University Gamelan Ensembles as Research

Abstract

Music is not the “universal language” touted by the likes of Longfellow. It is true that sonic artifacts many categorize as “music” crop up the world over, and outsiders often find an Other’s “music” to be not only decipherable, but even sublime on their own musical terms. However, the kinds of meanings that sonic elements, musical gestures, and sound-producing activities produce are not consistent from community to community; outsiders are likely to misattribute meanings to the sound artifacts of Others that were not intended and would not be understood by an insider. One might as well say, “Language is a universal language.” Upon hearing a strange language, people generally recognize that something is being communicated, but are not fooled into imagining they can understand its meaning. Only with translation can the meanings of other languages be conveyed. Music is different; an Other’s music is more likely to be blithely misunderstood than to be regarded as unintelligible gibberish, precisely because it gives the false impression of familiarity.

Music is the universal language of mankind. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow¹