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Love Mark Devlin. I emailed him recently about specific tunings and he pointed me to the second of his Musical Truth books, which I’m planning to read soon. This video looks very intriguing. Thanks for sharing it.
One thing about the connection between music and the military that I included in The Next Octave is an important quote by Plutarch, below.
[The Next Octave, p. 28:]
In fact, music has historically been a tool not just of influence but of manipulation, especially in psyching men up for the fight, as Plutarch explained in his essay, “Concerning Music”:
[T]he ancient Greeks, with more reason than others, were so careful to teach their children music. For they deemed it requisite by the assistance of music to form and compose the minds of youth to what was decent, sober, and virtuous; believing the use of music beneficially efficacious to incite to all serious actions, especially to the adventuring upon warlike dangers. To which purpose they made use of pipes or flutes when they advanced in battle array against their enemies; like the Lacedaemonians [Spartans], who upon the same occasion caused the Castorean melody to be played before their battalions. Others inflamed their courage with harps, playing the same sort of harmony when they went to look danger in the face, as the Cretans did for a long time. Others, even in our own times, continue using the trumpet.8
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Interested in how bagpipes may have featured in your work.
I played the bagpipes in the Iowa Scottish Highlanders, but they’re not a part of my research.
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Beautifully put. We’ve lost so much culture over the centuries. Soldiers these days have chosen a more direct, chemical route to inflame their courage. Germans pioneered meth, for instance, to keep their soldiers hearts inflamed. While Colombians, traditionally, have employed cocaine to motivate their young recruits. In fact, we’ve fallen so far that I’ve heard tell of street gangs who have taken to a combination of cinnamon and bath salts when effort has outweighed the enthusiasm here in the states… I’d take a harp over all that any day, personally. Call me a lightweight if you wish…
Seriously though… Your book(s) sounds very interesting. I’ll be picking them up as soon as possible. My reading time is currently limited to cereal boxes and this forum. Too busy makin’ the bacon while the Sun yet shines. Good stuff, kudos
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Love bagpipes and uileann pipes.
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Thank you. MarkSean purchased one of my books before I could offer the PDF but if anyone is curious about them I’m happy to send PDFs.
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