Christopher Neville Charles Small (17 March 1927 – 7 September 2011) was a New Zealand-born musician, educator, lecturer, and author of many influential books and articles in the fields of musicology, sociomusicology and ethnomusicology. He coined the term musicking, to highlight music as a process (verb) and not an object (noun.)
Biography
Small was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand, to a dentist and former schoolteacher, and was the youngest of three children.
His early school education took place at the Terrace End and Russell Street Primary Schools (1932–1939), Palmerston North Boys' High School (1940–1941) and Wanganui Collegiate School (1942–1944). Between 1945 and 1952 he attended the University of Otago and then Victoria University College. He taught at Horowhenua College (at the same time working at Morrow Productions Ltd making educational animated films) from 1953 to 1958, and at Waihi College from 1959 to 1960.
In 1960, he was awarded a New Zealand government bursary and he spent 1961 travelling in the United Kingdom, before studying composition in London with Priaulx Rainier, where he also had contact with Bernard Rands, Luigi Nono and Witold Lutoslawski. After his studies he stayed in England, where he taught at schools, including Anstey College of Education in Birmingham. He became senior lecturer in music at Ealing College of Higher Education in London (1971–1986) and he also taught at Dartington College of Arts in 1979. Between 1977 and 1986 he was adjunct professor of the history of music at Syracuse University London Centre, and a tutor in music to the summer school of the BEd course of Sussex University between 1981 and 1984.
Smalls retired from teaching in 1986 and moved to Sitges, Spain, where he lived with his partner Neville Braithwaite (a Jamaican-born dancer, singer, and youth worker) whom he married in 2006. During his time in Spain, Small conducted Catalan choirs and was visited regularly by people from both Europe and the US, who admired his work. In the US, his ideas have been supported by prominent musicologists such as , Robert Walser, Susan McClary and The Village Voice rock critic Robert Christgau.
Neville Braithwaite died in 2006, and Small died in 2011. He is survived by his sister, Rosemary.
During his lifetime he published a number of books, and articles in journals such as , Tempo, The Musical Times, Music and Letters, and Musical America. He lectured in many educational institutions in the United Kingdom, Norway and the United States, contributed with papers to organisations such as the Composers' Guild of Great Britain (1984), the Association of Improvising Musicians (1985), Music Educators National Conference (Hartford, Connecticut, 1985; Washington, DC, 1989) and the Society for Ethnomusicology (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1988).
Small took part in the series Sounds Different, broadcast by BBC-TV2 (July 1982), and wrote This Is Who We Are, a three-programme broadcast on BBC Radio 3 (March 1988) about Afro-American music.
Musicking
In his book of the same title (Musicking, 1998), Small argues for introducing a new word to the English dictionary – that of musicking (from the verb to music), meaning any activity involving or related to music performance. According to his own definition,
To music is to take part, in any capacity, in a musical performance, whether by performing, by listening, by rehearsing or practicing, by providing material for performance (what is called composing), or by dancing. We might at times even extend its meaning to what the person is doing who takes the tickets at the door or the hefty men who shift the piano and the drums or the roadies who set up the instruments and carry out the sound checks or the cleaners who clean up after everyone else has gone. They, too, are all contributing to the nature of the event that is a musical performance.
In expanding his ideas presented in his earlier book (Music, Society, Education, 1977), Small continues to demonstrate that musicking is an active way in which we relate to the rest of the world.
The act of musicking establishes in the place where it is happening a set of relationships, and it is in those relationships that the meaning of the act lies. They are to be found not only between those organized sounds which are conventionally thought of as being the stuff of musical meaning but also between the people who are taking part, in whatever capacity, in the performance; and they model, or stand as metaphor for, ideal relationships as the participants in the performance imagine them to be: relationships between person and person, between individual and society, between humanity and the natural world and even perhaps the supernatural world.
