Product Description

What does music mean? Common sense ideas (and even many kinds of theory) do surprisingly little to answer this question. For example, a familiar statement such as "music reflects society" treats both terms as if they were separate, timeless things instead of ongoing and related processes. Moreover, the intensely personal dimension of music is lost in the shuffle of abstraction.

If music is a genuinely immediate experience, and as such essentially disconnected from everything else in our lives, then it is beyond or outside what words can explain. If, however, music is a part of the story of our lives--if it is historical--then its stories lie within the realm of our capacities to learn about ourselves.

Such stories cannot replace or compete with music, but can help us to understand it. Consider the statement "music expresses emotion." While it may seem to be self-evident, a cursory glance at the worlds of music shows that this is a strange, even incomprehensible idea to most people in the world. At the same time, this perspective has a documented history. We can say how we got to believe that "music expresses emotion," by examining the cultural worlds which have preceded and engendered our own.

Each historical world of musical experience is at once unique and exemplary, a direct manifestation of human possibility. This work addresses these issues by showing their connections to the traditions of musical time and social discussion. Logical and semantic problems are analyzed through the Kantian philosophy of time. Following a general correlation of this conception to the discourse of social theory, the argument expounds the core details of musical time: rhythm, pulse, beat, and finally song structure. These concepts show how musical experience spatializes time, creating a kind of logical specificity congruent with other dimensions of our social experience, and thereby open to comprehensible discourse.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #234348 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

The bottom line
This book is the bottom line, the base of the pyramid. All others I have read-and I have very many-rest on it. It explains the why, the where and the how of different types of drum circles and how, when one is called upon to do so, to facilitate them so that they live and create music on their own. While there are many facilitator "tricks" and techniques, the message is always that the circle is not to serve as a platform for a facilitator performance, but that the facilitator's job is only to get the music the circle is making past places where it starts to self destruct and back into solid playing. There is a great deal of anecdotal information about how specific difficult situations were handled as well as examples of wonderful, joyful exhuberance. If you are new to drum circles, and especially if you need or want to facilitate them, this is the FIRST book you buy.

The definitive book on circles!!
Arthur Hull hits the nail on the head with his book, Drum Circle Spirit. Without this book to use as a guide, I would feel lost!... I call it simply "REQUIRED READING" for those who care about their community and friends who wish to drum in a group setting. It empowers most anyone to begin and conduct their own drum circle. THANK YOU ARTHUR!

I was really amazed by this book.
As a Christian wanting to start a church-oriented drum-circle, I was somewhat concerned that this book would be full of propaganda that would run counter to my Christian values. (Making it annoying to read at the least, and at worst, difficult to convince other Christians in my church of its value.) While some of the author's values come through (especially with references to "tithing to Rhythm Church" and the like) there's nothing in here to really offend any particular religious belief. There's no "we can heal the world with drums, just think good thoughts and good things will happen to you" message here. It's practical advice on how to bring out the best in a group of drummers.

Arthur's numerous anecdotes are entertaining and informative. They really conveyed the spirit of what Arthur does with his drum-circles.

I'm very anxious to get started applying what I've learned (and will continue to learn) from this book, and it has convinced me to attend one of Arthur Hull's Facilitator Playshops. Arthur's teaching in the book is very clear, presented in small, easily-digested steps, and most of all, very encouraging. The whole book shouts, "You can do this, it isn't that hard!"

I've very pleased that Arthur has taken the time to share his hard-earned wisdom with the rest of us. If you're wanting to start a drum-circle, work with kids through rhythm, or any such activity, you can't afford not to own this book.