Transcription, Perception, and Meaning Jonathan G. Secora Pearl
Linguistics Colloquium, May 18, 2006 University of
California—Santa Barbara Music and language are twin aspects of
civilization, found in all known human cultures, across time and
place, embracing us from our earliest days until the ends of our
lives. Speaking and singing are found everywhere and everywhen.
Wherein lies the distinction? The greatest difficulty in
answering this foundational question is that we are often
deceived by written forms of music and language into believing
our object dwells within them, rather than in the sounds that
inspire them. On the page, these materials appear far more
distinct than they do in sound. Text without context is a world
without air; yet context alone remains the unanalyzable chaos of
everyday experience. The trick is to find the balance between
too much detail, and too little.