EPQ Ideas: Music and Language

Define music and language

Similarities across the two entities in terms of their aims:to communicate

Scientific differences/ similarities

Different parts of the Brain

The universality of language and music.

Music is a language-only in a metaphorical sense.

´Music is the universal language of mankind.´- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Music: Communicates via notes/tunes/melodies.

Language: Communicates via syntax, phonology, morphology, semantic- linguistic concepts

A new Johns Hopskin studies improvisation and the idea of jazz being a kind of conversation

Idea that music holds a universal message which can be understood by all cultures across the globe

Could reference how each culture seems to base their music on a different set of scale or pitches.

In the same way, there are different languages across the globe which help to develop an understanding of each society.

Characteristics of both entities:

Music

Tonality, Harmony, Texture, Form

Rhythm

Dynamics

In Language: How loud or quiet we speak

Language: The intonation, the stress

Melody

In language: the pitches, how high or low our speech sounds

Emotions is an aspect of Music

Not the only aspect.

One could argue that other aspects include creativity and imagination or memory.

The way in which both Music and Language are learnt.

Film music

Useful source entitled: The evolution of Music on Film and its Psychological impact on Audiences.

Stuart Fischoff says that " Music plays upon our emotions."

Are emotions a central aspect to the entity of Music?

References a very interesting movement in the 50s which intended to exclude music scores from the films.

Seems to suggest that the reason as to why this movement did not last long is because the film was 'dead'.

Acknowledges how it ' can be a subtle tool to manipulate the audience'.

Perhaps suggests the wider uses of music in our society?

References the cognitive and affective significance which music may acquire.

Split between cognivist and emotivist theories.

Music as a Language

For who?

Berstein

Leonard B. Meyer

Music is not a language

For who?

Brain research scientists

Evolutionary theorists

Both require a set of rules and grammar

Capacity to memorise

Experiments carried out

EVIDENCE