Wrap-up

This course has provided me with a great deal of exposure to cultures unlike (and in some cases like) my own. Some things that I have learned about other cultures that have surprised/intrigued me include: I was not aware that music was considered a direct link to God/the Gods (as in African culture); I found it very interesting that the majority of music from various cultures has been transmitted almost wholly via rote method; I was surprised to learn that there were entire instruments made of animals, I had always been aware that guitar strings were made from intestines, and membranes were used for percussion instruments, but never whole animals; I was intrigued by the fact that China was so censored in terms of the music they were "allowed" to produce; I was pleasantly surprised when learning about the Native Americans that they were not at all "savages" as has been portrayed for so many years, rather very gentle souls in touch with nature--simple mimicking 'animal behavior'.

I am thankful to have taken this course, because--in the process of learning so much about other cultures--I was able to learn something about my own culture. First, I learned about the music culture at Converse--and was able to see firsthand the passion that some of my classmates have for their craft, which made me place more importance on it as well. Second, I learned about the music culture of my community, through listening to various presentations and personal stories I was able to understand that our culture (the surrounding area) is privy to so many influences and opportunities (such as the Greek festival, etc) that can expand our knowledge and experience with different cultures. Most importantly, this class made me evaluate the importance that I place on music. And, interestingly enough, I do place importance on music. I suppose I had never been inclined to think of it prior to this class--but music is important to me. Through my evaluation of music's importance to my family, my gender, and myself I have come closer to understanding the brevity of music itself. I equate music with freedom. I equate music with individuality and creative expression. I equate music with religion. I equate music with so many more things than entertainment--and it took this class for me to realize that. It makes you wonder what a good day's reflection would uncover on any given subject. I know what I will be doing this weekend!

This class has certainly inspired me to learn more about cultures in general. The better you understand yourself the better you can understand other people, and vice versa. I am inspired to learn more about people in general. This is an excellent class for people to take because you learn to respect other cultures because you are able to see the back story for a lot of the practices and rituals that might seem off putting at first. This class also inspires me to listen to a wider range of music, and really listen to the music--not just have it on in the background. I find it fitting that on this, the last week of class, I opened a fortune cookie (after a very nice meal at Monsoon Noodle House by the way) and it said "you are a person of culture". Well, thank you. I guess I am now. :)

Cool Stuff Grand Finale

http://www.coolhunting.com/archives/2007/03/chinese_indepen.php
This website is devoted to Chinese Indie Bands, and I find it very interesting in light of our class discussion on the evolution of Chinese music. This web page introduces 5 Indie Bands and offers opportunities to listen (for free) to their music. I love that I found this website because for so long Chinese musicians had to censor themselves--so for me finding a page devoted to Chinese musicians that speak their mind and are laying new ground for future artists is liberating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqNp3H6PPJ4
This is a video for an Indonesian pop song, and I find it very interesting because it is an example of the fusion music that we discuss in class (the blending of traditional and modern elements). It is actually an instrumental which is very interesting to me because the video was made in 2002, and nominated for 3 MTV Indonesia Awards that same year--and it is a great example of how other cultures have instrumental music that is very popular currently--which I do not find to be the case in the Western world in terms of our popular music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usaD-ltuW_0
This is a video for a Hawaiian rap song! I found this very entertaining...."another day in the H I" ....the performer talks about Hawaiian culture, and this is another example of fusion music. Often times in class we just get exposed to traditional music, so I find it interesting to look at these cultures and see their music of today, from all genres. This looks like a video we might see on television here on the mainland. It is interesting though, as I am typing this, that Hawaii is part of America. Seems a silly thing to say--but it is so far away! The culture is so different from our own. I am glad though because it adds to the cultural fabric of America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9hV4zVommA
I really like this video of various artists playing the Didgeridoo! It is not a video as much as collection of really nice artwork being shown while varioust artists play the didgeridoo in the background--but I love hearing this instrument! At first, it sounds really very foreign to me...but as I listen further it is relaxing. I can fully understand why this would be considered meditative and theraputic. After watching the didgeridoo being played in class I have a new found respect for the difficulty involved, and love listening to this and the talent being displayed.

