Music Culture Wrap Up

I have really enjoyed learning all of the different kinds and very interesting music. I did not know that the Erhu even existed and is now one of my favorite instruments. It has also opened my eyes to the world of music and that America and the western world are not the only ones creating and discovering new kinds of music.
One thing that surprised me the most was the meaning of rhythm in African culture and how everything is rhythm and can be made anywhere like in a post office. Their definition of music is very different from America like in Greece anything that is a muse can be music just like art or poetry. It made me look at what I consider to be music.
Not only did it help me realize that I hade no definition for music, but that I had been exposed to nonwestern music cultures such as Native American, Japanese, and Korean. It helped me reconnect with music cultures that I really enjoyed when I was younger and brought back up some of my favorite memories. I had forgotten about some of my grandfather's favorite songs and I was able to find a few of them.
I really enjoyed the online quizzes and textbook because I learn best when I read the material over hearing it and it helped to do the quizzes while the textbook was pulled up beside it. The powerpoints were really helpful with the homework blogs and using that information to decide what to write about. I didn't like the videos that were on DVD because they were so pink  and I am a visual learner so it bothered my eyes. Also, the presentations were a little difficult to present with 5 people and keep it under 20 minutes and also it is hard for everybody to have their own part to cover in the presentation.
After this course, I am hoping to go to New York to visit my grandfather's hometown and research more about where he came from. My aunt and cousins are still up there and I could stay with them and learn about the culture he grew up in. I also want to listen to a few more different kinds of music a little more often.
I just want to say that I enjoyed the class and I have learned a lot of music around the world.

Cool Stuff #4: East and Southeast Asia

Indonesia is a large cluster of islands between the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. With its immense scope in terms of peoples and languages, it is perhaps unsurprising that Indonesia is deeply culturally and musically diverse. Given that its fragmented islands only became a cohesive territory during the last century, unified notions of traditional ‘Indonesian culture’ or ‘Indonesian music’ are themselves somewhat contentious and are clouded further by the array of different extraneous influences on the islands that derive from its longstanding position as a large global trade center. Because of the amount of these vast music traditions we will examine them selectively by focusing in on a certain traditional form, albeit with recognition of how this fits into regional cultural trends (principally, Bali, Central Java, East Java, West Java, Lombok, Sumatra, and Outer Islands). In line with this approach, this article will focus mainly on the tradition of gamelan and I specifically wanted to talk about how they are made.

Most people refer to iron when talking about gamelan manufacture. Whilst this is true in some cases, most gamelan instruments in Bali are made of bronze – a mix of copper (tembaga) and tin (Timah) that gong smiths refer to as ‘kerawang’. Ratios vary, but the standard is said to be around thirty parts copper to ten parts tin. Kerawang is considered superior to iron due to its louder and crisper sound when hit and because it is more resonant and therefore can be heard farther away. This latter point is important because at ceremonies gamelan often compete to be heard over the sound of loudspeakers, people, other gamelan ensembles and, in some cases, traffic noise. Bronze is also more expensive, therefore more prestigious. Unlike iron, however, the tuning of a new bronze key is not stable and changes in pitch over the first ten or so years of its life. Bronze keys or gongs of poorer quality also have a tendency to crack or snap in half. Whilst being a bronzesmith can promise a lucrative trade, the cost of bronze and its upkeep ensures that the iron gong smiths keep themselves in business. This culture has had the gamelan for centuries and has no plans to change from this amazing style of orchestra. Below is a short film on how it is made.

Moving from Indonesia to a little further north into China, I want to take a further look at an instrument called the Erhu. Sometimes referred to as the Chinese violin, the erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument and it is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. The Erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two big tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body (sound box) that is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end. Two strings are attached from the pegs to the base, and a small loop of string (Qian Jin) placed around the neck and strings acting as a nut pulls the strings towards the skin, holding a minute wooden bridge in place. Here is a short video comparing the "Chinese Violin" with the "Western Violin."

Another stringed instrument from China is the pipa, sometimes called the Chinese lute, this instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ranging from 30 to 36 with 6 on the neck and the rest on the body. he four strings run from a fastener on the belly to conical tuning pegs in the sides of the bent-back pegbox. Once made of silk, they are today usually made of nylon-wrapped steel. While the artist performs a song, the instrument is held vertically on the player’s thigh. Here is an example of how the flute is played in a traditional song.

Music and Family

I wanted to look at the musical experiences of a family member, specifically my mother. She gave birth to me when she was 17 in 1997 and so we both kind of went through the popular trends of music together as I grew up. I think we can relate better because of how close in age we are to each other. I really just wanted to know here taste in music before she had me and my brothers and here are her responses to my questions that I really wanted to know.

What kind of music did you grow up with? What did it mean to you and the people around you?

