Now we've come to the end of the road...

Wow. This month has absolutely FLOWN by! I really don't know where January went. This class was really enjoyable and I'm very glad I decided to take it this Janterm.

 

 

 

I was especially intrigued by the Chinese music and culture. I was always curious about the different instruments, and how they are played and things like that. I was also surprised that Chinese Opera was more like a musical theatre production and less like an Italian-style opera. For some reason, I expected Chinese opera to be exactly like a western-style opera, but that the arias and recitatives would be sung by singers with a very nasal timbre (and in Chinese of course.). I was surprised to see that Chinese opera was NOTHING like that. I also thought it was interesting that the performers wore masks. It seemed to me more like a musical theatre production, as I mentioned before. I was surprised by that and will look into it more deeply on my own.

 

 

 

 

 

Through our discussions I realized, that although our culture is very different from most others we learned about, there are deep similarities as well. It is in our human nature to express ourselves and our culture through song and dance. Our instruments may be different, our songs may be different, and our singers may have different aesthetic qualities; but I have learned to appreciate the other songs and vocal timbres. I noticed that after a while, the timbres that are aesthetically beautiful in other cultures doesn't sound so strange. I realized that my music culture is actually pretty centered, and I should try to be more open minded about other cultures and their music.

 

 

 

I know that I will keep listening to and discovering more about other countries music and dances. Watching all the videos in class and seeing the instruments and dances being played and performed “live" instead of just in pictures has inspired me to go and research more about the different cultures and instruments. I also want to look for more videos that combine modern beats and western influences with traditional instruments. I want to do more research on musicians from different cultures who still hold true to their roots and sing traditional songs and play traditional instruments. Those types of musicians and singers are what keep those cultures rooted and alive. They make the whole world aware of their specific music culture and what it has to offer. I think that everyone can learn to respect others cultures and traditions through music and dance. It is good to look outside our own little "music world" that we have here in the US, and realize that we aren't the only culture on this earth that has beautiful music.

Cool Stuff.. part 3!!!

This is a traditional Hindu dance called Bharata Natyam. It originates from the Tamir people of Southern India. It is derived from temple dances that included some acrobatic tricks. The performance of this dance consists of an opening prayer, a special dance where the dancer shows off their footwork and fluid body movements. There also might be dances set to poem or song centered on love. The dancing usually involves a lot of posing and complex footwork. A performance of bharata natyam typically lasts two hours with no breaks and follows a certain list of dances, all performed by one dancer, who does not leave leave the stage or change costumes. These girls are soooo good at it!! I wish I could have danced like that when I was their age.

 

This is a very interesting video that combines a cultural instrument with a modern song. These men are playing Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns n’ Roses on the sitar. I think the sitar gives this song an interesting sound, and the vocables in place of most of the words definitely gave this rendition a specifically Indian touch. I think it’s very intriguing when modern songs are played on traditional instruments from different cultures. . 

 

This has to be one of the MOST bizarre music videos I have ever seen. This is a Japanese pop song called Pon Pon Pon performed by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. The tune is actually really annoying, but strangely catchy at the same time. I find Asian pop music very interesting because of the mix of the language and and unique computer programming that are used to make the videos. This video also has an anime-esque feel to it, with the bright colors and graphics. I apologize in advance if this song or video disturbs you or gets in your head and stays there all weekend. :P

 

"When I was your age..."

Music that our parents and grandparents listened to may sound “old fashioned” or “lame” to us now, but back then they were just as popular and fangirled over as the artists we have today. It’s always enlightening and interesting to talk to older folks about the music they listened to and discovering their opinions on the music we listen to today. I decided to interview my dad for this blog. I was really excited to see his answers to the questions. Here’s the interview!

 

 

Me: What kinds of music did you listen to? Did you have any favorite artists?

Daddy: Oh wow that’s hard. When I was young I listened to the music my parents listened to. My mom listened to Irish music, and my dad enjoyed kind of 50’s and 60’s Italian singers, Perry Como, Mario Lanza and things like that, and easy listening music in the 70’s. Then in the 70’s and all through college I listened to popular music and rock and roll, I enjoyed 80’s rock quite a bit. My favorite artists were the Eagles, Rolling Stones, Styx, Lynard Skynard, I liked everybody.

