Music and Interdisciplinarity

The fifth chapter of Joe Moran’s Interdisciplinarity brings together the sciences and humanities instead of discussing how these disciplines clash. Moran introduces the reader to scientists such as Richard Dawkins who believe “that all the cultural products of humanity, including literature, have a biological, genetic base” (161). In other words, science (in this context, biology in particular) is connected to the study of the humanities, and the disciplines do depend on each other to some degree. One of the most meaningful examples of this intersection of science and culture that I have experienced is the performance of music.

Yesterday, I spent over an hour practicing the marimba. I played the same lines over and over again, hoping that if I kept trying, muscle memory would eventually take over. When I first play a piece of music, it’s all about the mechanics – the science of music. I have to remember to hit the keys in the middle so the sound is clear and intense instead of muted. I have to train my hands to move quickly and accurately, and eventually commit the notes to memory. Without understanding how biology and physics relate to music, I could not possibly play well enough to convey the emotional and artistic elements of the piece. In this way, I agree with Dawkins’ quote; music, and by extension, other humanities, can be said to have a foundation in the sciences. For instance, there is literature that explores the implications of scientific advancements, and anthropology has an evolutionary component. Music is only one great example of science and the humanities mingling.

Dawkins and similar thinkers approach this idea from a scientific perspective, but I feel the humanities perspective also needs a little support in Interdisciplinarity. The study of the humanities is put on the defense with the line “For Dawkins, science enhances, rather than destroys, the beauty of the world, and writers and critics in the humanities would do well to acknowledge this” (Moran 162). While I understand how much science is needed in the academic world, I also think scientists would do well to remember the contribution of writers, artists, and critics in their disciplines. Take music; while I have said that I need to master the mechanics of playing the marimba, I need culture, expression, and emotion in order to play anything more than a jumble of notes. The music I learn to play needs a story in order to mean anything to those listening.

Music serves as a reminder that the sciences and the humanities can do more than coexist; they can depend on each other. As Interdisciplinarity argues, these disciplines could have a beneficial relationship if they embraced each other’s efforts. The next time I go to practice marimba, I will keep in mind how perfectly science and the humanitarian perspective interact.

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