I was born in 1980 so I grew up with the 80s style of country music. Some of my favorite artists were George Jones, Kenny Rogers, and Hank Williams Jr. Momma (talking about my grandmother) hated Hank Williams Jr. though because he was a big rebel from the regular country that she liked, for example, the Oak Ridge Boys. Momma always made me listen to them anytime we were in the car because she controlled it, but when I would get home Hank Williams Jr. is what I played at full volume.

Then the 90s came and my music taste really changed to things like Rappers and Hip Hop. I like old school Rap like Tupac and Dr. Dre and all the talk about women and drugs drove momma insane (she was a police officer by the way). I would sneak out and go to a friend's house and listen to Tupac or The Backstreet Boys while we played Super Mario 64. Momma still says that music is what got me pregnant with you, but truth be told it was actually Garth Brooks(my grandmother's favorite artist) in which you were conceived(TMI). Momma laughs about it now because she got you three (my brothers and I), but she still cannot stand to hear Tupac.

How has your relationship with music changed over the course of your life?

I would not say it has changed much from when I was younger. There are a few new artists that I like, but country music has always been my favorite and I prefer older Rap compared to the mumble rappers your brothers listen to. I guess I kind of sound like momma a little bit because I really think the newer music can be dumb sometimes and does not sound as good as the music I listened to back when I was a kid. I definitely would not say I hate all the music of today like momma though. I like to think I helped you guys find the music that is for you and makes you feel good like it did and still does for me. Just don't play the mumble rap when I'm around because I don't like the boys' (my brothers) music. If I am listening to rap its has to be someone like Tupac or Eminem.

This is where I cut her off before she got upset about the rappers, but I really enjoyed hearing her talk about things she liked and didn't like. I have always loved hearing stories from my mom or grandma about life before I had memories. Before I got off the phone with her she asked me to share a story about my music history that she has told me a million times. I was a very restless baby and if I saw someone I would get fussy until they came to see me, but my mom would need to clean and she could not do that with me getting fussy. Her solution would be to turn on three specific artists: Conway Twitty, Metallica, and Tupac. I would then just sit there until she was done cleaning or doing what she needed to. If she tried a different artist it wouldn't work and she knew I would like any kind of music as long as it was good. When we are in the car to this day, she will say, "Play some music Jack (referencing Jack of all Trades)." She knows that I would never pick music that anybody hated because I know my family's tastes and I dip my toe in all genres.

So thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed my family rants.

Cool Stuff #3: The Arab World and India

The traditional Arabic ensemble or Takht consists of four main melodic instruments: the oud, the nay, the qanun, and the violin, and one main percussion instrument: the riqq. Sometimes the riqq is supplemented/substituted with the tabla or the daff (frame drum) like the ones we have seen in class before, and the melodic instruments are supplemented with the buzuq. Stylistically, melodic instruments are divided into two families: sahb (pulling or stretching), and naqr (plucking or hammering). The violin and the nay fall under sahb, the oud and the qanun fall under naqr. The two families are meant to complement each other in order to create a richer and more complete sound. Here is an example of the pairing Nay and Oud.

One sound I did not think was possible is the syncopation between the Arab world and the western music culture. In class, we listened to a modern rapper, Mona Haydar, and I really liked the message behind the song; addressing the hijab and comments that are common. Haydar's debut song, "Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab)", went viral. Billboard named this 2017 single one of “The 20 Best Protest Songs of 2017” as well as one of the “Top 25 Feminist Anthems." The song builds bridges of hope and understanding while dispelling myths, correcting stereotypes, and educating the world about who she is and what she stands for. The song launched her career as well as creating a positive reception. Here is her song that was shown in class.

Another amazing artist that has syncopation of the western culture with her culture is Raja Kumari. Kumari is best known for her collaboration with notable artists including Gwen Stefani, Iggy Azalea, Fifth Harmony, Knife Party, Fall Out Boy. She is also notable for receiving as a songwriter, the BMI Pop Awards in 2016, being nominated for a Grammy award in February 2015, and featuring on the BBC Asian Network program Bobby Friction on July 5, 2016. One of her songs that she has written for Fall Out Boy is “Centuries,” which is one of my favorite songs by them and I had no idea that it was written by someone with a history of Indian music culture. I also like the music she has written for herself, for example, “I Did It” was shown in class was really good and I do not usually like female rappers.

I also really like the beautiful colors that were in her music video and I always remember wondering why Indians had such beautiful, bright-colored clothing. Well, colors are a part of their culture and are woven into their religion and are given meaning. Black in India has connotations with a lack of desirability, evil, negativity, and inertia. white, as a color, repels all light and colors and therefore, when a widow wears white, she disconnects herself from the pleasures and luxuries of active and regular participation in society and life around her. Red stands for purity and is the preferred color for a bride’s garments. These are just a few of the many colors they wear, but there are so many meanings behind each and every color.

