Music 123

Southeast Asian Music

Southeast Asian music include the musical traditions of this subregion of Asia. This subregion consists of eleven countries, namely,Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Northeast India.

General types of music in Mainland Southeast Asia:

1) Court music (classical): majority ethnic groups with political power

            Large ensembles of instruments signifying political power,

                        today maintained in educational institutions.

Form:             Instruments embellish a basic melodic core;

                        Colotomic (time marking) instruments;

                        Music based on modes (explicit or implicit theory).

            Programmatic music: music that represents an image or story

2) Folk music: associated with ethnic minority groups

Tends to be vocal; often with instrumental accompaniment

Tends to be connected to tonal languages

Music as communication between the sexes (vocal and instrumental)

3) Popular music: emerging from urban centers

            Draws upon folk music and Western pop to varying degrees.

Promotes national identity; promotes urban value system.