Perception, Mind and Reality

The following pertains to this week's reading assignment:

Part One: Carefully read through Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions, taking notes on the basic religious and musical practices of each religion. Listen to the CD as you come across each new example in the book. Then choose one chapter that discusses a religion and its accompanying musical style that is completely different from your own religious heritage. For example, you might celebrate Christmas but not consider yourself a serious Christian; that would place you in the “Christian heritage” category. Read that one chapter extremely carefully, until you feel that you could explain it in fairly accurate and compassionate detail to another person not of that religious orientation. Listen, over and over, to the CD examples for that particular chapter. Note that this is not about what you believe; it is about how you come to understand another culture’s world view and perception of the spirit through its music.

Part Two: Now develop a two-page summary of what you have learned about Jewish music, or Sikh music, or Buddhist music, or whatever. Include an introduction and conclusion (typed, double spaced, 1” margins, and include the name of your seminar leader so that Sean can sort them out and get them to the right people), and make your transitions smooth from one paragraph to the next. If you cite something from the book, give a page number.

In your paper, focus on three things:

1) what is the basic relationship of the religion to the music? For example, through the voice, through words? How does the music reflect the practice of that religion? Under what circumstances does the spirit manifest? How does music assist in that manifestation?

2) Is there any conflict between religious practice and musical practice? What is it? How do the musical practitioners deal with that conflict?

3) What does listening closely and repeatedly to the CD do to assist your understanding of the sacred sounds you hear? Describe the sounds as accurately as you can in musical terms (timbre, melody, rhythm, instrumentation), without value judgments (no “eerie,” “dull,” “cool,” "random," “mystic”).

Part Three: In class on Wednesday the 9th you will be asked to meet with others who made the same choice for about an hour, compare notes and ideas, then figure out how to present what you have learned out loud to the rest of your seminar colleagues. In seminar on Thursday your group will have about ten or fifteen minutes to talk; take turns, bring up different points, share your understanding. Papers will be due to your seminar leader at the end of Thursday’s seminar. Please refer to the PRONUNCIATION GUIDE so that you have a handle on how to say things correctly! Speak them out loud, with confidence.

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