[lbo-talk] Rhythm, dance, and music

Michael Smith mjs at smithbowen.net
Wed Mar 30 20:03:45 PDT 2011


On Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:45:02 -0500 "Carrol Cox" <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:


> I don't know a damn thing about music...
> But I don't like any reduction of any thing, music, literature, etc.
> to some essence.

I certainly agree with you on the second point, though with all modesty, I think maybe I do know a thing or two about music. Some music, anyway.

But you do seem to be arguing both sides of the question here. I can't remember the exact phrase, but didn't you say something about music not realizing its "potential" until it was "emancipated from dance," vel sim.? There's a whiff of essentialism about that, to my nose anyway; as if there were something purely "musical" that you get when you refine away all the extra-musical dross.

If you're combatting the notion that dance itself is somehow the "essence" of music, you have the high ground; but as far as I know, there's nobody in the trenches on the other side.



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