Re: virus: Nursery Rhyme Memes

B. Lane Robertson (metaphy@hotmail.com)
Wed, 05 Aug 1998 11:23:57 PDT


Yes, musical "hooks" would also seem to be a good
area for study. I note that the word "hook" is
also used in the study of viruses (and I have
taken to using it to mean the "emotional"
component to a "stage two" meme which encourages
infestation... though which, in my analysis is not
actually a "meme", but might better be referred to
as a "virus"). Further, I do not know that I
would agree with the sentiment that such musical
*patterns* are (being musical) *necessarily*
devoid of "meaning" (or "symbolic ideational
components", wasn't it?)

So, I think that music is most properly an "idea"
which has been split into parts whose
re-arrangement can only refer back to that
singular idea (no matter what musical form it
takes). OR, I might say that a meme which is in a
viral stage develops "musical" components
(syncopation) which acts as a *hook* to spread the
idea inherent in the meme. Or (at most), that
music is a prime example of a virus (though would
stop short of saying that it was a meme-- except
to say that it is the <language> meme, itself, and
so conveys the memetic intent of transmitting
sound and rhythm such that ideas might be
organized into A language [stopping short of
saying that music is a *different* language]).

Some food for thought.

B. Lane Robertson
Indiana, USA
http://www.window.to/mindrec
Bio: http://members.theglobe.com/bretthay
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