Understanding and Remembering - Essay Example

no. Understanding and Remembering Pre-Chapter Entry: January 22, I know that music is a culture but it is never treated as one. The entry chapter addresses the concerns that anthropologists have virtually not paid attention to the American musical culture. Many people think that this is facilitated by the fact that the anthropologists have had the tradition of concentrating their effort and time on the nonliterature studies including the study of people and their culture (Merrian 1173). However, if they really study people and their culture, music is a culture of a people, then why could they concentrate on the study of American music as an American culture.

Nonetheless, it is worth noting that there are some cultures that are considered humanistic that are usually characterized as the study of man. Therefore, music may not define man and his daily habits; thus, it may be difficult to study it as a culture that defines a people or society. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that music and musical study requires a double specialization that is including anthropology and musical studies, a combinational that is usually never found. Reading Score: January 23, 2014Nearly 85 percent of the Americans know that music has four fundamental categories or the academic music that is usually discussed under misleading terms namely the classical that includes folk music that is manly associated with the white community, the popular music that is usually differentiated from the jazz music in aspects including hit tunes, and the Negro music.

The other 15 percent do not know the distinction of music other than the hip-hop, jazz, classical, and blues, among other peripheral classifications. Post-Chapter Entry: January 24, 2014To my understanding from numerous research works on the music and its consideration in cultural classification, there are needs to conduct more research to determine what levels and entry point should music to be taught elaborately in schools among other learning institutions. To certain degree those who study music never get into the history of music and distribution of music has a culture but they are only concern with ways music can be perfected along the direction or genre they are interested (Merrian 1173).

Therefore, there are needs to address music along anthropologic line. This will help in understanding music and its different application along different cultures and types. In other words, understanding music as a culture in America among other nations, people, and continents will only be achieved when a specific interest through study incorporated in the study curriculum. Additionally, there is the concept of the double specialization in the study of human culture and music. This aspect and contribution must never hinder researchers from investigating music and how it relates to different societies.

Notably, different people from different societies have different ways of presenting and performing their music; therefore, there are needs to investigate what led to these differences. Notably, the American society has different aspects of music and musical performance that is influenced by different races in America. Moreover, there seems to be a blend in music that comes from the emergence of different contribution of musical cultures from different races in America. Hence, not to grade these using assumptions, there are needs to invest studies in American culture and its musical culture.

Work CitedMerrian, Allan, P. Music of American Cultures. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1995. Print.