 

 

Me: Ok, what kind of music inspired you?

Daddy: Ahhh inspirational music! I would say, right now, the most inspirational music for me is jazz. I like to listen to Four Play, Larry Carlton, Al Di Meola, I enjoy that a lot.

 

 

Me: What do you think of contemporary popular music, like you might find on the radio? How do you react to your children’s choice of music?

Daddy: Oh my, that’s a good question. In general I feel that music today isn’t of the same quality as it was when I grew up. A lot of music now is vocally synthesized with auto-tuning and anybody can sing and sound good on the radio. It seems like talent and musicality are also lacking. The lyrics that are in today’s genres, I don’t find appealing at all. As far as my daughters choice in music, I’m thrilled that they love the classics and the same kind of music that I exposed them to. I enjoy that they love opera, and a little bit of Tokio Hotel every now and then. I’m generally very pleased with what my daughters listen to.

 

 

Me: How has your musical taste changed or evolved throughout your life?

Daddy: Ok well when I was younger, I liked a lot of party music, dance music, loud rockin’ type music. Now I’m much more into relaxed music, music that sounds beautiful and has artistic content. I think my tastes have matured.

 

 

Me: What technology did you have to listen to or make music?

Daddy: I started out with an AM-FM radio then records then obviously CDs. For making music, I don’t have any musical talent at all; I can barely snap my fingers to keep time. So that’s about it for me.

 

 

Me: Have you been exposed to music outside your own culture? How did that affect your own musical tastes?

Daddy: Music outside my own culture? One of the artists I really enjoy is Al Di Meola. He did a series of albums: “ World Sinfonia”, where he took different cultures from around the world and incorporated it into his music, so I have enjoyed a lot of different rhythms and styles of music from listening to him. Listening to that helped me to appreciate it. I don’t go out and buy a lot of music from foreign countries; it certainly broadened what I enjoy.

 

 

 

Me: Were there any songs that had special meaning to you?

 

Daddy: Yeah, when I was younger just about every song sounded like it was written for me. But probably the most important one is “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. It is your mom and my “song”.

 

 

Me: What was your earliest childhood memory that involved music?

Daddy: The earliest childhood memory that involved music probably was going to Mass on Christmas.

 

 

Me: How long did popular trends last when you were younger?

 

Daddy: Popular trends for music lasted about 3-5 years, some longer, but generally 3-5.

 

 

Me: What did your parents listen to?

 

Daddy: My mom loved listening to Irish music, and my dad enjoyed Italian-American singers, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, people like that. I think my dad listened to some early rock and roll, my mom loved Elvis. After the 60’s, my dad’s taste changed to kind of easy-listening, doctor’s-waiting-room music because he worked in the hospital all the time.

 

 

Me: What sort of music did you learn in school?

 

Daddy: Oh boy. The only opportunity for me to do music was when I was in public school, as our Catholic school didn’t have much of a music program. But in public school I had the opportunity to play some band instruments; I tried my hand at playing the trumpet for about six months (it felt like six years) as I didn’t have the talent to make it work.

 

 

Me: What sort of concerts did you attend?

 

Daddy: Mainly the first music concerts I went to were in college. I heard Southern Rock bands like the Marshall Tucker and progressive rock bands like Genesis. I also went to some New Wave, not necessarily Punk, but New Wave in the early 80’s.

 

 

So that is my dad’s take on music when he was around our age. :)

Cool Stuff number 2!!!

The Bomba DrumThe Mariera

The berimbau

 

After watching the videos about South American bands in class, I wanted to see what other kinds of drums were used in Argentinian music. I noticed one of these drums and wondered what it was. This is a bombo or bass drum from Argentina. It is made of a hollow log, and the drumhead is made out of animal skin such as goat or sheep. Unlike most drums, the bombo drumhead is not smooth; it still has the fur on it. The bombo is played with mallet, which is used to hit either the drumhead or the rim of the drum. I think it is quite interesting that the drumhead of the bombo is furry instead of smooth.

