Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Final Post
I really enjoyed learning about the Ecuadorian culture. I'd really love to get my hands on an imbabura harp and play it- it's got a fantastic sound and it would be lots of fun to learn. I realized that our own culture, while not very old, is a complex compound of lots of different cultures' influences and ideas. I learned a lot about the people that come to America, bringing their cultures and traditions- the US is truly a melting pot! I'd really really really like to learn more about the Ecuadorian music- it seems so interesting and, like I said, I'm fascinated with the imbabura harp!
cool stuff
These are some Filipino drums- I thought it was really interesting to see them all lined up and note the differences and similarities between them and between instruments of other countries.
This is a site of an article about students from the Philippines on scholarship learning to play Filipino instruments. It's very interesting to me to see young students reconnect with their culture.
This is a site describing the "Philippine Quartet"- a group of four musicians from the Phillipines from the early 20th century. Really neat!
This is a site of an article about students from the Philippines on scholarship learning to play Filipino instruments. It's very interesting to me to see young students reconnect with their culture.
This is a site describing the "Philippine Quartet"- a group of four musicians from the Phillipines from the early 20th century. Really neat!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Music and Society
Music has long been held in limbo regarding the issue of control versus free speech. This has been a problem since the earliest governments engaged in controlling what was "appropriate" for the public.
For instance, the Catholic church held a council in Trent spanning the years from 1545 to 1563. They convened and discussed the censorship of various arts and literature. Among some of the musical aspects they censored, they declared tritones illegal. Known as the "devil in music," tritones are diminished fifths or augmented fourths. It has been deemed "dangerous" since Guido of Arezzo developed his series of hexachords. In the Baroque and Classical eras, it became acceptable to engage the tritone in common practice. However, the tritone's appearances in music were strictly controlled with tight rules and circumstances.
In World War Two, Hilter's rule over Nazi Germany resulted in intense musical censorship. According to this teacher's guide website, the Nazi policy regarding music and musicians included these three points:
1. Loyal Nazi members who were talented musicians were guaranteed a job.
2. Loyal Nazi members who were not talented musicians were not guaranteed a job.
3. Any non-Jewish person who demonstrated a "genius" for music and was a member of the Reichsmusikkammer (Reich Music Chamber) was permitted employment. This exception in policy permitted musicians like conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler and composer Richard Strauss to continue working.
Hitler highly approved of Beethoven and Wagner. Hilter believed that both he and Beethoven had the "heroic German sprit." His approval of Wagner might have wholly rested on his severe hatred of the Jewish people. Wagner wrote an antisemitic bookcalled Das Judebthum in die Musik (Judaism in Music) insisting the Jews "poisoned public taste in the arts." Other Nazi-approved composers included: Bruckner, Strauss, Standelmann, and Hotter, among others.
For instance, the Catholic church held a council in Trent spanning the years from 1545 to 1563. They convened and discussed the censorship of various arts and literature. Among some of the musical aspects they censored, they declared tritones illegal. Known as the "devil in music," tritones are diminished fifths or augmented fourths. It has been deemed "dangerous" since Guido of Arezzo developed his series of hexachords. In the Baroque and Classical eras, it became acceptable to engage the tritone in common practice. However, the tritone's appearances in music were strictly controlled with tight rules and circumstances.
In World War Two, Hilter's rule over Nazi Germany resulted in intense musical censorship. According to this teacher's guide website, the Nazi policy regarding music and musicians included these three points:
1. Loyal Nazi members who were talented musicians were guaranteed a job.
2. Loyal Nazi members who were not talented musicians were not guaranteed a job.
3. Any non-Jewish person who demonstrated a "genius" for music and was a member of the Reichsmusikkammer (Reich Music Chamber) was permitted employment. This exception in policy permitted musicians like conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler and composer Richard Strauss to continue working.
Hitler highly approved of Beethoven and Wagner. Hilter believed that both he and Beethoven had the "heroic German sprit." His approval of Wagner might have wholly rested on his severe hatred of the Jewish people. Wagner wrote an antisemitic bookcalled Das Judebthum in die Musik (Judaism in Music) insisting the Jews "poisoned public taste in the arts." Other Nazi-approved composers included: Bruckner, Strauss, Standelmann, and Hotter, among others.
Friday, January 16, 2009
cool stuff #2
The making of an oud is very similar to the making of classical western string instruments in its construction. Look at the inside of an unfinished oud. The peg box of an oud is also very similar, but I was surprised that in this particular photograph, the oud's pegs have the string names carved on them. Check out the history of the oud, then watch an oud performance!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Music and Rites
I feel that often in our society, we take for granted music that is often standard at certain events. For instance, I could probably play "Canon in D" in my sleep on top of a runaway train filled with pitch-generating metronomes all a half step away from each other (what a cacophony!) that is falling into the Ultimate Pit of Darkness- just from playing it at almost every wedding I have ever attended. However, when you haven't listened to it in a while, (unless you're a cellist and hate every minute of it) it's actually quite beautiful.
If you sit and think about the acts that we accompany with music, it's almost every important aspect of our lives. At celebrations of birth ("Happy Birthday" and its variants about smelling like monkeys), ceremonies about death (hymns are often sung/played at funerals), in religious ceremonies/holidays (Communion, weddings, baptisms, Christmas, Easter), at government-declared holidays (Fourth of July), even at holidays that are made up by corporate America (Valentine's Day... where the sappy love songs reign). We have music for the turning points in our lives as well as the ups and downs.
