To my devoted fan(s?) following this blog:
1) I'm sorry you have to put up with my putrid writing all semester...I think by doing that you're chilling in the 6th circle of hell with the heretics. So sorry about that.
2) I've decided not to post about Noh this week. I read about it, but honestly...I don't like it and can't bring myself to do a decent job writing about it. Sad that derivative futures contracts are more interesting to me than this revered art form of another culture...but such is my mind.
With that, this blogger is off to take a vacation evening. Good night, and good luck. (good luck reading other blogs that are hopefully less apathetic!)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Hindustani Music...breaking it down.
I chose a rather brief piece for this posting, you can find it here
While it’s short, I think it is a great short demonstration of many of the concepts of Hindustani classical music mentioned in the book. First, it was composed of the normal elements: a drummer, a drone (provided by what appears to be a tambura), and a soloist, in this case a vocal soloist. The drone in this piece and many others I observed is fairly quiet; it is definitely meant to serve as a backdrop for the featured soloist and drummer. Also, although it is hard to pick out, it is definitely made of two notes, one of which was the tonal center; you could tell because the soloist would return to it frequently.
The style of the voice was emblematic of Indian music; there was a fairly noticeable melody with a great deal of the improvisation/ornamentation associated with Hindustani music. It sounded as if she was using the Asavri that, but I could be wrong on that. It was interesting to hear a note other then the sa being the emphasis; the vadi was definitely the dha, which in this that is a dha-komal.
The drummer was not visible but played a major role in the song. I could not tell what type of drum it was, but the rhythm was very obviously the tala tintal. The first vibhag was sam, second was the loudest and the third was khali (I apologize, I do not know how to properly conjugate that sentence). :(
From what I read and listened to, this song presents all the major elements of Hindustani classical music in just a minute and a half. Amazing how much there is to this music when you know what you’re listening for...
While it’s short, I think it is a great short demonstration of many of the concepts of Hindustani classical music mentioned in the book. First, it was composed of the normal elements: a drummer, a drone (provided by what appears to be a tambura), and a soloist, in this case a vocal soloist. The drone in this piece and many others I observed is fairly quiet; it is definitely meant to serve as a backdrop for the featured soloist and drummer. Also, although it is hard to pick out, it is definitely made of two notes, one of which was the tonal center; you could tell because the soloist would return to it frequently.
The style of the voice was emblematic of Indian music; there was a fairly noticeable melody with a great deal of the improvisation/ornamentation associated with Hindustani music. It sounded as if she was using the Asavri that, but I could be wrong on that. It was interesting to hear a note other then the sa being the emphasis; the vadi was definitely the dha, which in this that is a dha-komal.
The drummer was not visible but played a major role in the song. I could not tell what type of drum it was, but the rhythm was very obviously the tala tintal. The first vibhag was sam, second was the loudest and the third was khali (I apologize, I do not know how to properly conjugate that sentence). :(
From what I read and listened to, this song presents all the major elements of Hindustani classical music in just a minute and a half. Amazing how much there is to this music when you know what you’re listening for...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Blog Post 4
So I checked out a Googoosh performance titled “Hamseda” on youtube. At least I am hoping that’s the title and not just a word in Farsi used to describe something else…in any case here’s the link
There were a few elements of Iranian classical music that I was able to pick out in the performance, the primary one being the presence of multiple gusheh, or base melodies, that were then expanded upon throughout the piece. It was easy to tell them apart because the beat would often change suddenly in the song; some gusheh were very rhythmic, others seemed almost non-pulsatile to me. I don’t know if they were long enough to qualify as true gusheh or if they were all sections of one, but the style was definitely there. There was a lot of ornamentation both vocally and instrumentally; I don’t know if I’d necessarily call the vocals melismas, which the book described as a staple of Arab music, but it was definitely in that neighborhood, with a lot of undulation in the notes.
I thought it showed many elements of other Arab music as well. Horns and flute were quite prominent, along with what sounded like small drums; to me it resembled the ensembles described as components of Arab pop music. It’s hard for me to hear as I have little practice in hearing quarter tones, but some of the intervals used did not seem to be standard western, and were more in tune with an Arab scale. As for other influences, it definitely would have helped to be able to understand the lyrics, and see whether they were more traditional Iranian, Arab, or even more western. Finally, I thought I could hear some Latin rhythms in the more pulsatile sections; whether it was influenced by the west or it’s an effect of Latin music being influenced by the Arab world, the world (or at least I) may never know…
There were a few elements of Iranian classical music that I was able to pick out in the performance, the primary one being the presence of multiple gusheh, or base melodies, that were then expanded upon throughout the piece. It was easy to tell them apart because the beat would often change suddenly in the song; some gusheh were very rhythmic, others seemed almost non-pulsatile to me. I don’t know if they were long enough to qualify as true gusheh or if they were all sections of one, but the style was definitely there. There was a lot of ornamentation both vocally and instrumentally; I don’t know if I’d necessarily call the vocals melismas, which the book described as a staple of Arab music, but it was definitely in that neighborhood, with a lot of undulation in the notes.