Works
Bibliography
- Music, Society, Education (1977)
- Schoenberg (1977)
- Music of the Common Tongue: Survival and Celebration in African American Music (1987)
- Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening (1998)
Compositions
- Actions for Chorus – Some Maori Place Names for large chorus (1974)
- Black Cat for school percussion ensemble and voices (1968)
- Children of the Mist, a ballet in two acts for orchestra (1960)
- Concert Piece for orchestra (1963)
- High Country Stockman, orchestral music for film (1952)
- Suite from Children of the Mist, for orchestra (1960)
- TB, for film (1955)
- The Story of Soil, music for film (1954)
- Trees, music for film (1952)
- Various Songs and Solo Piano Pieces for students and friends (1980)
- What on Earth is Happening music for film (1958)
Christopher Small Collection
In 1997, Christopher Small retired in Sitges and donated his personal library to the University of Girona. The collection is of outstanding quality and unique in the context of Catalan universities. Most of its nearly 500 volumes are centered around music and cover ethnomusicology, musical sociology, and popular music - especially afroamerican genres like jazz, blues, soul. etc.
References
- Small, Christopher (31 July 1998). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-2257-3.
- Laing, David (19 September 2011). "Christopher Small obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- Cohen, Mary (2010). "Christopher Small: A Biographical Profile of His Life". Journal of Historical Research in Music Education. 31 (2): 132–150. doi:10.1177/153660061003100205. ISSN 1536-6006. JSTOR 20789868. S2CID 140309995.
- Norman, Philip. "Composer Profile: Christopher Small". Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- Small, Christopher (1998). Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening. Hanover: University Press of New England. pp. 9. ISBN 978-0-8195-2257-3.
- ibid. p.13
Other sources
- Norman, Philip. Bibliography of New Zealand Compositions. Third Edition: Nota Bene Music (1991)
- Cohen, Mary L. Christopher Small's Concept of Musicking: Toward a Theory of Choral Singing Pedagogy in Prison Contexts. Doctoral Dissertation, 2007, The University of Kansas
- Thomson, John Mansfield. Biographical Dictionary of New Zealand Composers. Wellington: Victoria University Press (1990). p. 128–129.
- Cole, Simon. just BE here - the guide to musicking mindfulness
External links
- Christopher Small Collection (University of Girona Library)
Christopher Neville Charles Small 17 March 1927 7 September 2011 was a New Zealand born musician educator lecturer and author of many influential books and articles in the fields of musicology sociomusicology and ethnomusicology He coined the term musicking to highlight music as a process verb and not an object noun Christopher SmallBiographySmall was born in Palmerston North New Zealand to a dentist and former schoolteacher and was the youngest of three children His early school education took place at the Terrace End and Russell Street Primary Schools 1932 1939 Palmerston North Boys High School 1940 1941 and Wanganui Collegiate School 1942 1944 Between 1945 and 1952 he attended the University of Otago and then Victoria University College He taught at Horowhenua College at the same time working at Morrow Productions Ltd making educational animated films from 1953 to 1958 and at Waihi College from 1959 to 1960 In 1960 he was awarded a New Zealand government bursary and he spent 1961 travelling in the United Kingdom before studying composition in London with Priaulx Rainier where he also had contact with Bernard Rands Luigi Nono and Witold Lutoslawski After his studies he stayed in England where he taught at schools including Anstey College of Education in Birmingham He became senior lecturer in music at Ealing College of Higher Education in London 1971 1986 and he also taught at Dartington College of Arts in 1979 Between 1977 and 1986 he was adjunct professor of the history of music at Syracuse University London Centre and a tutor in music to the summer school of the BEd course of Sussex University between 1981 and 1984 Smalls retired from teaching in 1986 and moved to Sitges Spain where he lived with his partner Neville Braithwaite a Jamaican born dancer singer and youth worker whom he married in 2006 During his time in Spain Small conducted Catalan choirs and was visited regularly by people from both Europe and the US who admired his work In the US his ideas have been supported by prominent musicologists such as Robert Walser Susan McClary and The Village Voice rock critic Robert Christgau Neville Braithwaite died in 2006 and Small died in 2011 He is survived by his