 

I also looked into other string instruments from South America, and I found this: the berimbau. The berimbau is a single string instrument from Brazil. It is made from a wooden bow and a steel string; both are attached to a gourd, which is essentially a resonator for the instrument. At first glance this simple device doesn’t really look like an instrument at all. You have to agree, for a musical instrument it does look strange. It is played by using a small stick to hit the string and produce sound. A small pebble is used to change the sound of the berimbau by holding it against the string. The gourd can be covered or uncovered to produce various sounds as well. .

 

As most of you probably know by now, I love dancing. So I wanted to learn more about South American dances, as the ones I have seen always look like so much fun!  This is the Marinera. It is the national dance of Peru and is danced by couples. Handkerchiefs are used as props in the dance: dropping the handkerchief to get attention, flirting etc. The dance is very romantic and elegant and is supposed to resemble courtship. The women don’t have specific costumes; they just wear traditional clothing that corresponds to their town. Surprisingly, it is deemed unacceptable for the women to wear shoes while performing this dance. I think this would be an extremely enjoyable dance to learn.

 

 

Gender wars : Musician style

Music and gender… I could write a book on that subject. But alas, I cannot, so just a few paragraphs will have to do.

Being a woman, I know how hard it is to be successful in the music world, especially being a pianist. Male pianists are more common than female pianists. Piano is a very male dominated instrument in my observation. I have participated in many competitions where I was one of only 3-5 women. I’m not sure why there are so few, but I have some ideas. We are women right? We want to have social lives and lots of friends and popularity. But let’s face it, how many teenage girl would spend their afternoons or evenings playing Bach and Mozart till their arms hurt rather than hang out with their friends? Well me, for one, but I’m talking about the majority of teenagers here. Another reason I think is because the music gets harder and practicing takes longer. Practicing can become frustrating, dull, boring and you would rather do something else with your time. In my experience, the only women pianists that I have seen that are older than maybe 13-14 are either prodigies or musical geniuses.

 I have seen some gender bias as well in the piano world. There are not very many female concert pianists. Whenever I see or hear a female concert pianist, I know she has worked extremely hard to get to where she is because I know how competitive it is. For example: at a college scholarship audition, lets say there are male and female pianists, both equally talented, both play the exact same piece equally well. 99.5% of the time, the judges will pick the male. Do I think it is fair? Not particularly. As a result, I think that women musicians sometimes are not given the same opportunities as male musicians, just because they are female. Gender shouldn’t matter when it comes to picking a talented musician. Remember that for centuries, women were not allowed to be professional musicians. They were supposed to stay at home and clean and care for their families. Women musicians had to fight to get the approval and recognition they deserved. I know that being both a woman AND a pianist is a hard task to pursue and I often wonder if I have the talent and mental drive to accomplish my goal. Do I have what it takes to make it? Only time will tell.

Aside from being a pianist, I am also a singer. I have experienced some gender bias at voice competitions as well. There are so many sopranos in the world; some are mediocre, and there are some with lots of potential. Because of this, male singers are needed to help balance out the number of sopranos. There is a lot of competition in the opera world as well. I know that genuinely talented young male singers are not that incredibly common. I have been to competitions where I have heard an average tenor or baritone perform in the honors recital, when there were many really good female singers competing as well. I knew immediately that they picked that tenor or baritone BECAUSE he was a tenor or baritone. The talent or training (or lack of) didn’t matter. It was a male singer. Mind you, I LOVE tenors and baritones, but I think that a panel of judges should not have an unfair preferance to males just because of their gender and not their voices.

I do experience music differently at Converse than I would at any other music school. I’m glad that I have no men to compete with in the piano studio. (Even though there are FANTASTIC women pianists and instrumentalists here.) If I went to a co-ed school, I’m positive I would not be able to handle the competition. Think what you want, but I am personally greatful there are no men in the undergrad music department.

Interesting facts....

Sucessfull in hand-to hand combat.

Brings speed to the warrior.

Symbol of Peyote religion.

2 different Native American drums.

I have always been interested in Native Americans and their culture, so I was excited when we started learning about them in class. I read the American Girl books growing up (remember those?), and the Nez Perce girl Kaya was one of my favorites. I have visited Arizona twice and have been to a mission church near a small reservation, and there were many Native Americans selling their handiwork. I was surprised that they wore the same kind of clothes we did, but they had their hair in braids and wore some traditional jewelry. I liked how they still kept some ties to their past even though we are now in modern times.

