ABSTRACT
Except for Singapore, all Southeast Asian nations have both lowland plains, usually drained by a major river, and upland areas, which may be either vast plateaus or rugged mountain ranges. Nearly every country or region discussed in this volume is tied in some way to the ocean, and some areas (especially the island regions) are frequently rattled by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. e way the land shapes and is shaped by its inhabitants has an impact on diff erences in musical production. Most nonmainstream minorities live in upland areas, and most of the dominant population lives in lowlands. Since most minorities diff er in language and lifestyle from the dominant people, their musics are usually so different as to bear no comparison to those of the dominant people. us, it makes sense to treat minority musics separately.
