Subject: Re: phonons/phonemes/phonograph
From: KEVIN AUSTIN (KAUSTIN@vax2.concordia.ca)
Date: Mon Jan 01 2001 - 00:50:10 EST
sm .... 'ed
>if language (langue) is distinct from words (parole) then EA music may
>well be 'language' without words ?
Hmmm try substituting 'vocabulary' for words ... and one of the 'blocks'
may disappear. Try english here. Are all possible combinations of letters
accptable as vocabulary elements?
How does one test a collection of 'elements' to find out if they are
valid in the vocabulary? Try as follows ...
Is 'saes eerht' an acceptable "vocabulary unit" in english?
TEST: What does it mean?
Do words (vocabulary elements) have to have meaning?
Try the same with 'language'. It would appear to me that 'language' is
about structure and relationships (but not necessarily the 'ships' that
sail on the 'three seas' [above].
Is [article] [noun] [verb], a valid 'structure' in english? As a
structure, most likely, but this does not mean that all [a] [n] [v]
structures are valid.
The boat sailed. [article] [noun] [verb] ... meaning? yes -- 'valid'
The seas went. [article] [noun] [verb] ... meaning? (poetic) yes ->
The chair bit. [a] [n] [v] ... meaning? (uh .. poetic?)
The tree ran. [a] [n] [v] ... getting more distant in terms of meaning.
Western tonal music (1600 - 1890 [+]) has 'norms' regarding harmonic
progression(s), and progressions (the relationships and structures) can
be evaluated as to 'how they function' -- which may be somewhat similar
to 'what they mean'.
But does ea/cm have (the) properties of a 'language' (as outlined above)?
Is there a way to 'evaluate' vocabulary elements? Is there a way to
determine whether the elements have been 'correctly' (or acceptably)
placed (or ordered)?
Are there common elements between "Kontakte" and "Just more idle
chatter"? What are they? At what level in the hierarchy of 'musical'
perception do these common elements occur? (eg ... They are both made up
of sounds, which is a pretty fundamental commonality.)
Take a number of pieces (I would recommend, for example, DisContact II
and/or either or both of Presence I and II), and compare them regarding
'vocabulary'. What is common (and at what level)? Are there things which
are common to _all_ of the pieces? (These might be refered to as
'primitives' -- elements which are very 'low' in the ea/cm language tree.)
(There are a number of analyses from Presence I on the CEC site ... have
a look.)
Happy new year ... which was here three hours before it will be there.
Best
Kevin
kaustin@vax2.concordia.ca
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