Cool Stuff Part 3http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbv5tk79DZ4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbv5tk79DZ4
This is an interview of Norah Jones by Katie Couric, and it is very interesting. I thought it to be really cool to have a "real world" (for me anyway) tie to Indian music--in this regard being Norah Jones. I love her singing, and she talks about her mother and her eclectic records that she listened to growing up. She also talks about the role of her absent father (whom we all have heard much about) and how she does not identify with being Indian because she grew up in Texas with an white mother. She says she is influenced by country and jazz. It is just interesting to me how musical inclination must be genetic--as she obviously has talent, but was not directly influenced by her father. Very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baWShe9YBsQ
This is an Arabic video by the Yemen/Egyptian singer Arwa-- and I included this because (like Dr. Vaneman) I find the fusion music of today to be very interesting in that it seems to take traditional aspects of music from a particular culture and rev it up a little bit by making it pop-ier, such as in this video. It is like traditional music made marketable and commercial. The era of videos is also featured, as you can see a lot of the same features we have in videos today (close-ups, almost like a short-feature film).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNbzni-mGL4
I LOVE this video! I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Vaneman's lecture on Blues music, and especially enjoyed the part of class in which we joked about Elvis' version of "Hound Dog" making no sense out of the context of the original song. I found this video that features an all-animal cast (with Elvis singing "Hound Dog" of course!) to kind of play on Dr. Vaneman's saying that Elvis would even bring a dog onstage! There is even a dog solo in the middle! Enjoy!

Music and Gender

I believe that music (songs, rather) are viewed in gender terms, and that there are certainly certain genres that seem to be geared more towards a particular gender. For instance, males do not typically want to listen to love songs--at least in public. I do not doubt that somewhere, at this very moment, there is a man singing Bette Midler's "The Rose" and moved beyond words. However, society frowns upon men having emotions because apparently it renders them useless and weak. Society also does not enjoy women listening to heavy metal because it seems much less refined than a lady should be--and indicates that surely she must have grown up without a father figure or is most assuredly gay. Consequently, society would have us like things and act as if we are part of some larger formula to a perfectly balanced society. Oh, society. Silly society. If life were this easy there would be no mistakes and certainly even less fun. Life is about balance--not encompassing the traits deemed necessary by your gender or the music dictated by the same.

I have zero experience with instruments, or any prior experience with band or band members. However, I definitely think that there are certain types of instruments (such as the drums, which Dr. Vaneman mentioned in her blog) that are viewed as more masculine and instruments that are viewed as more feminine (such as the flute, or violin). The reasoning being that, in my experience, people equate the sound made from the instrument with that of the person (and their gender specifically) playing it. For instance, the drum is louder and stronger than the flute, but the flute seems more poetic, with varying degrees of softness and shrillness. As Dr. Vaneman has mentioned Disney's saturation into our world, I feel compelled to mention the Disney cartoons that have various instruments animated, and certain ones have male voices and others have female.

Defining instruments/music in terms of gender is not inherently bad--however it is imperative to realize that it should never be exclusive. Maybe you could say that certain instruments would seem Male if you were to assign them a gender, however you can see certain feminine traits such as (fill in the blank). We tend to compartmentalize and want to stick labels on things to better understand them without having to delve into our own psyche or further research something to understand it on its own merit--which is why we label things with male/female, black/white, good/bad. Perhaps less time should be spent on whether an instrument would seem male or female, rather--why we care?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yta3iqbUlGc
This is a great video (about 10 minutes long, but very interesting) that shows some Ecuadorian Music being played and they are using all of the instruments we learned about in class!! Also, their costumes are terrific and the music is very soothing. A lot of the comments below the video talked about the authenticity of the post, so that made me feel very confident that this video is in keeping with traditional music played in Ecuador. I think it is interesting how the people performing are able to play so multiple instruments, and actually have the multiple instruments basically strapped to them or hanging from their necks the entire performance. You have to be multi-talented, it would seem, to be an Ecuadorian musician! Very admirable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwgl4D4s-e4
I loved this video! It shows a variety of people in South Africa dancing to an upbeat instrumental piece. I especially enjoy that the people dancing are everyday, modern people--which shows an interesting mix of "yesterday" and "today" as it were. A lot of the movements are similar to those that we have seen in videos in class, but seem more recreational and modified. Everyone in the video, from men to women and kids to adults, seem to genuinely be having a great time--which you always should in music!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJXft-YIVG0
I really like this video too because it has a more traditional spin than the last video, but still with modern-day people which shows the importance of heritage to African peoples to this day. This video has more percussion in it and I love that before the video plays it gives you a quote about rhythm and happiness! Very positive! The videos that I have found seem to have that as a common thread, the idea that music and happiness are interrelated and dependent on each other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfO6JpR5Ip8
I am just throwing this in for all interested party's, as Ireland was part of our studies this week as well! This is Celtic Women singing "The Voice" and it is just a beautiful representation of the music that they create! They are a fabulous group that mixes the traditions of Irish music really well with the popular music of today! They are a great example of mixing the old with the new and not losing the essence of what the tradition is! If you get a chance to see them in person it is well worth it! I believe they are coming to the BI-LO center in February.