Most of the time, there are specific styles of pieces that are performed at certain functions, but sometimes there are specific pieces for each rite- such as "Happy Birthday." Also, most of the pieces that are played have a legitimate tie to the occasion. "Auld Lang Syne" is appropriate for New Years as "O Holy Night" is appropriate for Christmas. Most people don't know who the composers of these pieces are, considering that they were written before our generations' times.
The styles of music are very different in accordance to each occasion. While celebratory anthems like "Grand Old Flag" are wonderful for Independance Day, more solemn pieces like some of the intense masses meant for the day of Christ's crucifiction commenmorate times of reflection and sorrow.
If you sit and think about the acts that we accompany with music, it's almost every important aspect of our lives. At celebrations of birth ("Happy Birthday" and its variants about smelling like monkeys), ceremonies about death (hymns are often sung/played at funerals), in religious ceremonies/holidays (Communion, weddings, baptisms, Christmas, Easter), at government-declared holidays (Fourth of July), even at holidays that are made up by corporate America (Valentine's Day... where the sappy love songs reign). We have music for the turning points in our lives as well as the ups and downs.
Most of the time, there are specific styles of pieces that are performed at certain functions, but sometimes there are specific pieces for each rite- such as "Happy Birthday." Also, most of the pieces that are played have a legitimate tie to the occasion. "Auld Lang Syne" is appropriate for New Years as "O Holy Night" is appropriate for Christmas. Most people don't know who the composers of these pieces are, considering that they were written before our generations' times.
The styles of music are very different in accordance to each occasion. While celebratory anthems like "Grand Old Flag" are wonderful for Independance Day, more solemn pieces like some of the intense masses meant for the day of Christ's crucifiction commenmorate times of reflection and sorrow.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Music and Religion
In my experiences, music has been a vital part of religious services. I have experienced music interfaced with religion only through Christian churches. I have seen music is used as: a filler while people are coming into the worship area, an individual corporate worship and praise device, a means of communication, and also during times of individual prayer.
There are also many types of music used for worship. They vary from the highly traditional chants to the contemporary "praise band" worship. Some churches carry variants that lean towards one extreme or the other, but most churches with older congregations tend towards the traditional, while most younger congregated churches tend towards the contemporary. My personal preference is a slight mix of both. Too often I feel that the contemporary sort of worship is a show of individual acts- raising your hands above your head when you "feel the spirit" or perhaps singing on stage... It seems to me that those sorts of contemporary worship services lose the connection to the religion.
However, the traditional-style worship services have their downfalls as well. Though it is amazing that music is used to communicate and sing prayers, offerings, and praise to God (as in the Catholic church), it is often sung in now-dead languages, such as Latin. That makes the "religion" aspect of the music hard to grasp, considering most people aren't fluent in Latin. In addition, the music of the traditional services is commonly played by instruments such as organ or sung with a conventional choir- rarely do either of these appeal to those young worshipers that are engrossed in pop music day in and day out, hence- the attraction of a contemporary worship that is easier to connect with.
I think music is a most appropriate and wonderful way to engage in religion. Praise and worship set to music are prevalent in the Bible, therefore right and good. But to me- in this day and age, music in religious services is a double-edged sword. The connection with the religion seems to be lost in the music, OR, the music itself is lost in the individualized focus.
There are also many types of music used for worship. They vary from the highly traditional chants to the contemporary "praise band" worship. Some churches carry variants that lean towards one extreme or the other, but most churches with older congregations tend towards the traditional, while most younger congregated churches tend towards the contemporary. My personal preference is a slight mix of both. Too often I feel that the contemporary sort of worship is a show of individual acts- raising your hands above your head when you "feel the spirit" or perhaps singing on stage... It seems to me that those sorts of contemporary worship services lose the connection to the religion.
However, the traditional-style worship services have their downfalls as well. Though it is amazing that music is used to communicate and sing prayers, offerings, and praise to God (as in the Catholic church), it is often sung in now-dead languages, such as Latin. That makes the "religion" aspect of the music hard to grasp, considering most people aren't fluent in Latin. In addition, the music of the traditional services is commonly played by instruments such as organ or sung with a conventional choir- rarely do either of these appeal to those young worshipers that are engrossed in pop music day in and day out, hence- the attraction of a contemporary worship that is easier to connect with.
I think music is a most appropriate and wonderful way to engage in religion. Praise and worship set to music are prevalent in the Bible, therefore right and good. But to me- in this day and age, music in religious services is a double-edged sword. The connection with the religion seems to be lost in the music, OR, the music itself is lost in the individualized focus.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Malawian Music
http://worldcampforkids.org/Track01.wav
This was obtained from the site of the oraganization that I will be going with to Malawi next January. It's a recording of children singing traditional African music that is indigenous to the Malawian region- most will never receive a formal music education, considering the extreme poverty of the country.
Hip-hop Pow-Wow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzPOEgDe2d8&feature=related
I thought this was hysterical- perhaps a more modern take on a traditional form of dance. I wonder if the spirits accept prayer in hip-hop format?
African Traditional Dancing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paGBMeCdPyE&feature=related
This is a tradition performance of African dance- look for the surprise at the end!
http://worldcampforkids.org/Track01.wav
This was obtained from the site of the oraganization that I will be going with to Malawi next January. It's a recording of children singing traditional African music that is indigenous to the Malawian region- most will never receive a formal music education, considering the extreme poverty of the country.
Hip-hop Pow-Wow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzPOEgDe2d8&feature=related
I thought this was hysterical- perhaps a more modern take on a traditional form of dance. I wonder if the spirits accept prayer in hip-hop format?
African Traditional Dancing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paGBMeCdPyE&feature=related
This is a tradition performance of African dance- look for the surprise at the end!
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