Cool Stuff #2: Black America and South America

One thing I really enjoyed when listening to Blues is the banjo because of the fun sound it produces. It is an instrument that is common in folk music, country, bluegrass, and other genres as well. It is a reproduction of a lute from ancient Africa and the Middle East after the slave trade started in America. Various instruments in Africa, chief among them the kora, feature a skinhead and gourd (or similar shell) body. The African instruments differ from early African American banjos in that the necks do not possess a Western-style fingerboard and tuning pegs, instead of having stick necks, with strings attached to the neck with loops for tuning. This instrument has a very twangy sound and is associated with a southern style of music. Here is a young man playing the blues on the banjo that reminds me of the blues I heard in my class.

Another great instrument I saw in class was the Imbabura Harp which is found in Ecuador and the Northern Andes Mountains. The shape of the harp closely resembles that of the more commonly seen western harps. The main difference that can be seen is the addition of the soundbox with three sound holes. The Imbabura harp is closely related to 16th and 17th-century harps. The harp has remained unchanged in its original construction for the past 200 years. The strings that are used consist of steel strings for the upper register and gut strings for the middle and lower range. Gut strings are the intestinal fibers of animals twisted dried and stretched to create strings for the harp. The idea of the harp was originally brought from Europe with the explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries conquistadors and other explorers. One large difference between the Imbabura harp and other harps is that it can be played by two people in two different ways at the same time. One person can strum the strings and the other can beat on the soundboard making it a chordophone and an idiophone. Here is an example from the class.

Because the harp has been in Latin America for over 400 years, it is considered by the Quechua to be a “native” instrument. The harp is still used today and is commonly used for cultural ceremonies and dances. Quecha is a very old civilization that was in the Andes before the Spanish arrived in South America. When the Spanish conquered the Inca empire in the 16th century, however, and the Quechua came under Spanish rule, Quechua society was drastically altered. The Spanish economic system of tribute required the Quechua to produce unfamiliar crops for the Spanish at the expense of their own food supply. The Spanish system, unlike its Inca predecessor, did not provide for the welfare of the laborer and his family during his term of forced labor. The Spanish concentrated the Quechua in larger, more populous villages than they were accustomed to, thus further straining Quechua political and social institutions. The Roman Catholic Church made additional demands on the time and resources of Christianized Quechua. A growing desire for the trappings of Spanish wealth even further alienated the Quechua from their own society. By the time Spanish rule ended in the 19th century, the Quechua had been so changed that many remained as servants on the grand haciendas and estates. Others went to the towns and cities of the lowlands to find employment, though some stayed in their mountainous homeland.

Music and Gender

Music and Gender

In the music industry, they have awards for things like Best Male Artist and Best Female Artist of the year. Each gender has a difference in their music, that its best to give an award to each gender. Males have much deeper voices and in the past have had what I consider more manly music about alcohol, women, and their money. Women have usually higher voices and can cover a large range and their music is usually about love, heartbreak, and family. More recently the two have started to blend together in what they sing about and the sound they want, like men, are singing in higher keys and the songs about love and how they see it.

When I was younger, I preferred female singers because I could relate to them better than I could with male singers. I could imagine loving a boy or being a wild child, but I could not imagine myself understanding what it meant to go out drinking with my buddies and seeing a pretty girl like in my dad's favorite song "Longneck Bottle."

 I also could not hit the low notes when I sang along because when I was younger I had a very high pitched voice. Now I prefer male singers because of the deep sound of their voices and I can see myself being in their shoes. Also since I'm older I can hit lower notes better than I can the high ones as some female singers can sing, for example, Whitney Houston.

You can really hear the difference between men and women when you watch or are part of a chorus. The choir will be split into sections depending on the range that they can sing. For example, people who can sing at the highest pitch will sing in the soprano section and the lowest pitch will sing in the bass section. Each section will sing the song but in harmony with each other and not exactly singing the same exact words, melody, or note. You will notice men are usually in the bass section while the and women will be in the soprano. 

Some songs can be changed to fit the gender of the singer like for American Idol or The Voice. I've seen many singers change songs to fit their range and abilities in singing. I like how music is very adaptable to what the singer enjoys and their personality and no two singers have the same style of song.

