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Listening to World Music David G. Such

Listening to world music is pretty much like eating an exotic food for the first time. A serving of fried chicken feet or monkey brains may take a little getting used to for the average westerner. Some kinds of world music can elicit the same reaction. As weird as some music from other cultures may seem, there are a few listening tips and things to remember that will help students to digest better the music.

Tip #1: No One Culture is Superior to Another

Today anthropologists and ethnomusicologists view cultures around the world as relative to one another. This perspective is called cultural relativism. The idea that no one culture is superior to another stems from the fact that all cultures function the same way; that is, to ensure the survival of its members. For instance, all cultures meet the need for food, clothing, and shelter. They also provide answers to why we are here (religion), the means for redistributing wealth (economy), learning important skills (education), or providing leadership (government). What remains different is the manner in which a particular culture goes about doing these things. For instance, all cultures tend to deal with the supernatural and ask questions about existence and death. Specific Christian beliefs may differ from those of Islam or Buddhism; yet all function to explain the meaning of existence.

It is helpful to place the idea of cultural relativism into some kind of historical perspective. The idea comes on the heels of the colonial era (beginning around the 1700s and lasting through the early part of the 20th Century). The prevailing attitude that inspired this era was the belief that some cultures were superior to others. That led some nations to believe they were entitled to rule over or control other nations. During the colonial era, major powers such as Britain colonized India, China, Singapore, and others. Britain introduced to India a centralized form of government, a legal system, a national railway and other things that helped the country to develop. In exchange, Britain plundered many of India's resources. Generally, speaking most scholars believe that colonialism was mostly about greed and exploitation.

Tip #2. People in Different Cultures Use Music to Express Themselves in Creative Ways. They Just Do It Differently.

The idea of cultural relativism applies equally to music. In other words, all music on the surface essentially sounds different. Yet most music around the world and the reason humans have music is to express themselves in creative and imaginative ways, which is also a universal need. Furthermore, music is a tool for bringing people together, which reinforces bonds within a community. That is a huge asset. I am not necessarily talking here about pop music, which is media driven, but rather music that expresses the bonds held by people living in local communities. Often times, this kind of music is called folk music for its oral and communal qualities. For instance, think in terms of small African villages outside the city where music plays an everyday role in rituals, births, ceremonies, rites of passage, and so forth. Or think about rural areas in the Appalachian mountains where locals gather on front porches for a session of guitar and banjo picking.

Tip #3: Listen with Objective Ears

One of the best ways to approach exotic or unfamiliar music from other cultures is with objective ears, rather than ears that are biased by one's own preferences and tastes. Remember, one of the goals here is to help one to gain a deeper appreciation for music through an understanding of it. Whether or not one likes the music is a personal decision one can make on one's own, but it is not the primary objective here. So keep an open mind and remember that music is all about human expression, and people everywhere express themselves differently. Such a positive attitude and viewpoint can make the world seem like an interesting place.

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