“Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens”
Instead of providing any useful information, the video aroused to me this idea: what if people communicated solely by breaking into impromptu song? The human brain composes sentences of words instantaneously in speech. Would it be possible for us to create melodies in the same speed by simply giving it the same amount of practice?
At the early stages of language, a child would be monotonous, much like how we speak today. Eventually the child would see the limits in expression and begin singing their words in one key. By doing this at such an early age, almost every child would develop absolute pitch, or at least a very accurately relative one. Children in New Orleans would take into the ii-V-I and those in Seoul would probably opt for something like a I-IV-V - a lot like different accents in different parts of the world. Some phrases would change drastically in meaning just by being transposed into a different key, while keeping it’s word choice. And then the developing homo sapien sapien would begin to incorporate a few key changes into his/her life- like a Beatles song. It’d be catchy, and would cover the basic human emotions. So practical this would prove, that most probably would never grow out of this phase.
Then there would be the Coltranes and the Beethovens of speech. The chatterboxes of the world would fire up long monologues like “Giant Steps” and the masters of language would prepare speeches reminiscent of the glorious 9th. Poets would go on world tours, selling out stadiums full of coffee drinking fans awaiting to see how their interpretation of written poems matched up to that of the author’s. Music and our perception of it would be so advanced that people would see pop music the same way we see spoken word today, and music by Stravinsky would be considered “poppy” and “uninspired”.
I think we are entirely capable of such a life style, not that I would ever hope for such a thing.
Sunday 11 May 2008 | eehoc09 | hypotheticals
that. would. be. AWESOME!
I don’t think our brains are wired to do that though, joyous as it would be.
I’ve taught enough poetry (meaning simply I’ve trained myself through study) to be able to knock off a line of iambic pentameter in my sleep.
Enough of poetry I’ve taught to sing
it in my sleep, and warble it on drives
to work. It’s easy, man, it ain’t no thing.
If all did that, music would sing their lives.
–for example, written in about thirty seconds. Strict iambic pentameter, except the spondee I intentionally left on “THAT, MUsic” for emphasis.
Sloppy, not a masterpiece, but effortless.
So I think the training is possible.
Think, too, of tonal languages like Chinese and Thai. They literally do rely on melodic intervals between syllables to distinguish the meanings of two identical sounds, “sung” differently.
I had the same fantasy you spin when I was in college. Suggested to some friends we spend a day each week singing our conversations.
It didn’t fly, of course. “People just ain’t no good.” Nick had it right in more than moral senses.
I love this post.
Hey, I won’t be back to KIS next year, in case that colors your plans for that class. FYI.
Hannah- as a darwin enthusiast, I like to think that with our patience, our children’s children could become better “wired” for the job
Mr. Burell- that was a good one. immediate?
I’ve read that the children in those thai cultures are much more likely than the rest of us to develop absolute pitch (thus proving, at least to me, that the skill can be developed, and not just inborn). And you won’t be back in KIS next year? where will you be?
Yeah, pretty immediate. Here we go, round 2:
Where will I be next year if not at school?
In some real place where one plays not the fool
for thought. (etc).
Too sleepy to continue.
I’m moving to Seocho-dong, just south of Seoul High School. Sabbatical. A few projects I want to work on: write a book or two, some web-writing with an eye to paid advertisements, other experiments in new media, paid speaking engagements. Will tutor freelance to pay the bills. I suspect better and more enjoyable learning happens at night in this land. Abelard, Joyce, and Plato tutored. Not bad company. No safety net, but I strangely fear no fall. Knock wood (*knuckles rap skull*).
Will continue reading you and a few others at KIS, and will be on Twitter and Skype and Beyond School as usual. No more “trying to change the system from within” (-Cohen’s “The Future,” you know) for a spell.
Off to bed.