I thought it showed many elements of other Arab music as well. Horns and flute were quite prominent, along with what sounded like small drums; to me it resembled the ensembles described as components of Arab pop music. It’s hard for me to hear as I have little practice in hearing quarter tones, but some of the intervals used did not seem to be standard western, and were more in tune with an Arab scale. As for other influences, it definitely would have helped to be able to understand the lyrics, and see whether they were more traditional Iranian, Arab, or even more western. Finally, I thought I could hear some Latin rhythms in the more pulsatile sections; whether it was influenced by the west or it’s an effect of Latin music being influenced by the Arab world, the world (or at least I) may never know…
Opining on the discussion with the Chinese students...
I have got to say my expectations for the discussion last Thursday were really low. I figured it was going to be a waste of time, but it was actually really enlightening and interesting. A couple things really struck me in particular.
I always thought of the traditional music of China as a homogenous genre; chordophones and pentatonic scales. While there was some of that, the forms were widely varied. The music played from the western part of China sounded more Arabic than Oriental, while the folk music from the south of China was much more like what I had expected. Not only that, but it was impressive how much even the use of the voice varied from region to region. The lyrical storytelling sounded completely different from the southern folk singing which was totally different from the Peking Opera style. It’s not shocking to me that there are different genres of music, only that in China folk music itself has so many different forms. It’s quite a vast difference from say western nations, where the folk/traditional music tends to be fairly similar.
It leads to an even more macroscopic idea, which is how fascinatingly diverse China seems to be. The students who came were of MANY ethnicities, not just what we think of as “Chinese”. Their cultures and traditions are so different and varied, and yet they are all part of one cohesive nation, and seem to have a shared identity. I had really thought the United States was the only country that was so diverse; seems I was wrong. It’s fascinating how much an hour can teach you…
(and for what it's worth, amazing how talented their business students are...those guys were good!!!!)
I always thought of the traditional music of China as a homogenous genre; chordophones and pentatonic scales. While there was some of that, the forms were widely varied. The music played from the western part of China sounded more Arabic than Oriental, while the folk music from the south of China was much more like what I had expected. Not only that, but it was impressive how much even the use of the voice varied from region to region. The lyrical storytelling sounded completely different from the southern folk singing which was totally different from the Peking Opera style. It’s not shocking to me that there are different genres of music, only that in China folk music itself has so many different forms. It’s quite a vast difference from say western nations, where the folk/traditional music tends to be fairly similar.
It leads to an even more macroscopic idea, which is how fascinatingly diverse China seems to be. The students who came were of MANY ethnicities, not just what we think of as “Chinese”. Their cultures and traditions are so different and varied, and yet they are all part of one cohesive nation, and seem to have a shared identity. I had really thought the United States was the only country that was so diverse; seems I was wrong. It’s fascinating how much an hour can teach you…
(and for what it's worth, amazing how talented their business students are...those guys were good!!!!)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A defense of popular music
So pop music pretty much spent the morning being ripped on, and I figured in the spirit of American law I'd give it a fair defense. First, I don't think all pop lyrics are shallow and that only indie music has any value. Look at a recent pop song, Empire State of Mind. The song was written by two women from New York who had to spend an extended period of time abroad and missed their hometown; they wrote the song to combat homesickness and extol the virtues of their city. Shallow? Or heartfelt? I say the latter.
Take Weezer too...listen to their latest single (which is heard on the radio), "I Want You To". Great use of rhythm, blending of musical styles, and the lyrics describe a situation that I can almost guarantee everyone has been through in their life...again, who can't relate to that?
Finally, I know its trendy especially among college students to dismiss anything on the radio as musically worthless. Yet, I think it shouldn't be forgotten that many pop musicians got where they are because they have an immense amount of talent. Alicia Keys for instance...someone who can write music, play piano, and sing that well is pretty rare- same for Billy Joel. Mariah Carey has some of the greatest vocal range you'll ever find; Dr. Dre's ability to mix beats (which you hear in many pop songs) is unparalleled; even the much maligned Jessica Simpson has a really nice voice.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is not all pop music sucks, and it definitely does not deserve to be painted with such a broad brush. Defense rests.
Take Weezer too...listen to their latest single (which is heard on the radio), "I Want You To". Great use of rhythm, blending of musical styles, and the lyrics describe a situation that I can almost guarantee everyone has been through in their life...again, who can't relate to that?
