Nettl, History and Change

Publication Information

  • Title: Periodical 3300 Does Not Circulate

  • Editor: Ivan Vandor

  • Assistant Editor: Ulrich Wegner

  • Review Editor: Habib Hassan Touma

  • Cover and Graphic Design: Florian Noetzel

  • Editorial Office: Winklerstrasse 20, D-1000 Berlin 33

  • Subscription Details:

    • Individual subscribers: US $19

    • Institutions: US $24

    • Postage for overseas: US $3

    • Postage for Europe: US $2

  • Published by: Edition Heinrichshofen, D-2940 Wilhelmshaven

  • Published in association with: Journal of the International Institute for Comparative Music Studies and Documentation (Berlin), International Music Council (UNESCO)

  • Year: 1986

  • ISSN: 0043-8774

Content Overview

Key Articles

  • John Blacking and Bruno Nettl

    • Title: Identifying Processes of Musical Change in Blackfoot Indian Musical Culture and Thought

  • Amnon Shiloah

    • Title: The Traditional Artist in the Limelight of the Modern City

  • Gérard Béhaque

    • Title: Musical Change: A Case Study

  • Mervyn McLean

    • Title: Towards a Typology of Musical Change: Missionaries and Adjustive Response in Oceania

  • Gerhard Kubik

    • Title: Stability and Change in the Instrumental Composition of African Musical Traditions

Ethnomusicological Themes

Change in Blackfoot Culture

  • Identity of Napi:

    • A culture hero creating aspects of nature and customs in Blackfoot mythology

    • Responsible for the existence of ceremonies and rituals, indicative of the relationship between Blackfoot culture and the broader world.

  • Impact of Change:

    • Music acts as a microcosm of cultural interaction

    • Exploration of change as a significant aspect in understanding musical history and practices.

Myth and Musical Origins

  • Preservation of Traditions:

    • Blackfoot music viewed as a gift from Napi, highlighting a supernatural aspect in its origin.

  • Dreams and Visions:

    • Songs received in dreams, perceived as whole and unchangeable forms.

    • Emphasis on the concept that songs do not originate from speech or evolve from other forms.

Sources of Blackfoot Music

  • Multiplicity of Sources:

    • Recognition of music as part of a complex cultural exchange including borrowed elements from different tribes and external influences.

  • Compositional Processes:

    • Ideas of song composition reflect a view of culture being learned rather than inherent.

Historical Perspectives

  • Music History among Blackfoot:

    • Lack of oral traditions and written records compared to Western music accounts leads to a different understanding of musical history.

    • Historical inquiry considers periods of stability versus change driven by external cultural engagements.

The Concept of Change in Music

  • Perception of Change:

    • Change seen as a quantitative notion of adding or subtracting pieces rather than qualitative transformations.

    • Recognition of changes in social contexts, performance practices, and instrumentation forms part of Blackfoot music history.

Final Thoughts

  • Emphasis on music as a dynamic entity, reflective of cultural negotiations with outside influences while retaining core traditional elements.