sister Rosemary During his lifetime he published a number of books and articles in journals such as Tempo The Musical Times Music and Letters and Musical America He lectured in many educational institutions in the United Kingdom Norway and the United States contributed with papers to organisations such as the Composers Guild of Great Britain 1984 the Association of Improvising Musicians 1985 Music Educators National Conference Hartford Connecticut 1985 Washington DC 1989 and the Society for Ethnomusicology Cambridge Massachusetts 1988 Small took part in the series Sounds Different broadcast by BBC TV2 July 1982 and wrote This Is Who We Are a three programme broadcast on BBC Radio 3 March 1988 about Afro American music Musicking In his book of the same title Musicking 1998 Small argues for introducing a new word to the English dictionary that of musicking from the verb to music meaning any activity involving or related to music performance According to his own definition To music is to take part in any capacity in a musical performance whether by performing by listening by rehearsing or practicing by providing material for performance what is called composing or by dancing We might at times even extend its meaning to what the person is doing who takes the tickets at the door or the hefty men who shift the piano and the drums or the roadies who set up the instruments and carry out the sound checks or the cleaners who clean up after everyone else has gone They too are all contributing to the nature of the event that is a musical performance In expanding his ideas presented in his earlier book Music Society Education 1977 Small continues to demonstrate that musicking is an active way in which we relate to the rest of the world The act of musicking establishes in the place where it is happening a set of relationships and it is in those relationships that the meaning of the act lies They are to be found not only between those organized sounds which are conventionally thought of as being the stuff of musical meaning but also between the people who are taking part in whatever capacity in the performance and they model or stand as metaphor for ideal relationships as the participants in the performance imagine them to be relationships between person and person between individual and society between humanity and the natural world and even perhaps the supernatural world WorksBibliography Music Society Education 1977 Schoenberg 1977 Music of the Common Tongue Survival and Celebration in African American Music 1987 Musicking The Meanings of Performing and Listening 1998 Compositions Actions for Chorus Some Maori Place Names for large chorus 1974 Black Cat for school percussion ensemble and voices 1968 Children of the Mist a ballet in two acts for orchestra 1960 Concert Piece for orchestra 1963 High Country Stockman orchestral music for film 1952 Suite from Children of the Mist for orchestra 1960 TB for film 1955 The Story of Soil music for film 1954 Trees music for film 1952 Various Songs and Solo Piano Pieces for students and friends 1980 What on Earth is Happening music for film 1958 Christopher Small CollectionIn 1997 Christopher Small retired in Sitges and donated his personal library to the University of Girona The collection is of outstanding quality and unique in the context of Catalan universities Most of its nearly 500 volumes are centered around music and cover ethnomusicology musical sociology and popular music especially afroamerican genres like jazz blues soul etc ReferencesSmall Christopher 31 July 1998 Musicking The Meanings of Performing and Listening Wesleyan University Press ISBN 978 0 8195 2257 3 Laing David 19 September 2011 Christopher Small obituary The Guardian Retrieved 1 April 2013 Cohen Mary 2010 Christopher Small A Biographical Profile of His Life Journal of Historical Research in Music Education 31 2 132 150 doi 10 1177 153660061003100205 ISSN 1536 6006 JSTOR 20789868 S2CID 140309995 Norman Philip Composer Profile Christopher Small Retrieved 1 April 2013 Small Christopher 1998 Musicking The Meanings of Performing and Listening Hanover University Press of New England pp 9 ISBN 978 0 8195 2257 3 ibid p 13Other sourcesNorman Philip Bibliography of New Zealand Compositions Third Edition Nota Bene Music 1991 Cohen Mary L Christopher Small s Concept of Musicking Toward a Theory of Choral Singing Pedagogy in Prison Contexts Doctoral Dissertation 2007 The University of Kansas Thomson John Mansfield Biographical Dictionary of New Zealand Composers Wellington Victoria University Press 1990 p 128 129 Cole Simon just BE here the guide to musicking mindfulnessExternal linksChristopher Small Collection University of Girona Library