Finally, I know its trendy especially among college students to dismiss anything on the radio as musically worthless. Yet, I think it shouldn't be forgotten that many pop musicians got where they are because they have an immense amount of talent. Alicia Keys for instance...someone who can write music, play piano, and sing that well is pretty rare- same for Billy Joel. Mariah Carey has some of the greatest vocal range you'll ever find; Dr. Dre's ability to mix beats (which you hear in many pop songs) is unparalleled; even the much maligned Jessica Simpson has a really nice voice.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is not all pop music sucks, and it definitely does not deserve to be painted with such a broad brush. Defense rests.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Faculty Concert - Post 3
Blog Post 3
The faculty concert was certainly a unique experience to go to. In the interest of space (I am a really verbose guy) I’m just going to share my thoughts on the first half of the concert, the songs played before the intermission.
First, I wanted to share my overview thoughts. The stage was small, very small for the caliber of music they were playing, which somewhat surprised me as it forced some players to be nearly hidden behind others (see: the bass man). The audience was composed nearly entirely of faculty, their families, and students who were required to be there for classes (which was a surprisingly large amount, as the house was packed). The performers were solid; I thought the most striking part of their role as that they seemed to be much more into playing certain songs than others; more on that later. Finally, although the concert was supposed to be influenced by Latin culture, in many cases I heard none of this, and Latin rhythms were notably absent from a majority of the pieces.
The opening suite by Michaud was a prime example. The first piece in the suite reminded me much more of George Gershwin (see: An American in Paris) than any Latin music. This makes sense as the composer was French, but did not fit in with the overall theme of the concert. The second and third pieces in the suite I thought were kind of cool, as they really managed to pull off polyphony quite well, but seemed to have more of a pastoral feel to them then a Latin one. The final piece was kind of murky in its tone, but I really liked it, and it seemed that both the performers and the audience were enjoying it too; I noticed a lot of note taking so there must have been something to see!
The second “semi-suite” was…curious. I understand it was written by a faculty member, and he wanted to show off his work, but honestly that music was neither Latin nor even good. It was also horribly suited for the small confines of that stage; the cymbals in the opening piece utterly drowned out the rest of the music, and the poor percussionist was left trying to strike an accented cymbal while not eliminating all the other instruments. The music itself was special, and pretty much left me with a headache. The repeating broken Dmin7 through the entirety of the second piece on the piano was especially painful. As a whole, the piece neither seemed Latin nor even inspired by its piece titles; if that was a rag, Scott Joplin just rolled over in his grave. The audience seemed to share my viewpoint; as I looked around I saw a lot of quizzical looks, confusion, and people trying to figure out just what to make of this piece. Even the performers (outside of the violinist) did not seem to be enjoying it. The pianist looked pained, the percussionist seemed to struggle, and the poor clarinetist was drowned out. Maybe I am just an uncultured cretin who cannot understand art when he hears it, but that piece was straight up awful. Amorphous atonal melodies, lots of noise, and piano inspired by a 3 year old do not artistic music make.
The final piece was a nice recovery. You could hear the Latin music in the percussion rhythms, and in the sweet sound of the electric guitar. At first I thought there were times when the guitar was drowned out, until I realized that was on purpose; the guitar played the role of the vocalist and it was beautiful. The crowed really got into it too: the sound guy was jamming, the people in front of me were making out, the drum solo thrilled the crowd, and the performers seemed to be having a blast playing the fast paced exotic rhythms. This was however the piece that accentuated the limitations of the space; as I mentioned the man playing the bass, who was an integral part of the song, was nearly shoved back into a corner. All in all though, the songs (including the impromptu “Girl from Ipanema”) left a good taste in my mouth heading into intermission. It was…good times.
The faculty concert was certainly a unique experience to go to. In the interest of space (I am a really verbose guy) I’m just going to share my thoughts on the first half of the concert, the songs played before the intermission.
First, I wanted to share my overview thoughts. The stage was small, very small for the caliber of music they were playing, which somewhat surprised me as it forced some players to be nearly hidden behind others (see: the bass man). The audience was composed nearly entirely of faculty, their families, and students who were required to be there for classes (which was a surprisingly large amount, as the house was packed). The performers were solid; I thought the most striking part of their role as that they seemed to be much more into playing certain songs than others; more on that later. Finally, although the concert was supposed to be influenced by Latin culture, in many cases I heard none of this, and Latin rhythms were notably absent from a majority of the pieces.
The opening suite by Michaud was a prime example. The first piece in the suite reminded me much more of George Gershwin (see: An American in Paris) than any Latin music. This makes sense as the composer was French, but did not fit in with the overall theme of the concert. The second and third pieces in the suite I thought were kind of cool, as they really managed to pull off polyphony quite well, but seemed to have more of a pastoral feel to them then a Latin one. The final piece was kind of murky in its tone, but I really liked it, and it seemed that both the performers and the audience were enjoying it too; I noticed a lot of note taking so there must have been something to see!