Music and Religion

Like most things in my life, I have a very polarized set of experiences with a couple of different religions to pool from--so my view of music's specific place in varying religions is complex. I am, by birth, an Episcopalian--not the same sort as Professor Vaneman describes herself as being--my church is (or was I should say, I have since moved and not attended a church in Spartanburg) very formal. For instance, at funerals in the Episcopalian church that I attended, music was sung and there were instrumentals--but in a very conservative manner and always with some restraint. You will understand what I mean by this as I continue with my second type of religious musical experience. Music was used in church to worship God or share stories from the Bible. As I stated, performance was very conservative and restrained, meaning to say that no one person was particularly louder than any other--it was pretty uniform.

The polar opposite experience that I have is in the Baptist Church--Black Churches to be exact. One of my good friends is a Deacon at a local church, and he constantly sings and musically vocalizes his feelings about God. He believes that he is singing directly to God. I went to a funeral for one of my coworkers recently and was blown away by the experience. The congregation was on its feet in praise, with people singing loudly and adding their own spin onto the songs. There was no restraint shown which was oddly therapeutic and cathartic. I believe (and have been told by my friend) that music is celebrated in Black Baptist Churches and is used as a vehicle through which to get closer to God. I was reminded of this in class today when Professor Vaneman was discussing the Ecuadorian funeral rites. The service began with some sadder songs, but then became a celebration, and then ended on a sad note again with the closing of the casket. The most concise way for me to explain the differences between the attitude towards singing in the two separate churches would be to say that in the Episcopalian Church that I attended the more uniformly and conservatively you sang the more respect you were showing for God; in the Black Baptist Church that I attended the more animated and passionate you were showed respect for God. Both churches had the same goal--but viewed the means to fulfilling that goal different.

I absolutely believe that the musical aesthetics are different between the two religious groups I discussed and I absolutely believe that what is deemed beautiful and pleasant is dictated by surroundings. Isn't everything? In the Episcopalian Church that I attended it was aesthetically beautiful to show restraint and uniformity, with soothing sounds and steady melodies. I think this mirrored the congregation--a group of pretty conservative people that were well put-together and showed more restraint in their lives (that we were aware of anyway!). In the second church, what was beautiful was passion, not showing restraint or concern for what others thought but simply God. You did not sing for your neighbor, you sang for God--and it was an "A" "B" conversation. I am glad that I have gotten the chance to experience these polar opposite churches and aspire to experience even more varieties of churches and experiences in general. We cannot grow in a vacuum.

Cool Stuff

http://ggsc.wnmu.edu/academic/mat/tesol/consult/articles/navajo/html
This is a cool place because it delves deeper into the concepts on Native American music than we were able to go in class and has all kinds of information from regional styles, modern music, texts, influence of Indian music on art music, Powwows, Navajo music in tradition, as well as links to other interesting websites. The most interesting feature of this website to me is the information it provides on teaching Indian music in the schools (because I am going to be an Elementary school teacher). Some of the suggestions I will take into account--such as bringing in local representatives of tribes that might be in the area to share their music and culture with my students.

