http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk6WOOeI5h8
Performers: various different ensembles playing an assortment of stringed, reeded, and percussion instruments
Culture: Haiti
Instrumentation: various groups playing dancing music
Class connection:
the Lew and Campbell reading spoke about stimulating and observing musical play in children and how it is an integral part of daily life in other cultures. This soundtrack could be used to give students a chance to experience music and dance and games from another culture with completely authentic music, something they might not have a chance to get. I posted this more as a resource than anything else. John Johnson, the owner of the channel, has a TON of these for most cultures and most videos are substantially long. This is a great place to turn if you plan on doing a movement activity of any kind and need music to do it to.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Blog four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nxaNJCfGCo
Title: Lincolnshire Posey mvt. 2 "Horkstow Grange"
Performers: North Texas Wind symphony
Orchestration: Standard wind ensemble
I picked this piece because this week's readings are focused on transmission. I sadly could not find a legal (and or free) way to post the original recording of George Gouldthorpe obtained by Percy Grainger. Regardless, prior to Grainger's recording and transcription this work was something passed down aurally from person to person, not through notation. Prior to its recording, this song may have taken many different inflections and interpretations as it was passed along, each person adding a bit of their own character to it. I would wager that it was never sung the same way twice. Now that we have it in notation (and masterfully orchestrated I might add) we can turn to that to experience the power of the song. Personally I like aural transmission much better as it leaves the music up to the musician rather than it being dictated by a piece of paper.
Title: Lincolnshire Posey mvt. 2 "Horkstow Grange"
Performers: North Texas Wind symphony
Orchestration: Standard wind ensemble
I picked this piece because this week's readings are focused on transmission. I sadly could not find a legal (and or free) way to post the original recording of George Gouldthorpe obtained by Percy Grainger. Regardless, prior to Grainger's recording and transcription this work was something passed down aurally from person to person, not through notation. Prior to its recording, this song may have taken many different inflections and interpretations as it was passed along, each person adding a bit of their own character to it. I would wager that it was never sung the same way twice. Now that we have it in notation (and masterfully orchestrated I might add) we can turn to that to experience the power of the song. Personally I like aural transmission much better as it leaves the music up to the musician rather than it being dictated by a piece of paper.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
the "Cuban" National Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-2_d8BCHBc
La Bayamesa
This is supposedly a representation of Cuban culture and nationalism
instrumentation is a typical symphonic orchestra
Performers unknown
I hate to keep going back to the topic of authenticity, but this struck me in a way that I couldn't ignore it. As I was putting together my unit playlist I wanted to see what the national anthems of some counties in my geographic area sound like. I heard this anthem and I was puzzled. I looked around the internet because I couldn't believe that this was Cuba's anthem. The translation of the lyrics seem like they fit in with nationalistic pride and unity, but the music itself is in no way cuban. This is a typical march that is indicative of western music. I'm sure Cuba is not the only country to use music that is actually quite foreign for its national anthem, but I do not see why. People should be celebrating who they are as a culture with their anthem. This western march does no justice to the proud musical traditions of Cuba.
La Bayamesa
This is supposedly a representation of Cuban culture and nationalism
instrumentation is a typical symphonic orchestra
Performers unknown
I hate to keep going back to the topic of authenticity, but this struck me in a way that I couldn't ignore it. As I was putting together my unit playlist I wanted to see what the national anthems of some counties in my geographic area sound like. I heard this anthem and I was puzzled. I looked around the internet because I couldn't believe that this was Cuba's anthem. The translation of the lyrics seem like they fit in with nationalistic pride and unity, but the music itself is in no way cuban. This is a typical march that is indicative of western music. I'm sure Cuba is not the only country to use music that is actually quite foreign for its national anthem, but I do not see why. People should be celebrating who they are as a culture with their anthem. This western march does no justice to the proud musical traditions of Cuba.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Listening Blog #2 Beethoven in Japan
Gateway
Performance
Title of the piece: Symphony no. 9 "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven
Performer: 10,000 amateur and professional musicians from Osaka, Japan
Culture: Western art music
Instrumentation: Full orchestra and Choir
I chose this for two reasons. Last class we established that western music is still world music, so it is still valid to discuss, and second, I was captivated by the video Cat shared and wanted to find more western music performed other ways. I started simply searching the internet for "Japanese Beethoven" hoping to bounce around until I found something. What I did find is that Japan treats the Ode to Joy as highly as a national anthem. They perform this piece in times of celebration and times where they are looking for hope in the wake of a tragedy. They are so moved by this piece that almost one hundred years after their first real exposure to it, they love it like its their first time hearing it. This performance really ties into the aspect of cultural authenticity that we've spent a good deal of time talking about. They went to a great extent to learn the German, the western instruments, and the overall feel of this piece. Japan and Germany are two vastly different cultures but these performers make it seem like it is there nature to perform Beethoven. Children and adults alike attempt to sing the original German and if they can't they "fake" it. That accommodation takes away from the authenticity of the performance but it goes to show that their desire for the music is so powerful they are willing to do what ever they need to to experience it.
Performance
Title of the piece: Symphony no. 9 "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven
Performer: 10,000 amateur and professional musicians from Osaka, Japan
Culture: Western art music
Instrumentation: Full orchestra and Choir
I chose this for two reasons. Last class we established that western music is still world music, so it is still valid to discuss, and second, I was captivated by the video Cat shared and wanted to find more western music performed other ways. I started simply searching the internet for "Japanese Beethoven" hoping to bounce around until I found something. What I did find is that Japan treats the Ode to Joy as highly as a national anthem. They perform this piece in times of celebration and times where they are looking for hope in the wake of a tragedy. They are so moved by this piece that almost one hundred years after their first real exposure to it, they love it like its their first time hearing it. This performance really ties into the aspect of cultural authenticity that we've spent a good deal of time talking about. They went to a great extent to learn the German, the western instruments, and the overall feel of this piece. Japan and Germany are two vastly different cultures but these performers make it seem like it is there nature to perform Beethoven. Children and adults alike attempt to sing the original German and if they can't they "fake" it. That accommodation takes away from the authenticity of the performance but it goes to show that their desire for the music is so powerful they are willing to do what ever they need to to experience it.
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