Thinking Musically: Expressing Music, Experiencing Culture

(CD AUDIO NOT INCLUDED!)
Thinking Musically is the central volume in the Global Music Series. Designed for undergraduates and general readers with little or no background in music, it incorporates music from many diverse cultures--including the Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Europe--and establishes the framework for exploring the practice of music around the world. It sets the stage for an array of case study volumes, each of which focuses on a single area of the world. Each case study uses the contemporary musical situation as a point of departure--covering historical information and traditions as they relate to the present--and comes with an audio CD of musical examples discussed in the text. The case studies can be used in any combination with Thinking Musically to provide a rich exploration of world musical cultures. Visit www.oup.com/us/globalmusic for a list of case studies in the series. The website also includes instructional materials to accompany each study.
Thinking Musically discusses the importance of musical instruments, describing their significance in a culture's folklore, religion, and history. It explores fundamental elements of music--including rhythm, pitch in melodic and harmonic relationships, and form--and examines how they vary in different musical traditions. The text considers the effects of cultural influences such as gender and ethnicity on the perception, interpretation, and performance of music. It also looks at how the forces of nationalism, acculturation, and westernization can affect musical traditions. Many of the musical examples are coordinated with material in the case studies. Thinking Musically includes activities designed to build critical listening and individual study skills and is packaged with an 80-minute CD that features selections from a wide variety of musical cultures.