Re: [xml-dev] RE: Seduced by Markup

[Sean McGrath <sean.mcgrath@propylon.com>]

On 11/19/2013 08:52 AM, xml-dev-digest-help@lists.xml.org wrote:
[Steve Newcomb]
> Actually that's a great metaphor, Len.  Why do people complain about big
> key signatures?  Because they haven't learned to read the notation,
Yes indeed, but why is it that so many people never learn to read the 
notation?

In my opinion, because its kind of scary and intimidating in ways that 
it really should not be, given that the underlying concepts are really 
very beautiful and quite simple. Basic geometry/modulo-arithmetic is all 
you really need to grok it.

Because classical music notation started out biased towards C Major and 
everything else has been added on top over the centuries, we have the 
completely unnecessary notion that, say, "Phrygian dominant" (and its 
"strange" key signature) is some sort of hyper-intellectual thing when 
it reality, its just a different simple formula for selecting from a 
repeating palette of 12 notes. Basic math with basic modulo arithmetic.

Somebody should write a novella - maybe somebody already has? - 
imagining what the world would look like if software-refactoring had 
been invented *before* music notation. In such a world, we would perhaps 
have refactored the notation of music a few times in response to 
advances such as modes, blues, bebop, klezmer etc.

In such a world, would grokking the thing-behind-the-syntax (in this 
case), musical structures, be easier? I believe so.

Does this tell us that syntax (its clarity, its beauty) really, really 
matters for grokking any form of abstract structure?

Yes, I think so :-)

My 2cents
Sean

--
Sean McGrath
CTO
Propylon
US Tel: +1 775 2976310
e-mail:sean.mcgrath@propylon.com web:www.propylon.com

This E-Mail is for the use of the intended addressee. If you are not the intended addressee, or the person responsible for delivering it to the intended addressee, you may not copy, forward, disclose or otherwise use it or any part of it in any way whatsoever. To do so is prohibited and may be unlawful.

If you receive this E-Mail by mistake, please advise the sender immediately by using the REPLY facility in your E-Mail software and delete all associated material immediately.