John Blacking is widely recognized for his theoretical works "How Musical Is Man?" and "The Anthropology of the Body." This series of essays and articles on the music of the Venda people of the northern Transvaal in South Africa constitutes his major scholarly legacy. "Venda Children's Songs" presents a detailed analysis of both the music and the cultural significance of children's songs among the Venda. Among its many original contributions i...
ForewordBruno NettlAcknowledgmentsThe Ethnomusicology of John Blacking1: Expressing Human Experience through Music2: The Problem of Musical Description3: The Music of Venda Girls' Initiation4: Music and the Historical Process in Vendaland5: The Study of Musical Change6: Reflections on the Effectiveness of Symbols7: The Music of Politics8: Music, Culture, and ExperienceA Note on PronunciationWorks by John BlackingReferencesIndex
How Musical Is Man?' explores the role of music in society and culture, and of society and culture in music. The author, and anthropologist and ethnomusicologist, draws examples from Western music and from the music of the Transvaal Venda people.
