Music and Movement

Music and movement seem to go together naturally. From a very early age, we associate the two inherently. For example, for my entire life, my nickname has been Boogie, because when I was little, I'd dance to any beat I heard- even dripping faucets. The connection between music and movement is inseperable- we move constantly and we always have a beat with us. (If we didn't, that would be bad, considering it would mean we were dead.) Think about it- the easiest way to express emotions when conducting is the manner in which you move your body. Smooth motions that are flowing and gentle will provoke the orchestra to produce the same kinds of sounds. Musicians respond to movement in reflex to the manners of the movements.
Also, the two are internationally infamous. In every culture I can think of, movement and music play important roles. In our studies in the class so far, this is evident in Native American music-culture as well as in African music-culture, dance seems to be an integral part of their life, as does music. According to the Ewe, their ancestors love music and dance- therefore, they hold funerals that feature drumming, dancing, and singing. I was surprised, considering how solemn, still, and formal most Euro-American funerals are.
The music and dancing that is standard in Ewe culture is learned by enculturation- however, the Agbekor is only learned through formal training. In classical European dancing and music, formal training is a must and is very rigorous. I didn't expect to encounter an indigenous tradition that required formal training.

Native American Music

Before I read our chapter in Worlds of Music, I hadn't thought much about Native American music. However, when I read the book and watched the "Pow Wow" DVD in class today that demonstrated the dances along with the music, I realized how integral it was in their culture. On the DVD, different Native American men discussed their music, its origins, and how powerful and significant it was within their culture. In watching the dancers' movements, facial expressions and intensity, it became clear to me that what I was witnessing was not simply an act to attract tourists or something to occupy time, but truly their "connection to the spiritual world" (as one elder on the DVD put it).

Something that really astonished me was the number of the men that were grouped around the drum. As many as ten men (of varying age) were gathered at the drum, each with their own mallet. Although there was more than one man beating the head of the drum, they all hit it at the same time, blasting one single beat together. In addition to their drumming, they all sang. Their melodies are strangely haunting- the contour is a falling sort of sigh that seems to come in waves. Another thing that I love about the singing is the pulsing sort of sound that they produce on sustained notes... It seems like their concept of the intense vibrato that our Western European culture values so highly. It's definitely something that would be interesting to learn more about- I'd like to know its origins and purpose in Native American music.
I also thought the amount of repetition was amazing- in the Zuni lullaby, the grandmother singing continues the pulsing vibrato-like technique during sustained notes, but only uses two pitches throughout the entire piece. However, the words change slightly from verse to verse, causing the slight variation that is so common among Native American music.

Musical Autobiography

As far as musical families go, mine is definitely a quirky one. I couldn't have come from more different musical tastes. My mom's grandparents hailed from Boone, NC. They played the banjo, piano, and guitar and sang country/spiritual songs. My father's parents listened to Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby and lived in New York City. Somehow, I ended up picking up the violin and playing mostly classical music. However, I have had several experiences that have led me outside of Western classical music.

When I was in eighth grade, I attended a fiddling seminar at a local music shop. Considering I started my musical career in sixth grade, that was really my first non-classical experience. A fellow classmate of mine and I learned fiddling licks by hearing and reproducing- a very different learning technique than what I had experienced.

I also played in a rock band the summer before my freshman year in college. Some jazz students from my arts high school were a year older than me and wanted to put a band together with a unique sound. Therefore, they added a violinist- me. We played everything from the Decemberists to The Who. Our name was the Weather and we recorded three original songs in a studio in December of 2007 (and we actually have a couple websites). It was a very different experience and I loved every minute of it.

Last year, I took the MUH 101 class and was exposed to Indian classical music. Since then, I have fallen in love and listen to it constantly. I find it incredibly soothing and complex. It's such a unique sound- tabla, sitar, raga, tala... I can't get enough! I attended an Indian classical concert at the Precollege Building on campus last semester and was amazed. Though the man giving the concert was a little uppity (as some great performers tend to be), his vast experience in Indian classical performance and high regard in his native country were evident in his amazing playing- I was enthralled.

I will be heading off to Africa for a month in January of 2010 to teach HIV/AIDS education in rural villages of Malawi, so I imagine that I will experience some wonderful African musical culture... I can't wait!