The second “semi-suite” was…curious. I understand it was written by a faculty member, and he wanted to show off his work, but honestly that music was neither Latin nor even good. It was also horribly suited for the small confines of that stage; the cymbals in the opening piece utterly drowned out the rest of the music, and the poor percussionist was left trying to strike an accented cymbal while not eliminating all the other instruments. The music itself was special, and pretty much left me with a headache. The repeating broken Dmin7 through the entirety of the second piece on the piano was especially painful. As a whole, the piece neither seemed Latin nor even inspired by its piece titles; if that was a rag, Scott Joplin just rolled over in his grave. The audience seemed to share my viewpoint; as I looked around I saw a lot of quizzical looks, confusion, and people trying to figure out just what to make of this piece. Even the performers (outside of the violinist) did not seem to be enjoying it. The pianist looked pained, the percussionist seemed to struggle, and the poor clarinetist was drowned out. Maybe I am just an uncultured cretin who cannot understand art when he hears it, but that piece was straight up awful. Amorphous atonal melodies, lots of noise, and piano inspired by a 3 year old do not artistic music make.
The final piece was a nice recovery. You could hear the Latin music in the percussion rhythms, and in the sweet sound of the electric guitar. At first I thought there were times when the guitar was drowned out, until I realized that was on purpose; the guitar played the role of the vocalist and it was beautiful. The crowed really got into it too: the sound guy was jamming, the people in front of me were making out, the drum solo thrilled the crowd, and the performers seemed to be having a blast playing the fast paced exotic rhythms. This was however the piece that accentuated the limitations of the space; as I mentioned the man playing the bass, who was an integral part of the song, was nearly shoved back into a corner. All in all though, the songs (including the impromptu “Girl from Ipanema”) left a good taste in my mouth heading into intermission. It was…good times.
Blog Post 2
I know this post is a week late, but I wanted to post it anyways for the edification of the readers. The extra credit blog posts look cool so I am not too concerned :).
For my musical ethnography, I propose to study the music of the Meyerson. The Morton H. Meyerson symphony center is home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and plays host to many classical, pops, and other concert events. While the symphony is the primary occupant of the Meyerson, they actually have a far wider range of music than just the DSO, and this is why I believe it would be an interesting study.
I have picked out 3 concerts at the Meyerson that are between now and the ethnography due date. One is purely classical; the DSO is performing Shostakovich’s Symphony #7 on February 18-20, providing an excellent example of the core music of the Meyerson. The following week, February 26-28, they are holding a “50s Dance Party”. No orchestral music is involved here, but they are in their words “celebrating the music of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens”; essentially they are undoing the “day the music died” and it seems intriguing to see this music performed in the context of the Meyerson. Finally, there are two events the next week of which I will attend one. On Wednesday March 3, the DSO and a vocalist present the music of Pink Floyd; as I am a huge Pink Floyd fan I think this would be really cool and just a fun event regardless. On March 5-7, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is bringing their act to the Meyerson, which is yet another genre that would be interesting to see.
As I said I plan on attending 3 of the 4 aforementioned events; I’ll take notes during each one to analyze them relative to the 4 elements of music performance, and hopefully come out with a semi-coherent ethnography for the Meyerson Symphony Center. Even though this is an assignment…I’m actually kind of excited because it looks like a lot of fun! Stay tuned…
For my musical ethnography, I propose to study the music of the Meyerson. The Morton H. Meyerson symphony center is home to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and plays host to many classical, pops, and other concert events. While the symphony is the primary occupant of the Meyerson, they actually have a far wider range of music than just the DSO, and this is why I believe it would be an interesting study.
I have picked out 3 concerts at the Meyerson that are between now and the ethnography due date. One is purely classical; the DSO is performing Shostakovich’s Symphony #7 on February 18-20, providing an excellent example of the core music of the Meyerson. The following week, February 26-28, they are holding a “50s Dance Party”. No orchestral music is involved here, but they are in their words “celebrating the music of Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Richie Valens”; essentially they are undoing the “day the music died” and it seems intriguing to see this music performed in the context of the Meyerson. Finally, there are two events the next week of which I will attend one. On Wednesday March 3, the DSO and a vocalist present the music of Pink Floyd; as I am a huge Pink Floyd fan I think this would be really cool and just a fun event regardless. On March 5-7, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is bringing their act to the Meyerson, which is yet another genre that would be interesting to see.
As I said I plan on attending 3 of the 4 aforementioned events; I’ll take notes during each one to analyze them relative to the 4 elements of music performance, and hopefully come out with a semi-coherent ethnography for the Meyerson Symphony Center. Even though this is an assignment…I’m actually kind of excited because it looks like a lot of fun! Stay tuned…
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