Did your teachers really tell you that there is there is only one true theory of music? I'd genuinely like to know?
not all instructors but quite a few, especially music theory instructors were quite vocal about the idea that music theory is the indisputable standard for all music that has ever been, and ever will be. Some of the following quotes from this very thread are also extremely common:
“If the west is so horribly biased and bad, then why are you writing your opinion in English? Surely that’s a bad influence.” (Kind of the equivalent, “if you don’t like it go back to where you came from”)
“It isn't colonialism, it's financial realism.” (The idea that the free market indiscriminately determines quality and relevance)
“The people criticizing Western culture want to wipe it out. They have zero interest in cooperation.”
(The false narrative that any attempt to reflect on the topic is an attack on all things western, and by extension, white)
“If you simply want a better or a more universal tool, and know how it should work, then just go ahead and make it. The market will reward you.” (As the one before, the idea that the mass use validates quality)
I'm definitely not white - very black in fact.
But the only people I see making everything about racism are...
definitely not "white supremisists."
Just saying. No Tea, No Shade.
One has to wonder how much can one make their world view revolve around race before they can safely be labeled racist, themselves. Or, does the scapegoat never lose its potency?
I never read the OP as going in that direction, but that is not the way I think and it's certainly not the way I view the world. I thought he was talking about bias to certain market segments.
This racial discussion really isn't something that belongs in this forum. These discussions are never egalitarian because people of a certain group will never feel like they can freely express themselves openly without exposing themselves as racist to someone who has broadened the definition of these things to kingdom come. Many here are successfully working in the industry and use their real names here. We all see the world we live in.
I am not above a good debate, but this is not a discussion we should be having here.
so this is the thing. I don’t know how this became specifically a racial discussion. Yes part of the conversation does involve white supremacy at its deepest point of discussion, but the original topic was western music, which has participants of various races. African American musicians are not the same as african musicians, nor are british asians the same as artists born and raised in Asia. Theres an immediate triggered reaction that tries to shut down the entire conversation when it gets a bit uncomfortable.
I thought more about it on my way to work, and I think the issue is pride. There is nothing wrong with pride in the accomplishments and quality of western music, and I don’t think many people mean to destroy the legacy of those works. It’s not racist to appreciate western music and culture. There is just a false connection people tend to make that easily strings us from music appreciation, into the realm of western supremacy in the malicious sense. This really shouldn’t be so complicated.
For example, saying “the classic works of western music are incredible examples of musical craftsmanship and innovation.” Fair enough, true and nothing inflammatory there.
saying “western music is the standard by which all music, worldwide, of the modern age should be judged by. No music has every exceeded its cultural relevance.“ is a pretty strange thing to say given that most people arent aware of the works they’re excluding with that statement, nor is it accurate. Its not honest about its competition, and its not even honest about how many non-western elements influence western music.
It not a hard concept to grasp, we all relate to this. It’s like saying mcdonalds is the greatest expression of the culinary arts and American exceptionalism because its 70+ year history has resulted in its market dominance and brand recognition around the world. Yeah i mean, we can say its a huge presence in the world of food, but that doesnt mean its best, nor does it even mean that its the most relevant in all the markets it operates in. to bring an example of music, its like saying Justin Bieber or BTS are the greatest musicians because their world dominance equates to the superiority of their music. We know these statements are not true, and we know that their dominance is not just about quality, but also about marketing, and aggressive practices to insure market dominance over other quality works. We all know of works that sell less, but are of better (subjective) quality to us. So its strange to look at the entirity of western music, and claim its universal importance, dominance and superiority worldwide, without honestly considering that the playing field is not level, and that we’re not considering all the works of the world when we make this claim.
I hope that’s fair.
(P.S. for where I am, if you asked people who was greater, or who had more relevant works, in Japan people would far easier say Joe Hisaishi over John Williams. I doubt you could even get many people in Japan today who would reference modern composers as being some of the greats. To Japan, most of the most iconic western names ended with the greats of classical music, which is likely to do with the influence of Pre-and-Post war efforts to impose the idea western greatness on Japan.)