[Dixielandjazz] Music is ?

[Russ Guarino]

Beam me back to Earth, Scottie, this discussion has floated into neverland.

Bird songs and frog calls are certainly not art. They are part of natural
earth.  Art is the reproduction, and interpretation, created by man, of some
element of "earth song".

Russ Guarino

"Edgerton, Paul A" wrote:

> Paul> "Since music is the result of human effort and not random
> occurrence, it is art."
>
> Steve> "Human effort? Maybe not. What about bird songs, or frog mating
> calls, especially the peepers here in the Eastern USA or many other such
> songs. Aren't they "music", but not art? (since art is usually defined
> as that which is produced by humans, as opposed to by nature) Why
> shouldn't other animals be able to produce music? Especially now since
> we are beginning to realize that other animals besides humans can
> think."
>
>     Would you call a carnival barker's cry art?  I wouldn't.  I think a
>     birdsong is a form of communication -- another kind of organized
>     noise -- but not really music.
>
> Steve> "What makes us so special, other than ego? :-) VBG."
>
>     We may share a lot with animals, be we didn't come to dominate the
>     earth simply on the basis of our opposable thumbs.  Maybe it *is*
>     our ego that deserves the credit.
>
> Paul> "Art is motivated by intention and powered by craftsmanship. You
> need both intention and craftsmanship to produce good art."
>
> Steve> "And also to produce bad art, no?"
>
>     Is beauty inherent in an artifact?  I see art as an enduring means
>     of engaging the consciousness of another individual.  One's
>     reaction to a particular piece probably depends more on yourself
>     than on the artwork itself -- or even the artist.
>
> Steve> "Is there not some mysterious hum that occurs deep in the earth.
> Is this music? (or the devil playing a washboard) Also, at our ongoing
> gig in the Showboat Casino the slot machine rooms emit a droning hum
> that is exactly a middle C. Apparently some marketing guru (or devil's
> disciple) feels that this hum evokes a betting response in humans. (We
> play a lot of tunes in C when we pass the slots areas)
>
>     Are you suggesting that perceivable vibrations equate to music?
>     No.  The power grid in our country vibrates at 60Hz, which is
>     pretty close to a C.  In Europe, it's 50Hz.  But this isn't music.
>     The wind whistling around a loose bit weather stripping on a car
>     isn't either.  There's no artistic intention, is there?
>
>     Music is organized noise, but not all organized is music.
>
> -- Paul Edgerton
>
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