Music as language: An analogy to be pursued with caution

Abstract

The Conference themes all suggest that music may be considered as a language. However, I argue that this is a misleading analogy. I shall point out some crucial differences between language and music by examining the concept of meaning. Two types of meaning will be distinguished and explained: extrinsic and intrinsic meaning. Whereas the former kind of meaning is typical of language, the latter kind is characteristic of the arts in general and of music in particular. Conceiving music as a language may easily lead us to concentrate on the extrinsic aspects of music rather than on its intrinsic meaning. The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic meaning is also relevant to understanding music of other cultures. I argue that properties related to intrinsic meaning can generally be apprehended by outsiders more easily than properties related to extrinsic meaning. Since we cannot initiate children fully into all musical traditions and styles in music education, I recommend that we pay special attention to furthering children's sensitivity to intrinsic aspects of music. Thus we can best assure that they gain a passport to musics of all cultures.