Week 1: Two Cultures

Snow’s concept of two cultures resonates with me on a personal level as I constantly deal with two cultures in my academic career. I’m a jazz composition major also pursuing a second major in cognitive science. This very much parallels the art vs. science distinction outlined in Vesna’s Toward a Third Culture. Yet, much like snow describes, I feel that I’ve found a way to bridge the gap that sits between the culture of science and the arts. 

Brain activity associated with playing and creating music has been  a popular area of scientific research in recent years.

I feel that music in particular is an art form that can actively bridge the gap between the two cultures. Particularly with the growing sophistication of sound technology, on a technical level, musicians are becoming more and more in tune with aspects of physical sciences in crafting synthetic sounds and creating unique sonic aesthetics. Acoustics are a pivotal part of music performance, but are entirely based in principles of physics. These are but just a few examples of the bridge between cultures and the notion of a ‘third culture’ being formed as music and science meet.

Sound engineers work closely with computer technology and are expected to have a solid understanding of the physical/scientific properties of sound.

As a serious musician and composer, I often apply some of the concepts that I’ve acquired in studying the science of the brain and its mechanisms towards my creative flow and musical practice. In my daily academic life, I feel that this is one of the closest parallel to the concept of two cultures. Studying these two disciplines offers a very interesting combination of cultures, and I feel that the concepts discussed in the readings and lectures this week have pinpointed some of the ways in which the relationship can be described.

Acoustics are a pivotal part of any music performance space, and are based around both an artistic understanding of what sounds best, as well as a scientific understanding of the physics of sound.

Sources: 

• Kelly, Kevin. "The Third Culture." The Third Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. Feb. 1998

• Snow, C. P. The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. New York: Cambridge UP, 1959. Print.

• "This Is Your Brain. This Is Your Brain On Music." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.

• Vesna, Victoria. “Toward a Third Culture: Being in Between.” Leonardo 34.2 (2001): 121-25. Web.

• "What Does It Take to Be a Recording Engineer? - ArtistshouseMusic.". N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.