Cool Stuff #1: Native American and African

Cool Stuff #1

When watching the Pow Wow Trail video in class, I could not help but notice the beautiful and colorful clothing that they wore while they danced. In the beginning, their clothes would resemble animals that were common in their cultures like feathers of large birds or the skin of a buffalo or a buck depending on where the tribes are from. Men usually wore something similar to a loin clothe called breechclouts or breechcloths and varied from tribe to tribe depending on the weather. Women would usually wear skirts and leggings and depending on the tribe women would sometimes not require a top and in others, they would wear tunics or they would sometimes just wear a dress. Once the Indians were being driven from their homes they started coming into contact and styles such as fringe, feather headdresses, and woven blankets were adopted between tribes. Heres a video with deeper explanation:

Another interesting clothing comes from Africa and because of the different weather and animal life, the clothing was much different compared to Native Americans. One style is bark clothing where the bark is stripped from a tree and then beaten on a rock until the fibers are soft enough to use as clothing. Another is linen which is made from flax and is the most common and would be dyed bright colors by tie-dying. Here is an extensive video of early African clothing:

One thing that I loved about the culture was the amazing dances they would perform and usually,
they told a type of story that they wanted to portray. Many tribes have a dedicated authority
whose sole purpose is to pass along the tribe’s traditional dances. There may be myriad dances
special to each tribe, and it is the purpose of the "dance master" to ensure that everyone knows
the proper movements without question. Dances are often passed down through the ages, and
many African dances have been danced for centuries without alteration. It is important that many
of these dances were performed in a particular way with no room for improvisation. Some of their
dances can be traced to dances performed today in America and got here through the slave trade.
These dances stayed with their people throughout the centuries even as they were sent to new lands and have since evolved into some of the world's most popular dance styles, including the charleston, tap dancing, the lindy hop, the jitterbug, the twist, jazz dance, hip hop, crunking, twerking, zouk, capoeira, and more.

Music and Religion

Music and Religion
As a custom to all southern traditions and culture, I was born and raised as a bonafide southern baptist lady(please enjoy the sarcasm). I am of course kidding, the church I attended as a teenager was an escape for me at times when I felt low and I have had experiences I would not trade for anything. Although I have changed there are still some parts of the church that I enjoy like the music they play. Whenever songs would play it is like something takes over and becomes more spiritual and less like a meeting and more like real praise we hear about in the bible.

In my high school years, I attended a church that had a set in stone type of schedule for the service. When you come in, the pastor says to start greeting people and music starts playing and for the first thirty minutes of service is just music. There would always be a piano playing and at least 2 singers while the rest of the congregation sang along. They were not hymns and they sounded more like secular music in comparison, but there was sometimes a hymn or two played. Harmony was a big thing for the music leader and she always had to have an alto and a soprano part or she would start yanking people from the congregation who she knew could sing. The music was always a praise to God and the mercy and forgiveness He gives us and to remind us that in our struggles He is there to protect and comfort. One of my favorite songs to hear was “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” by Hillsong UNITED. Its a song as sort of a reminder that when we have no idea which way is up that God is there to guide us. 

Of course, all the songs are very spiritual and teach us to rely on the church and God. I really like how religions give people peace of mind and support in a hard time.
Another religion I have studied is Buddism very a religion class and I went to a meditation ceremony. Buddism is less on glorifying a God but more finding your own peace and being one with the universe. I went to the local Buddhist temple to immerse myself in the culture. They played traditional Buddhist meditation music during the ceremony and its a lot of chanting as a way to calm and relax the meditation ceremony.

Global Music Autobiography

Global Music Autobiography
I was born in Clover, South Carolina; where country music reigns king so I had a very limited musical background except for my grandfather who was from the Seneca Lake area in New York. My grandfather, on my mother’s side, is Native American and would very often pull out his record player to play some of his more traditional songs, as he and I played with his many train sets. Unfortunately, my grandfather died when I was six and so I no longer had that musical influence in my life, but it still holds a place in my heart as some of my favorite memories. 

Soon after his death, my family moved to upstate New York, to a small town near Keuka Lake called Penn Yan. Penn Yan also happens to be just a few miles from Seneca Lake, which is an area of Native Americans that was discussed in class today. This was also the place where my grandfather came from although I am unsure if the Six Nations Tribe is the one he was affiliated with. When I saw the Pow Wow video in class it reminded me of some of the things he would talk about. For example, the dances he saw at the Pow Wows and how he never did them himself because he was bad at dancing(which he passed down to me).

Although there were some people we knew in New York who were Native American, the only musical culture I was introduced to there was South African from my music teacher in the second grade. Her parents came from South Africa and she would show us the music that her family plays at home. The music she showed us was mostly just instrumental with drums and shakers, but on several occasions, I do remember hearing metal or bells. I do not remember much about the music very well, but I do remember marching around the room with our little drums trying to play the songs and I really enjoyed the music because it reminded me of Lion King. 

One of my favorite musical influences is from my best friends when I was a teenager. When I was in high school, I had a lot of friends who liked Kpop, which is music popular in Korea. They would listen to it non stop for hours and they would try singing it in Korean and it was hilarious watching them try to sing it and have no idea what it meant. It is a part of my most fun memories with my friends. I am excited to create new memories with the new music I find and to share with my friends and family.