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From: edhall@rand.org (Ed Hall)
Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Re: More on Cognitive Musicology
Message-ID: <1990Feb7.085350.2743@rand.org>
Date: 7 Feb 90 08:53:50 GMT
References: <13618@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
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Reply-To: edhall@rand.org (Ed Hall)
Organization: The RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
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Gosh, the old ``Nature vs Nurture'' argument pops up in some of the
oddest places...

It would be interesting to see the antecedents to Eliot's message.  Sounds
to me like someone has been arguing that a Proper Musical Education,
(perhaps in conjunction with an appropriate licensing authority) is
necessary for the Proper and Competent Practice of Musical Composition.
To this idea I counter that there are many paths to Enlightenment, and
that while indoctrination in the ancient mysteries (and the even more
mysterious modern mysteries) has liberated many a creative muse, it has
stifled many another.

Perhaps it is time for a flamefest over the nature of a musical education--
assuming people agree that musical education is natural in the first place.

		-Ed Hall
		edhall@rand.org