Listening for geography: the relationship between music and geography

A fundamental question that has emerged in the evolution of geography in recent years relates to geographies traditional engagement with the visual above all other senses (Smith, 1994, 1997). Over the past decade, Chimera has been to the fore in publishing emerging research in this field with a particular focus on Irish perspectives. Articles have examined the role of folk music traditions, composers, and songwriters in creating a sense of place and engaging with the attitudes and changes of society. Authors have also engaged with popular culture and pointed to the need for greater awareness of popular music. In an attempt to contextualise the recent developments in the geographical study of music in Ireland, this article takes a step back in order to outline the development of geographical studies involving music and highlight the importance of understanding music as part of future geographic discourses in an Irish context. Two schools of thought are presented; an American approach, pioneered by George Carney, which emerges out of the cultural geographies of Carl Sauer is contrasted with a British interdisciplinary approach. The concerns of the American School of music geography are considered through the work and anthologies of George Carney (1987; 1995; 1998). The themes and approaches of the British geography of music are presented primarily through the work and influence of Leyshon, Matless and Revill‟s anthology, The Place of Music (1998). The influence of Jacques Attali‟s work, Noise (1985), must also be considered, particularly in relation to the development of interest amongst British geographers in the 1990s. The article concludes with a reflection on previous contributions to Chimera that approach various issues through an awareness of music. The geographical importance of music lies in its role in reflecting and shaping geographical processes and, simultaneously, the role of geographical processes in shaping the music that is produced. Noting the many contexts for music with clear geographical implications, Lovering states: