Page 64 - Glasbenopedagoški zbornik Akademije za glasbo, letnik 20, zvezek 40 ◆ The Journal of Music Education of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, volume 20, issue 40

tion. We need concepts in music to establish a bridge between the listener and
glasbenopedagoški zbornik ◆ letnik/volume 20 ◆ številka/number 40
music. We need concepts to identify what was heard in music.
We need concepts to model, to formalize them into terms, and use them
in a musical ‘language’: to discuss and write about music. This can be exceedin-
gly problematic, however. Even in a small group, there is a possibility that the-
re will be no consensus on the formalization of a concept into a singular term.
One plausible reason is that the notion of a one-to-one correspondence
between a concept and a term is actually impossible, as it is difficult to captu-
re a concept that is passing through the mind of one individual at a particular
moment and expect it to pass through the mind of another individual at the
same or a different moment (Kant, 1800, p. II, 103).
Individuals do not follow specific principles or instructions when con-
structing terms, which is another (plausible) reason. Furthermore, the collectiv-
ity determines how the concept is formalized into a term and used, as concepts
cannot determine which term is most appropriate for themselves (Barnes,
1942).
Tocqueville states that the human mind more easily forms concepts than
words (de Tocqueville, 1835, p. II, 264). Sartori (1984, p. 35) points to the fact
that we humans have at our disposal more concepts in mind than words (ter-
ms). Marradi argues that different terms that indicate the same thing are con-
tinuously created, and that there is no rigid connection between something as
perceptible—by sight or hearing—as a term, and something as fluid and intan-
gible as a concept (Marradi, 2012, pp. 39–40).
How would one then formalize a ‘collection’ of music’s constituent ele-
ments? Should we use elements, parameters, dimensions, components, attributes,
or should we use something else? Which is the most applicable term? Are all
of these terms’ ‘meanings the same? Furthermore, should terms be borrowed
from science or the arts if there is no suitable term in music or if there is no con-
sensus regarding the formalization of a concept into a specific musical term?
Already in 1925, Antcliffe (1980) noted that there are numerous analogi-
es between the arts and between the arts and the sciences, and that such analo-
gies are unavoidable in music because music has never developed a completely
independent vocabulary, instead borrowing terms from other arts and scien-
ces. According to internet sources and numerous recent studies, the statement
made by Antcliffe appears to be very accurate in musical society today.
Musicians frequently borrow terminology from disciplines outside of
music. The topic of terminology is provocative and never-ending. On the one
hand, it brings order to science/art/music, but on the other, it can lead to con-
fusion within a field (Petrović & Golubović, 2018). Therefore, it is not surpri-
sing that certain terms, such as musical components, musical elements, musical
parameters, and musical dimensions, appear not only to have been borrowed
from other fields, but also to be used interchangeably, as is evident when sear-
ching for these terms on the Internet.

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