 I thought that war paint would be an interesting topic because I noticed some of the dancers in the powwow videos we watched were wearing war paint and wondered what the symbolism meant. Here is what I found about it.

War paint was usually done for dances, rituals and of course, for wars. The Native Americans believed that the symbols held magical powers to protect the warriors. War paint wasn’t only for decoration, it was also used to make the warriors and chiefs look vicious and scary. They even painted their horses with war paint. (Though I don’t really see how paint could make a horse look scary.) In some tribes, the warriors were painted with symbols that represented their achievements in battle.

For example:

A hand meant that the warrior was successful in a hand-to-hand combat.

A zig-zag line drawn across the forehead represented lightning, and was thought to bring speed and power to the warrior.

 

The colors that the symbols were painted had meanings too:

Red represented, war, blood strength and success.

Black also meant strength and power, and was used on very accomplished warriors. It also meant victory and would be used before heading back to the main camp.

Yellow meant death and also represented heroism.

Green represented endurance; the color green is associated with a certain healing power and was also thought to help improve vision.

 

 

I also decided to look in to the Native American church a bit more, as I was curious to know the history of the religion, what typically happens during the ceremonies, where they are held and how long they last. We listened to a Native American hymn in class, and I wanted to learn more about the actual ceremony and what goes on.

The Native American church is also called the Peyote Religion and uses the peyote cactus in their practices. The use of the peyote cactus started in Mexico, but soon spread to the Great Plains by tribes such as Apache and Navajo. The peyote cactus is a hallucinogenic drug, and Native Americans used it on their spirit journey to see visions. The beliefs vary among the tribes that practice it, some believe that the peyote is personified as a god called Mescalito, and others have a more Christian based belief system and associate Jesus with peyote instead of Mescalito. The peyote religion does not have to be practiced in a group; it can be practiced alone or with a guide. It can also happen at any time the practitioner thinks it appropriate. Some tribes begin the peyote ritual at sunset on Saturday and it lasts all through the night. The ceremony includes eating peyote, praying, singing peyote songs and various water rituals. They peyote ritual is thought to allow communion with the spirits or another holy deity. The ceremony is usually held in a tipi, or if the weather is bad, in a sizeable room.

 

The basic instruments used in Native American songs are drums, so I wanted to know a bit more about them.

Types of drums differ amongst tribes, but most have very similar features. For bigger celebrations such as powwows, a large drum with a wood frame or carved from a hollow log with an animal hide drumhead is used. These drums are usually 2-3 feet in diameter and are played by multiple drummers simultaneously. There are smaller drums also made from a wood frame and an animal hide drumhead, but is played with one hand. There is another type of drum called a foot drum that was used by primarily southwestern Indian tribes such as Hopi and Aztec. The drum is also made from a hollowed out log that were laid in a cross sectional pattern over a pit that is covered in wood. The drum was played by stomping on it, hence the name foot drum.

 

It was fun researching these topics, and can’t wait to find out more!

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth

Spirituality and/ or the search for God can, at least partially, be viewed as an attempt by people to connect with their Creator. Beauty is widely recognized as one of the chief proofs of, and expressions of, God. (On a simple level: God made angels, angels sing to worship God, and singing is music). Therefore music, especially religious music has been intimately intertwined throughout human history.

I’m Roman Catholic, and music is one of the central foundations of my faith. I have sung in my church choir since I was 12 years old, and I have been the pianist for some Masses when our music director was away. We sing mostly hymns; sometimes we sing songs for contemporary choirs, but mostly hymns. As for the use of music at Mass, there are specific songs and sung responses at particular parts of the celebration.

Gregorian chant is the official music of the Church. It was mostly sung by adult male or boy choirs during Mass, by monks in their monasteries, or nuns in their convents during their daily prayers. The name is thought to have come from Pope Gregory the Great, who is one of the patron saints of musicians. Gregorian chant is definitely one of the most beautiful types of religious music to hear and sing. There is not really a meter; it is very free flowing, and is not very complex note-wise; but there is a steady pulse to it. Whenever I hear Ave Maria sung in Gregorian chant, I feel like I should be in a HUGE cathedral. Typically, the chant is sung in Latin, as Masses in those days were spoken in Latin. Gregorian chant all but disappeared for a few hundred years but it is quickly regaining its popularity, and many people are forming choirs and making instructional CDs so others can learn it.

