In the majority of cultures, music's first purpose was healing. Usually sung with minimal instrumentation with directed healing intent and in partnership with nature or the 'supernatural'. In the early part of the 20th century Frances Densmore, whose life's work was to preserve the music of the Natives (American, Canadian, South American), in one study, took wax field recordings of 197 Native American songs for the sick from 14 tribes. She found that out of 197 recordings 88 percent had irregular rhythms.
"...a change of accent, or irregular rhythm, in many Indian songs for the sick. A tabulation of these 197, from 14 localities, shows that such a change occurs in 179, or about 88 per cent of the number."
(
The Use of Music by American Indians, Frances Densmore. 'Music and Medicine' 1948 Schullian)
Clues from the past - Natives not clouded with technology, for the most part lived in harmony with nature, and its rhythm is not always in 4/4. We are living so far out of nature, 4/4 music is just a symptom of it. Perhaps we need our own healing songs....
Most likely, you will never know how far the legacy of your work reaches and what purposes it will serve - so I am appreciative of Ms. Densmore for preserving this audio proof and musical origins.
The Photos are of: Frances Densmore recording Mountain Chief - Blackfoot Tribe (
from Wikipedia), Chippewa healing song in 5/4 or 3/4 + 2/4, and excerpt from Music and Medicine, Schuller, 1948.
For healing sake...
Keep it ODD,
BetZe13
In the majority of cultures, music's first purpose was healing. Usually sung with minimal instrumentation with directed healing intent and in partnership with nature or the 'supernatural'. In the early part of the 20th century Frances Densmore, whose life's work was to preserve the music of the Natives (American, Canadian, South American), in one study, took wax field recordings of 197 Native American songs for the sick from 14 tribes. She found that out of 197 recordings 88 percent had irregular rhythms. 
(The Use of Music by American Indians, Frances Densmore. 'Music and Medicine' 1948 Schullian)
