Musical Values

Every Musical capacity had its taproots in the lower forms of animal life, where song and vocal calls of warning, attraction, endearment, and sociability tended to preserve the individual, perpetuate the species, and integrate the group. The rising need of vocal communication in the animal world resulted in the development of a physical organism essential to Musical behavior, both in tone production and in tone appreciation, from the simplest phonation to highly patterned whistling, rattling, howling, and roaring militant or endearing vocalizing for the purpose of repulsion on the one hand, and on the other hand to the articulate vocal intimations of friendliness as in the fascinating love song of birds. Like protective coloration, protective phonation has played an important role in animal life. The various forms and refine ments of ear arose to serve increasing needs of attraction and repulsion. As the display of beauty in coloration developed dominant types in different animal species, so the exhibition of sounds of attraction developed along special lines. Like the display of color, the exhibition of sounds and the response to them through hearing was mainly automatic. Yet from our point of view, audible behavior rose to heights of beauty that might well be regarded as Musical.

The development of the ability to respond to sound applied not only to the sounds of animals but to sounds of nature. Accompanying dramatic actions arose, as in the song and dance found in the courtship of birds and beasts of many species. Much of our appreciation of Musical sounds as nature lovers attaches to the Musical behavior of animals in their natural habitats, such as our gardens, forest preserves, and national sanctuaries. Men visiting the Bok Tower Preserve even on a hot day are asked to wear and not carry their coats out of respect for the animal life in this sanctuary where the play of vibrant sounds mingles in harmony with the beauty of flowers a nd the grand carillon. The story of Musical behavior furnishes one of the most fascinating chapters both in scientific and popular observation of animal behavior. While the species from which man became differentiated may not have been outstanding for their song, there is no doubt that these species lived very largely in a tonal world of their own. Thus, before man came upon the horizon, his forebears had already developed the necessary muscular and neural organizations which, in man, made possible the development of human Music. Primitive man undoubtedly carried over not only the Musical organism but the instinctive forms of behavior distinctive of his parent species. But with the emergence of man, the Musical organism assumed radically new functions, the development of which we can now sketch in outline.

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Author:: Sharon White
Keywords:: Music, History
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