In the previous post, we explored the ways in which the voice can transmit both verbal and nonverbal messages. Although my interest is primarily in the nonverbal musical use of the voice, it is worth exploring some aspects of verbal vocal messaging in music.
There are many ways to categorize verbal vocal messaging, but here, we will take a look at just one: oral and written.
Think about what kind of songs are learned orally. What was the very first song you learned? Songs used in childhood games? Lullabies sung to a child? Learned from watching a TV show (or these days, YouTube videos or TikTok)? What about a mnemonic songs?
The oral transmission of a song is usually a social activity. By definition, it must be passed on from person to person, directly or indirectly as in the case of a YouTube video. It will usually require repeated listening, memory and practice, alone or in a group. The message of the song may or may not be important, but the purpose of what the song will be used for is: calming your child, belonging to a group, playing a game, memorizing the periodic table, etc. The act of singing is personal to the singer, or a common objective for the community, and a public audience is usually not a factor (we usually never perform Ring Around the Rosie for the public).
On the other hand, written words for a song, commonly referred to as “lyrics,” is a message from one or several writers, usually for the purpose of a performance or recording with an audience in mind, regardless of if the song is actually utilized in that context. Written lyrics for a written song can be copyrighted since it is a tangible expression of an idea, and thus bring money to the rights holder if it is not already in the public domain.
Here, we should briefly touch on the copyright law. Modern copyright law traces its roots to 15th century England, when those in power wanted to regulate what was being printed (or “copied”), both to keep an eye on the content as well as to protect the rights of the owners of the writings. This has now evolved into the copyright law we have today in the U.S., which also governs music royalties, creating the multi-billion dollar music industry. There are many issues with music copyright including how the royalty is determined and collected, but that is a topic for another workshop.
What I want to underscore is how Western music copyright is based on the music having been written, coming from a print culture, creating a monetary hierarchy vis-à-vis orally-transmitted culture and music. This split has also trickled down to how the performance rights organizations deal with classical music (notated) and jazz (partially notated with a portion improvised), with classical music often being paid more. I have no real input in this matter other than to make these observations, but felt that it was important to point out how the system we live in may be prioritizing certain genres without us ever being conscious of it, thus distorting the value of said genres.