Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World's Peoples

by Jeff Todd Titon (Editor), Timothy J. Cooley, David Locke

Provides authoritative, accessible coverage of the world's music cultures. Based on the authors' fieldwork and expertise, this text presents in-depth explorations of several music cultures from around the world, with new chapters on China, Eastern Europe and the Arab world. The student-friendly, case-study approach and music-culture focus gives students a true sense of both the music and the culture that created it.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Textbooks, History, Anthropology, Reference

640 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[ally wright ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

i remembered i read the entire textbook for class and im deciding to count it towards my reading goal!

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbook-like. Bold attempt, laudable, & satisfying. To (hear) the bizarre (music/noise) of whichever region lends ponderance, reflection, & meditation. There's some pretty interesting music brought up. The several authors did a commendable job at unearthing the richness of such cultures as Indonesian, Javanese, Bosnia, Serbia, Ecuador, Japan, South Indian, Ewe, Shona, Dagbamba, Navajo, et. al. and they provided for samples which spanned decades & centuries. Many of the essays made attempts to notate & transpose (the music), and some included indigenous notations that appeared bizarre! For linguists & cryptologists this book might prove a mine of dazzling gems to gaze at for the variety of systems that were and are created to make written record of that which we call music, or sound, or, for some, it might even be just noise. Thus the reader gets to peer at music notated in the form of concentric circles (think of an ensemble of percussionists arranged seated in a circle), or see transposed the chromatic or pentatonic ornaments and schemes in Native American flute songs. The book's an altogether educational one though it can feel dry due to its general effort to translate for the Western ear & mind the myriad sounds, pitches & approaches to music. For some cultures it is merely a part of a workday whereas for others it is sacred, and dispensed to disciples in traditional, orthodox fashion.

I'd probably suggest to look at the least at some other similar books of this kind before jumping into this one because it's dated to 1996--no internet references at all. I'll be on the look out for a solid E-Book w/hyperlinks. The book's a good introduction though for high school or college students that are in some sort of music (appreciation) class. It's got a lot of technical stuff, this weighs it down and makes it kinda boring, but musicians versed in Western musical theory (or, again, linguists or cryptologists) might enjoy the adventure through hills, deserts, jungles & coasts where the music doesn't follow a duple or triple meter, or it has no fixed pitch, or it is never played the same twice.

[Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't read all of it, but I think all that was left were a couple chapters we didn't take up in class. Very informative, really detailed text. Gives you a good sense of what the music is like, and breaks down the songs alongside the text in much detail.