Jon Weisberger wrote:
> let me commend to your attention the fine essay on "Country Music
> As Music" by Bill Evans,
> "So where is the 'country' in country music? To borrow a well-worn
> advertising phrase, it might be more a state of mind than any specific set
> of unique musical characteristics. Country musicians seem to share certain
> assumptions about melody, harmony, form, and performance technique that
> together help to shape ideas about the nature of the country sound, its
> boundaries and its possibilities."
Interesting, but it how does one get to be called a country musician? And how
does one differentiate between specific set of unique musical characteristics on
one hand, and certain shared assumptions about melody, etc., on the other.
Likewise the pairing of boundaries and possibilities is curious. It all seems
sort of circular to me.
>
>
> One thing I like about that is that it nudges the reader in the direction of
> considering not only what those "certain assumptions" are, but how they're
> transmitted.
And who is in authority to name what is and what is not country. But I don't
quite understand this transmission thing. Especially in the age of mass media.
Care to elucidate?
