Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening

Extending the inquiry of his early groundbreaking books, Christopher Small strikes at the heart of traditional studies of Western music by asserting that music is not a thing, but rather an activity. In this new book, Small outlines a theory of what he terms "musicking," a verb that encompasses all musical activity from composing to performing to listening to a Walkman to singing in the shower.

Using Gregory Bateson's philosophy of mind and a Geertzian thick description of a typical concert in a typical symphony hall, Small demonstrates how musicking forms a ritual through which all the participants explore and celebrate the relationships that constitute their social identity. This engaging and deftly written trip through the concert hall will have readers rethinking every aspect of their musical worlds.

CONTENIDO:

Prelude: Music and Musicking

A Place for Hearing. A Thoroughly Contemporary Affair
Sharing With Strangers

Interlude 1: A Separate World

A Humble Bow
Summing Up the Dead Composer

Interlude 2: The Mother of All the Arts

Score and Parts
Harmony, Heavenly Harmony

Interlude 3: Socially constructed Meanings

An Art of the Theater
A Drama of Relationships
A Vision of Order
What?s Really Going On Here?
A Solitary Flute Player

Postlude: Was It a Good Performance and How Do You Know?