." Johnson's saxophone compositions--including Serenade, Scherzo, Adagio, Grand Sonata--are rapidly becoming part of the instrument's standard repertoire. They are played regularly in recitals throughout the world. Having composed extensively for large instrumental ensemble, Johnson is expanding into musical theater/opera. Learn more about the author www.MZacharyJohnson.com

Genres: History, Music, Philosophy

Paperback

First published February 16, 2013

Reviews

[Stephen Bourque · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a lifelong, active (not passive) lover of music. Listening, for me, is a foreground task, and I have always been intensely curious about those elusive elements of music that make it different than any other art. Why are scales and intervals what they are, and is there objective validity to it? Why do some note pairs produce concordance and others dissonance? What is at the root of that crucial balance between repetition and change, expectation and surprise? This book goes far toward answering these and a hundred other questions. Furthermore, the author does this in terms that are accessible to non-musicians. (I studied a little music theory in high school decades ago—enough to stoke my curiosity—but I am by no means a musician or competent instrumentalist.) I expect that musicians will find the occasional embedded musical fragments very valuable, but it is not essential to be able to play the passages in order to grasp the material.

An important aspect of the book is that the author presents these musical concepts in their historical context. This is valuable not only because it is generally edifying for history lovers, but because it reinforces the logic of the concepts that are introduced. History, properly understood, is explanatory. The orderly presentation in the book is indicative of the author’s understanding of music as an integrated whole, a view that rejects any split between science and art. Music, Johnson makes clear, is a product of reason.

I love this book—it is a delightful and unexpected gem—and I am looking forward to reading the author's new one, which has just arrived in the mail.

[Sean Saulsbury · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to read this book, which is billed as a historical approach to "basic concepts of music." As someone who likes music and plays the piano as a hobby, I know a little about music, such as what a note is. But the first chapter introduces and discusses many musical concepts I was not familiar with, without even defining those terms. This may be of interest to those familiar with such terms. As someone seeking to expand my knowledge of musical terms and musical theory, the title caught my attention but, unfortunately, the content doesn't deliver.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, which briefly examines the history and theory of music, and the relationship between the two. It is well referenced, so areas of interest can be explored in further detail by going to the original source. Though it is a scholarly work, it is written in a conversational style that is not dry or pedantic. The information that is presented appears to be weighted by its practical value in the art of enjoying and producing music.