Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Fall 2021 39 Reviews MUSIC: A SUBVERSIVE HISTORY By Ted Gioia Basic Books, 2019 In his book, Music: A Subversive History, Ted Gioia seeks to redress the inaccuracies that have always seemed to be a part of written music histories. Already the author of many books on music, particularly jazz (for instance, How to Listen to Jazz), Gioia now seeks to explore all Western music throughout time. Beginning with the earliest humans and traveling through the ages to the early 21 st century, Gioia takes the reader on an engrossing journey of discovery showing the reality behind the narrative with which we are familiar. Gioia's primary themes deal with music's origins in and associations with such primal urges as violence, sex, and survival, as well as with outsiders in society as a source of musical innovation. He explains how the cultural diversity that comes with immigration (whether voluntary or not) tends to drive this innovation. In addition, he argues that new musical movements are initially resisted by those in authority but become legitimized with time. For instance, blues music originates out of poverty and slavery, but is now part of the mainstream. Furthermore, we know about the existence of some of the earliest types of music despite their absence in written accounts. For example, the songs of the troubadours in the Middle Ages were suppressed by the only literate class of the time, those associated with the Church, which explains why relatively little documentation of these vernacular songs have survived; however, we know they existed because of the frequency of written exhortations against them. These brief examples only brush the surface that hides the depths of the book. At almost 500 pages, this "subversive" history covers a lot of ground and provides a fresh perspective. Although other reviewers believe Gioia's attention to the role of women inadequate (the New York Times review) or lament his failure to consider the role of beauty in music (in the Los Angeles Times), this single volume does justice to such a wide subject. I found that Gioia's arguments are generally persuasive, and the many examples that illustrate his points are fascinating; the book as a whole is highly readable and thought-provoking. WOMEN, MUSIC, CULTURE: AN INTRODUCTION, THIRD EDITION By Julie C. Dunbar Routledge, 2021 A ccording to its publisher, Women, Music, Culture: An Introduction is the first textbook aimed at undergraduates to focus on the many roles of women in all aspects and types of music. It certainly does a thorough, commendable job of this, and should prove to be useful for musicians and non-musicians alike, whether a student or not. Organized into five large sections (Telling Musical Stories: Missing Voices in the Documentation of Musical Traditions; Restricted Domains: Gender Spheres in Art Music; Visual Images in an Aural World; A Time of Change: The Impact of Education on Women's Art Music Activity; and No Longer One of the Boys), Dunbar's book explores early music and world music, art music of both Western and non-Western cultures, representation and marketing of women in music, and the changing role of women in instrumental ensembles, music technology, and popular music, among many other topics. Throughout the text, separate sections on feminism throughout history provide a broader historical context to the musical topics. Dunbar is both articulate and accessible in her comprehensive approach to this subject. She is respectful and sensitive in her writing, acknowledging past misconceptions and prejudices honestly, yet with a tone hopeful for the future. She takes care to avoid Eurocentrism, such as in the chapter on performers in the court traditions of Japan, India, and Europe, and in her attention to both the traditional and popular music of a variety of cultures throughout the world. Dunbar also does not neglect the role intersectionality (the overlapping of various social identities such as race, economic status, gender, and sexuality) plays in how women exist in the world of music. Each chapter concludes with questions for critical thinking and suggestions for further research, as well as an extensive bibliography. In addition, definitions of musical terms and new concepts are provided as they occur in each chapter, and they appear all together at the end of the book in an extensive glossary. An integral part of this book is the plethora of additional content available from the publisher online. Musical examples are available through Spotify, and are accompanied by detailed guides for listening in the book. The book's website also provides such resources as PowerPoint slides and additional links to composer websites, video performances, audio clips, and scores. Accessible and readable for both trained musicians and laypeople, Women, Music, Culture: An Introduction, is a valuable contribution to the establishment of a deeper understanding of the role of women in music in a global context. It is, therefore, highly recommended, both as a textbook and for general reading. Kathi Bower Peterson is a graduate of Indiana University, where she majored in music history and oboe, and was a member of Iota Epsilon chapter. She also has an MM (in musicology) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MLIS from San Jose State University. She has been the librarian at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla, California since 1997 and currently serves as the treasurer of the San Diego County Alumnae Chapter, as well as the Coordinator of Scholarships for SAI Philanthropies, Inc.

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