A Study of Bunum Musical Communication Using Roman Jakosons Communicative Model

Author: Mai-Ney Kuo(Department of Music, National Taitung University)

Vol.&No.：Vol. 52, No.1&2
Date：October 2007
Pages：37-57
DOI：10.6210/JNTNULL.2007.52.03

Abstract：

Communication is the oldest form of human interaction, and human beings are communicative animals by nature. During the communicative process, human beings convey messages through “meaningful media” such as symbols. Through the use of signs, various cultural and artistic forms, including musical structures, are constructed and transmitted; indeed, culture is passed on from one generation to the next through signs. Bubun aboriginal music is a specific type of sign-vehicle: it transmits the cultural meanings and symbols of Bunun culture, and as thus becomes an important communicative medium within the whole Bunum socio-cultural system. Thus we need the understand the socio-cultural meanings of the music; lacking hits, the purely “musical element” will become a meaningless sign. This study reviews the theoretical issues at stake here from the perspective of semiology: music is thus seen as a communicative activity employing a systematic structure of signs, the language that needs to be read and analyzed by an interpreter. The researcher therefore uses the communicative model created by Roman Jakobson to explore the relation between the performance and ommunicative function of Bunun music, and to elucidate the diversity or versatility of the Bunun musical mode of communication. Finally, the socio-cultural meanings of the music will be analyzed.

Keywords：Bunun music, Aboriginal music, Semiology, Communication

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