Critical Thinking in Music

Hey Bloggers,

In this next post, we are supposed to answer whether or not our respective field incorporates aspects of critical thinking. I imagine that music certainly does!

While working on this paper, I have to come to agree with many of Bloom's ideas within his taxonomy about the levels of developmental cognitive thinking. Three stand out in my mind: synthesis, analysis, evaluation. In our own classes that we've taken so far, I think most would agree that synthesis and analysis are very much present in everything we do in music. In order to properly analyze a piece, it is important to decipher chord structure, identify non-harmonic tones and detect logical changes in harmony; all of these are abilities that involve not only thinking frequently, but also thinking critically. Essentially, they involve taking many factors into account and forming a well-thought, reasoned decision based on what is present.

This idea also involves the process of evaluation, our ability to look at music and understand everything about it to the point where we can make logical changes or even add on to it. We even evaluate while we perform, if you think about it. Some would say that thinking about air support, fingerings and sound quality is simply thinking a lot. As musicians, however, we take all of these factors and comprehend them to a degree so that we know exactly what to do next to reach the best end result. That's what thinking critically is essentially based on, right? Finding the best possible answer to a question with sound evidence and a valid argument? I think so.

Feel free to post any other suggestions on how you think music enhances our critical thinking skills!

The Fallacy of Assumed Supremacy

In his article “A German Lesson: the Fallacy of One True Path” Daniel Jonah Goldhagen carefully underlines an interesting connection between Pope Benedict XVI’s rejection of the concept of “relativism” and the imperialistic attitude of the Nazis.

One of the first possible sources of this attitude that Goldhagen notes is the Pope’s past involvement in the Hitler youth. Although he abandoned his military duties only one month before the end of the war, Goldhagen suggests that his involvement nonetheless supports the little conversation about the horrors of the Holocaust. He then continues to explain Benedict’s rejection of the concept of “relativism,” the idea that other religions could have possible pathways towards salvation. Such a rejection is quite comparable to the Nazi attitude and its utter sense of supremacy over the Jews.

I imagine that Goldhagen makes this analogy between the current Pope and the Nazi regime to pinpoint the fallacy behind declaring Catholicism as the one true path, declaring the concept as German because of the failure of Nazi Germany to make one true race. In his “Dominus Jesus” Pope Benedict XVI declared the need for the supremacy of the Catholic Church in the modern world and that all further dialogue with other religions should include “the necessity of conversion to Jesus Christ.” This idea of Catholic supremacy over the world directly correlates to the same concept the Nazis had in mind, the only difference being a religion as opposed to a whole race of people. Essentially, the fallacy lies in the Pope’s belief that what he deems as truth is the Truth, just as the Nazis so fervently believed. Simply because either party deemed themselves as “all-powerful” does not actually make their word supreme over that of others. The “because I said so” argument does not work anymore.

California Dream Song Revisited

Hey Bloggers,

So, after pretty much wrapping up this second draft, I haven't really changed my ideas about the song I chose that much. Originally, though, I thought my choice was not that great, thinking that I would not have much to go with to write a full blown paper. Now, however, I feel confident in the main points I have decided to discuss.

Aside from that, I think both my perception of the California Dream and that of the song's remains the same. I see it very much as an escape from a dismal lifestyle, troubled by mistakes or misfortunes from the past. Their practical resolution is to go to California so this problem can be fixed.

One new idea though. Perhaps the song is not directly referring to California as a place in this case, but maybe a state of mind? It seems that way, since they never actually talk about going to any actual location for any particular reason. They just seem to call their escape or refuge "California" since that's what the actual state of California represents. If they perceive California to be a mindset rather than an actual place, that could make sense in the context of this song.

All comments are welcome!