Narration: That began to change, though, when young, talented musicians began creating their own kind of music in the early 5th century. #Law and order episode featuring snoop dogg 2018 freeFor a long time, musical education was reserved only for those with money and free time, and being able to play a musical instrument became a sort of status symbol for Athenian elites. Narration: Athenian aristocrats like Plato were steadily losing power to the growing body of democratic citizens, and many of them clung to the traditions that they had held for generations, and one of these traditions was music. He’s one of the leading experts on Greek music, especially New Music.ĭ’Angour: And he thought that the New Music was breaking the law of musical propriety, using the word "paranomia," “lawlessness.” Narration: That’s Armand D’Angour, professor of Classics at Jesus College at the University of Oxford. For the modes of music are never disturbed without unsettling the most fundamental political and social conventions ĭ’Angour: Plato, who, looking back from the fourth century, having been educated in the late fifth century, would have heard traditional styles of music and also the New Music. Plato: must be watchful against innovations in music counter to the established order, and to the best of their power guard against them for a change to a new type of music is something to beware of as a hazard to all our fortunes. In a perfect society, Plato wrote, men (and only men) would be well-educated in music. Because of what it could do to people, music was inherently political, so learning the right modes was one of the most important aspects of musical education. Plato believed that music had a particular grip on the human soul, was able to tame the spirit, promote good behavior, and, if misused, even overthrow states. In ancient Greece, music was divided into particular modes, essentially types of scales, that were thought to foster different emotions. He had a lot of ideas about what a “perfect” society would look like, and quite a lot to say about music. He wasn’t exactly the Bill O’Reilly of his time but he was definitely rich, definitely influential, and definitely interested in upholding aristocratic ideals and imparting them on the youth at his Academy. Plato: Education in music is most sovereign, because more than anything else rhythm and harmony find their way to the innermost soul and take the strongest hold upon it, bringing with them and imparting grace if one is rightly trained, and otherwise the contrary. But what is it about music that’s so political? How does it reflect social change? And why are conservative critics so worried about musical tradition? Both rap and New Music were significant indicators of social change within their respective cultures. Narration: It’s true, music is political. Narration: If you don’t know, that’s Bill O’Reilly, former host of the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News and one of the most outspoken “defenders” of American tradition. O’Reilly: The rap industry, for example, often glorifies depraved behavior, and that sinks into the minds of some young people - the group that is most likely to reject religion. These critics said that the New Musicians were too showy to be considered “proper” musicians, and most importantly, they warned that New Music was a threat to the city of Athens itself. Young, innovative musicians created a new type of music loved by the masses and openly criticised by older, more conservative listeners. In ancient Athens, the development of the so-called “New Music” in the 5th century BCE was considered a very real threat to the upper class of Athenian elites. These musical changes are often labeled the downfall of “polite” society, a threat to traditional values. A couple recent examples should immediately come to mind: jazz in the early 20th century, rock n’ roll in the 1950s, and rap in just the last few decades. Narration: For a large portion of human history, changes in music have been looked at suspiciously, especially when they challenge the status quo set by a political, racial, and religious majority. Plato: There arose as leaders of unmusical illegality poets who were ignorant of what was just and lawful in music and they, being frenzied and unduly possessed by a spirit of pleasure O’Reilly: The rap industry, for example, often glorifies depraved behavior, and that sinks into the minds of some young people Shapiro: There’s a lot of praise that’s put out for particular rappers, who it seems to me are doing something that doesn’t seem innately very difficult. There’s no question that people of faith are being marginalized by a secular media and pernicious entertainment. According to a Pew Research study of more than 35,000 American adults, Christianity’s on the decline. O’Reilly: On the religious front, another poll, very provocative.
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