Excursions in world music

Synopsis

This introductory text offers readers a glimpse into the major musical traditions of the world by first presenting a lively vignette of a musical performance, followed by a general description of the society and its music. Each chapter features a specific area of the world, and is written in friendly non-technical language by a scholar who is a specialist in that region.

"Excursions in World Music, 3/e" gives students a concrete grasp of the rich diversity of the world's music by highlighting the most important social and musical aspects for each culture. The opening chapter provides an introduction to ethnomusicology and the study of world music by Bruno Nettl, one of the leading scholars in the field.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Musical instruments
• The most important musical occasions
• A survey of styles for each region
• The social development of music
• The meaning and value music holds for each society
• Recent changes in musical traditions
• Discussion of the musical selections on the accompanying CDs integrated into the chapters to make the book more effective for learning

New features to this edition include enlarged chapter-opening maps, which will help students focus on the regions discussed as well as major revision to Chapter 1, Introduction, Chapter 3, Music of the Middle East, Chapter 4, The Music of China, and Chapter 10, Native American Music. More depth and coverage is provided in these chapters than in previous editions, giving students a broader perspective on these musical traditions.