http://www.gatheringofnations.com
This is a very cool website!!! It features the Gathering of Nations Internet Radio (which is free and plays live streaming Native American music via your computer), educational information, pictures from previous Pow Wows and information about upcoming ones, free Native-American ecards, etc. This website is founded by a nonprofit organization (The Gathering of Nations) and works to dispel stereotypes and encourage education. This website is useful to this class because you are able to see pictures from actual Pow Wows as well as streaming video--and you get a little more information than we received from the video in class. Also, you are able to hear live streaming music for free.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=CF87C21E88867B75&search-query=ghana+the+postal+workers
This is a very cool thing! When I was looking up the postal workers piece (because I loved it in class) I found this video on drums in Ghana, and this is very useful to us as a class because it is infinitely important that we hear and see more than just a few pieces from each culture--the More we see the better we understand of the music and meaning behind it. I have developed a new respect for drums because of this class--seeing them now as the heartbeat of music. I never realized the importance of drums prior to this week. YouTube is a great resource in terms of viewing what we are talking about in class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJCtvrW95fo
This is a fun clip from "Whose Line is it Anyway". When I googled "Postal Worker Song" this came up and I watched it and thought it was really cute--it is not part of the genres we have studied this past few days but Wayne Brady has to come up with several songs about postal workers, all in different styles, which I thought was both entertaining and interesting because he was able to emulate styles from Tina Turner to Latin music.

Music and Family

In terms of music and my family, I have a few different takes on the use and importance of music as it relates to family because I have varied definitions of the word 'family'. In terms of my immediate family, my mother has always been a lover of music--mainly 60's music. She utilizes music when she writes by playing music in the background while she brainstorms. She values music very much--and ascertains that "music is not what is used to be". I do not think that she believes that music brings you closer to the divine, however she does think that music has importance and relevance--and does not enjoy that modern day music is "misused" such as it is. She thinks that music reflects the social climate and is very dismayed when she hears songs that talk about sex and drugs. When my mother listens to music she dances and gets excited. My father values music in so much that it can aid his mood. He does not believe music to be divine or especially poignant; rather the events that he connects with the music in question are of value. A very tomato/tomato situation. For instance, there are some very specific songs that remind him of Vietnam--and he places importance on Vietnam, not on the songs ability to evoke that memory. When my father listens to music he does it very conservatively--there is no dancing.

I consider my friends to be my extended family, and my friends value music very much. My best friend considers music to be divine--something she has learned in her culture (she is Greek). She views music as a vehicle of spirituality. When she listens to music she claps, dances, does anything and everything that the music seems to be moving her to do. When I am with my friends and we listen to music it is usually while we are out, having fun and dancing.

Another group that serves as family would be my coworkers. I spend a great deal of time with them, more than I do anyone else to be fair. We use music to pass the time at work--often times singing to amuse ourselves or creating impromptu songs to reflect what we are doing or our mood. A couple of my coworkers are extremely religious and most-assuradly view music as divine. I attended a funeral for a coworker and music was predominantly featured throughout the funeral and was used as a way in which to rejoice his life and alleviate pain felt by his loved ones and friends.

I would consider my boyfriend part of my family, and he views music as entertainment and a form of motivation. He is an athlete and would use certain songs to get "amped" for a match/game. He loves music and constantly has it on, however he does not view it as divine.

As evidenced by this blog, I am surrounded by different types of people that view all things (not simply music) in varying terms. I believe we are made stronger and more complex by the differences that people bring to our lives--and am thankful to have such a pool of people to learn from and experience.

My name is Charlotte. I am not a music major, nor do I play any sort of instrument (sans my lone experience with a recorder that both the recorder and I would just as soon forget). I am, however, a lover of music. I find music to be therapeutic--and you can often tell my mood by the music I am listening to. Not only does the music I am listening to reflect the mood I am in it enhances it! In terms of the diverse music I have been exposed to , I love Greek music! My best friend is Greek, and she has ten me to many the festival in which I have been onstage linked hand in hand with a stranger dancing in circles to loud and feisty music. I learned to appreciate music a great deal through my friend's Greek heritage, as in her culture you feel the music in your heart and then it translates down to your toes...and hips! I love Indian music as well, and find it thought provoking and stimulating--I think it is all of the dings and dongs, it resounds on some Pavlovian level. I love African music, and was exposed to a lot of it while doing a project on Negro Spirituals and their origins. I love the uplifting and empowering nature of African music and its conveyance of messages. I like the idea that something is more than what meets the eye (or ear in this instance) as well as the fact that music can be used as a vehicle of change, revolution, or simply entertainment. Just as I would not want the shackles of being exposed to only one type of person, I do not want to be exposed to only one type of music--this is why I believe that music (all music, everywhere) sets you free!