All Together Now

     In the second chapter of "Women, the recited Qur'an, and Islamic music in Indonesia", Anne Rasmussen begins her analysis of the Islamic soundscape and the community of voices that contribute to the "tapestry of loose free-meter heterophony emanating quasi-simultaneously from numerous sources". Her work highlights the sense of community fostered by Islamic traditions and rituals, and here takes a closer look at the nature of recitation and the significance of the ear to religious ceremony. Before reading this excerpt, I had no idea how tightly linked the Qu'ran was to oral tradition. My perception of any ancient religious text is that such a text must have been written down to prevent the mutation of the scriptures over time. However, Rasmussen tells us this is not the case for Islam and the Qu'ran. According to Rasmussen's citation (Nelson), the Qu'ran did "not exist to preserve against change; it is taken for granted that oral tradition does that". When we understand this perception of the Qu'ran, it makes more sense about why the oral recitation of the text has a separate significance as well as a larger-than-life quality.

http://www.apexmosque.org/quran-gathering/

     Rasmussen's emphasis on the Islamic soundscape is about more than the sound waves created by reciting the Qu'ran. The reason she finds this environment so captivating is because of the importance of the spoken word to the people of the Islamic faith, and the role that sound plays in creating a sense of shared community. One might compare this practice with reciting the pledge of allegiance, or cheering for a sports team - By chanting in large groups there is a tangible sense of connection with those around you. This may very well be linked with evolutionary science, which would argue that early human beings developed tendencies to sing and recite because of the bonds it would form within a tribe (thereby increasing each member's chances of survival). An interesting discipline which studies questions such as this is named "Biomusicology". This discipline seeks answers to the questions of why humans (and other creatures) have a greater appreciation of sound than simply perceiving it around them (i.e. Emotional response to music). In his book "How The Mind Works", Biomusicologist Steven Pinker argues that human beings did not evolve to appreciate tones to overcome any specific survival obstacles, but instead such appreciation developed over time as a tendency to focus on more "pleasing" sounds. I however, disagree with this hypothesis. I believe that human beings have evolved to chant and recite for the same reason they have evolved to propagate culture and community: Survival. The practice of reciting a common text bonds people together, and would have been crucial to maintaining a successful (albeit unrecognizable) community in the days of early humans. I believe that based on her exposure to the community recitation practiced in Indonesia, Anne would agree with me over Mr. Pinker.