Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture

Designed for undergraduates and general readers with little or no background in music, Thinking Musically incorporates music from many diverse cultures--including the Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Europe--and establishes the framework for exploring the practice of music around the world. Thinking Musically explores the importance of musical instruments and discusses the fundamental elements of music--including rhythm, pitch in melodic and harmonic relationships, and form--and examines how they vary in different musical traditions. The author considers the effects of cultural factors such as gender and ethnicity on the perception, interpretation, and performance of music, as well as the forces of nationalism, cultural encounters, and westernization.

New to the Second Edition
*Revised to bring the book up-to-date with current trends that are influencing music around the world, including the accelerating impact of technology (YouTube, MySpace, and digital downloading) and the increased effects of globalization
*Increased consideration of the pressures exerted by gender and mass media on the form, content, and performance of music
*Expanded discussion of fieldwork (in Chapter 7 and throughout the book)
*Includes additional photographs, expanded CD tracks, and new activities

Thinking Musically is the cornerstone of the Global Music Series; each case study in the series uses the contemporary musical situation as a point of departure--covering historical information and traditions as they relate to the present. Thinking Musically can be used with case studies in any combination to provide a rich exploration of world musical cultures, or it can be used independently as a short introduction to world music or music appreciation. Thinking Musically includes two 80-minute CDs--corresponding with activities found throughout the text--that feature selections from a wide variety of musical cultures.