In the summer of 2011, we went to a Catholic university in Florida to take a summer program music class for a week. We had the opportunity to learn Gregorian chant and sing it during the daily Latin Mass on campus. I had listened to Gregorian chant before, but that is when I really began to love and appreciate it so much more. I never feel more Catholic than when I am in a Latin Mass and singing chant. It helps to focus hearts and minds to God.

The Catholic Church does have rules regarding liturgical music. We are not allowed to have Masses with contemporary music and songs, accompanied by electric guitars and drums and such; but it is not because we believe that contemporary music is bad. We believe that Mass should be reverent and respectful, we don’t want Mass to become a performance or a show. I have been to other denominations such as Baptist and Presbyterian services, and some of them have had contemporary–sounding music. In all honesty, I think that Protestant services are beautiful in their own way, and can for some, fulfill the desire to experience the spiritual power of worshiping God to the emotional power of music. I have enjoyed attending other denomination’s services and experiencing their music. Lastly, I believe that in other religions such as Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism etc., music is important to them as well. Practically all religions have special songs and chants used during their worship services, so Christians are not alone in their use of music to praise and worship their deity.

The Luck of the Irish. (and other cultures too.)

The music that immediately pops into my head when I hear the word “ethnic music” or “music from another culture” is Celtic music. Despite my UBER Italian last name, I am actually half Irish and have been in love with Ireland and its music for practically my whole life. My grandmother on my dad’s side is 100% Irish (complete with the Irish accent!!!), and is the first person in her family to come to America. I’m not sure what my favorite Celtic song is (I have way too many), but some of them are My Lagan Love, Carrickfergus, Danny Boy (naturally), Maid of Culmore, The Butterfly, and many more.

I think I really began to love Celtic music through Irish dance. I am a tap dancer, and Irish hard shoe dancing isn’t really that much different. We even had a VHS that taught Irish dance steps, and I absolutely loved the music. The mixture of the panpipes and accordions and fiddles is the best combination in the world. Not long after, we saw a Celtic Woman concert on PBS, and I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the songs as well as the instrumental music. I frequently looked for more Celtic Woman concerts on PBS just so I could hear more.

 Another thing that really cemented my love for the Celtic music and Irish dancing was when Natalie, my mom and I saw Lord of the Dance at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan. (We lived there for 6 years.) We had sort of bad balcony seats and the stage was really small, but it was just so exhilarating to see and hear the music and dancing live instead of on TV. The combination of the hard Irish dancing shoes and the drums and fiddles and the synchronism of the dancers were just overwhelming. I’m just as crazy about it as I was when I first discovered Celtic Music, probably more considering I’m listening to Celtic Woman as I type. An interesting fact bout the shoes is that the heels are made of plastic, so it is easier for the dancers to click their heels together.

I thought Celtic Woman was the only Celtic singing group there was, until I discovered Celtic Thunder (again on PBS).Celtic Thunder is basically the male version of Celtic Woman . As soon as the concert was over, I grabbed my dad’s Blackberry and looked up all their versions of the songs and bought a couple off iTunes not long after. There is nothing better to listen to when you are stressed out to be completely honest.

 Another culture's music that I've been exposed to is Greek. There is a Greek festival in my original hometown every year that we have gone to since I was at least 5 years old. Not only is the food absolutely amazing, but the music is so cheerful! They always had Greek music playing over loudspeakers in the building where the food was served, and it just makes you want to get up and dance!!! (Which I might have done once or twice.)

 

Yet another culture of music that I have experienced Is Mexican music. There are a great amount of Mexicans in my current hometown, and there are some at my church. We frequently eat at the local Mexican restaurant and there is always Spanish language music on in the background. I have noticed that there are different styles of them, some sound more traditional and others sound like Spanish pop songs. We sometimes get invited to parties held by some of the Mexican parishioners at our church, and it is always so interesting to see all the different traditions they have at their parties, birthday parties especially. (The funniest one is the birthday person gets their face smashed into the cake!) I’m not sure if that is a cultural tradition or one made up by the family , so correct me if its not a real tradition.

I am excited to add more knowledge of different cultures to my current list.