Due 1.31.06 9:20am: Reading II "Ask My Father"
As described in class and on WebCT, you are asked to respond via the "Comments" function to ONE of the questions about the reading. Please complete this "Comment" response to one of the following questions by Tuesday 1.31.06 9:20am.
Carson: “Ask My Father”
“AMF” is essentially about language: about dialog, and about the dialogs that the particularly evocative titles of instrumental tunes can create. He includes extensive quotations from several other authors in this chapter: in fact, as many words in the chapter are written by others as are written by Carson himself.
- Does this somehow relate to the theme of this chapter?
- What is the relationship between words that are borrowed from other authors and tunes that are learned by ear from other musicians?
- How might this concept of “ownership and sharing” relate to or differ from more formal or individual-oriented concepts of ownership?
posted by CJS @ 11:49 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
In my opinion, the relationship between words that are borrowed from other authors and tunes that are learned by ear from other musicians is that there are many different ways to say one thing. Carson makes an interesting point by saying that "names [...]not only help to summon the tune into being, but recall other times and other places where [it] was played." As musicians learn the tunes by ear, they also learn the different names of the tunes. The same concept applies to the words borrowed from other authors.
i think the relationship between the authors and tunes is this feeling of community. if you get a tune from someone else, now that particular combination of pitches and rhythms has an association for the particular people involved. you give me a jig, i'll give you one, and now we have a set that we can play together. the community has a basis because we both know that set, and it grows because we now have a relationship. in the same way, carson creates a community in this chapter by, not only is he giving his opinions, which he accomplishes, but uses other authors' opinions to complement his, or contradictory to his that allows him to comment on.
When one writes an essay, there are always searches for abstract quotes that pertain to the topic of the paper. If one uses a quote, the writer will acknowledge who authored the quote; however, the interpretation is not delegated by the quote author, but by the writer and even the reader of the essay. In Irish music, perhaps a musician knows a tune, plays it and maybe even knows who first played it, but he makes the tune his own and uses his own flourishes to give it a more personal meaning to be felt by musician and audience alike. The reality is though that many musicians who have learned to play by ear do not know the exact musician who created it. Perhaps they'll hear a similar tune, therefore calling it by a similar name. To me, these represent the old saying or maxims that individuals use in their writings. Most don't know the phrases come from, yet they have hear, say, their parents or grandparents use the words for chatisement or for merry. If some one were to ask, "Well, that's an interesting phrase. Where did you get it from?", most responses would be, "Oh, I heard my mother say it once." This is how I relate Irish music to writing. Whether you know the author or not, it does not stop you from writing. Whether you know who first played a tune or not does not stop the traditional musician from playing it. What matters is how the author or musician perceives the material and how he gives back to spectators by inputing his own opinion or style. I think that by doing this, the original creators are honored because their work is being involved in processes that opens eyes and hearts.
I think that basically what Carson is saying is that the tunes belong to everyone. Just like each performance of them is different, each story for when they were learned or first heard and each person they came from is different each time you experience them. When you play the game "Telephone" with a large group, by the time the message gets to the other end, it's dramatically changed. This happens within an oral tradition. While the tunes may resemble the originals, they take on the characteristics of the players and are forever changed. Their names don't matter. Tune names are just words used to recall the melody and to embrace their meaning to the individual.
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