~ about jacmuse ~ ~ the stars aligned, so I get to pass the word ~
Jacmuse 2022
University training. The stars aligned for me back in the early 80's and I was able to attend formal university music school in upstate New York. As a novice player, with no other formal music schooling, the learning opportunity that I was afforded is beyond measure. And as faithfully as I can, I have reconstructed the basic principles of that university curriculum in this e-book. At S.U.N.Y Plattsburgh, as an 'arts' major, my own curriculum became history, theory, jazz guitar, performance, Bach and Coltrane. This work is intended for all musicians who would also aspire for a univeristy learning opportunity. After graduating in 1984, a new life of adventure outside the music classroom became the new classroom for my life's learning; Alaska. As my own curiosities perked on and on, and with my univeristy background, I began to re-discover how the now ancient pitches are brought to life today. That by weaving through the theories and histories of the pitches, rhythms, tuning, melody and styles, a story of the Americana musical arts unfolded. Formal teacher training. I was further stoked by formal teaching training at UAA in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1985. In one class, we discussed the possibilities of writing curriculum with the new web based, interactive technology. In my case, this allowed for any music 'theory' musings could be heard in musical pitches, and included with notation into the text. Voila ! This e-book. The writing of this book. To write such a book, on that is partly self directed, in part becomes possible thanks to the 'perfect closure' we can apply to many of our components and theories. For example, think of the piano keys that loop our 12 pitches, often up to seven complete times, so seven octaves. When broadly applied to the musical components these pitches create; the scales, arpeggios, chords and rhythms, the 'perfect closure' principle insures that our theory queries balance out, by always looping perfectly back to whatever point we started. We know our music theory 'math' is then golden. Music and math. An early love of all things numbers as a kid, got me started later in life in the theory relationships between the musical notes and our basic numbers. For example; 'C D E F G A B C' becomes '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8' The 'movable one' arrives. Numbers count our histories, measure pitch intervals and set in stone label each one, the half step / whole step formulas for scales and modes; the unparalled musical chord kaboom with the tuning solution to the 12th root of 2, 1.0594631. There's One, of numercal chord progressions, the diatonic '3 and 3', numbered color tones of 7th's and 9th's and beyond for blues and jazz chords. So there's just a lot of numerical ways into music theory. My early love of numbers became the catalyst for a lifelong journey of discovery and learning about music, empowering me to see numerical coincidence and magics at near every step along the way, of a grander scheme. This e-book. With hyperlinked vocabulary words to describe and label 2500 years worth of music art components, that today is still represented by 1000 year old notation symbols, here linked to mp.3 audio playback of the written music, the new 'tech' brings this 'music / math theory' story together into an audio theory e-book. Rather evolutionary in regards to the music education curriculum of the 1980's, we can learn a music word, hear what it sounds like, and then explore the various ways it's knit into our Americana styles and genres, is really beyond cool and for some, will take them on into the realm of a super curious generator of discovery and creator of endless evolutionary sparks that can bring their own new art creations to life evermore. For all interested in music. This three dimensional presentation of ideas creates a wide inclusiveness for all learners and all lovers of all musics. That one's own curiosity finds a way in, and once engaged, linked topical discussions reveal pathways to explore through the history, the organizations and systems of pitches, that we have all shared in common for the last couple of millemia. |
A love of reading and books. Beyond super lucky that in elementary school I learned how to read the written word in English. I later dabbled in French too, and there got some new word syllable rhythm magic that I think turned out to rhythmically swing just fine, and a got me beret. So all along in my own studies, books have been a foundation and a love to read, of most anything :) Here's a couple of stacks of music theory and history books that influenced my writing of this book. Bach to Coltrane, East to West and North to South, the spiritual energies of love that moves all art forward ! |
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