Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture (Global Music Series, 1)

I have found this book useful as a curriculum base for general music study in Middle School and High School settings. It could also be useful for a college introductory course to ethnomusicology or general music. Unlike many other general music and music history methods, this book takes a truly global perspective on concepts like melody, harmony, rhythm, structure, notation, historical development, uses of music, and cultural influences. As an introduction to world music from an ethnomusicologist's perspective, Thinking Musically is a concise, well-organized study. Bonnie Wade pulls examples from the various studies in the Global Music series, creating a cohesive overview. Each chapter provides definitions (in bold type,) and a categorical framework for the material covered. Concepts are clearly mapped throughout the chapter with subheadings and clearly organized paragraphs. Wade pulls examples from the studies in the Global Music Series to illustrate each concept. Using these examples and musical samples on the CD she invites readers to apply these musical ideas in the highlighted activity boxes. This structure makes the book useful for independent study as well as group instruction. Ch. 1:Thinking about Music- explores perspectives on music's meaning and uses, investigates definitions of music, and musical values and aesthetics inviting the reader to explore his/her personal ideas about music as well (Sample activity: "Think about music in your life. Does it have some meaning for you, beyond its musical qualities? How do you use music? Can you distinguish between its meaning and function?") Ch. 2:Thinking about Instruments- explores instruments as an expression of culture- spiritual association, social status, aesthetic value, etc , provides a brief intro to the Sachs-Hornbostel classification system, defines timbre from various aesthetic viewpoints, classifies ensembles, and influences of/upon instrumental capacity (Activity example: One activity investigating timbre and heterogenous sound ideals asks the reader to listen to a selection of Japanese gagaku ensemble music on the CD and attempt to identify each instrument as it enters.) Ch 3: Thinking about Time- explores definitions of rhythm, tempo, and organization of time in meter, tala, changdan, rhythmic mode, polyrhythm, and colotomic structures (Sample activity: One activity invites the reader to feel the rhythm of Korean kutkori changdan by breathing and bending ones knees (ogum) while speaking the syllables for the strokes of one drum within the ensemble.) Ch 4: Thinking about Pitch- defines and classifies pitch, melodic, harmonic structures and their combinations (Sample Activity: Wade asks readers to use a stringed instrument to discover harmonic ratios.) Ch 5: Thinking about Structure- begins with clarifying the ethnomusicologist's general position on improvisation as composition, then proceeds to classify and define forms and patterns found in improvised o

Writing such an ethnomusicological monograph is not easy. I am happy with what Thinking Musically has achieved. The CD that comes with the book helps a great deal to widen my horizen on music of all peoples.