One of the subgenres of rock that I’m going to write about is Alternative rock. The alternative rock is different from other types of rock because most of all its’ melody is not as strong as hard rock. The dynamics most of the time don't jump so high and the energy felt is much more calm rather than a scream fest. It is more about the emotional and powerful content that is created by a small ensemble with more emphasis on singing and creativity. Most of all in the alternative rock song, there will be a moment or a part of the song that the singer will not sing but play the guitar, a drum, or a trumpet solo possibly with other instruments to follow. Just like other rock subgenre, in an alternative rock song the instruments are electric guitar, bass guitar, drum and a keyboard instrument. Besides these basic instruments, saxophone and flutes may also be performed within alternative rock.
In the song “More Than a Memory” of Hoobastank there is not electric guitar but instead the acoustic guitar, saxophone and flute.
0:00: the guitar and flute play the recomposed melody.
0:18: the keyboard joins in
0:26: Hoobastank starts to sing
1:54: the saxophone starts to mark the begin of the chorus
2:31: saxophone plays to mark the end of the chorus and then flute and saxophone play the transfer part
3:26: repeat the chorus
3:45: playing keyboard
4:00: repeat the chorus
4:50: finish by al the instrument together
Monday, April 19, 2010
Side Show
The second Side Show performance on Thursday night, April 15th was the night that I attended the show. The show started at eight o’clock but I got to the University Theatre early so that I could sit in the middle of one of the front rows and have a closer view to the stage. Most of the performers are UT Dallas students, they went to the show to earn scholarships for art students, and I’ve been told that they had practiced almost a year to make this show.
Side Show is a musical show so there were people singing as a conversation throughout the entire play, and the orchestra was just the back ground music for the performers. When the lights were off the stage and everything became silent, the performers started to sing and showed up; some of them came out from the front stage, back stage, and some even from the side of the theatre to create a surprise moment for the audience. The music was low until the performers raised their voice and jumped on the box and right after that it was silent. The music that they played gave the feeling of a mysterious magic was in the air, this effect was created by their polyphony. Because of the music being the background for the performers, its tempo was slow and matched to the performers’ pitch. In the show, the twin and most of the girls sang with high vocals while men only used low vocals to distinct the contrast among each group, and for most of the time they were singing duets as the conversation continued. When the stage was rearranged the music kept going to keep the environment lively. The performers had impressed their audience by the colorful outfits and the vivid paintings on their faces, and they also matched the time and place of the play. All together they created the lively mood for the stage and the theatre. The performers often come close to the audience and made the audience feel like they were on the stage together with the characters. The faster the singing, the faster the movement, and the faster the music played. It perfectly caught the entire attention of the audiences in the little theatre. The twins played the important roles in the show but the attractions were also important because at each sense, the attractions were playing as the background described and emphasized the mood for the ongoing conversation between the twins and the two business men. One example was of the party in New York, everybody was walking and drinking around the twins, but when Buddy Foster proposed to Violet, everybody just stopped moving and expressed the surprise on their face. Then everybody was drinking and singing and it created the happy environment of the wedding. Most of the audience was UTD students and some of them were relatives of the performers. They clapped at the end of every single song which sometimes interrupted the performers and delayed the show. The stage was decorated with yellow and red color themes as the background to help the audience feel like they were in the circus and on the side of the stage there was a sign that said, “The Midway, Vaudeville or the Follies…” Because the theatre wasn’t big, and the stage was almost half the size of the theatre the audiences could hear every single word and could watch every single movement. It helped the audience get more into the play and to feel connected with the play.
The audience seemed to take in every moment of the play, because of the great performance. The performers seemed to be enjoying themselves and they deserved it because they had put a lot of effort in the play. The night was not yet over and the music made it feel like there was still plenty of energy left for it to continue. The play was done really well and the polyphony created through the background music and the voices made it that much more enjoyable.
Work cited
Side Show. By Bill Rusell. Dir Robert Longbottom. Perf UT Dallas student. Dallas. 15th Apr. 2010. (Side Show)
Pham, Anh. Program notes. Side Show. 15th Apr. 2010. Dallas. Pham.
Side Show is a musical show so there were people singing as a conversation throughout the entire play, and the orchestra was just the back ground music for the performers. When the lights were off the stage and everything became silent, the performers started to sing and showed up; some of them came out from the front stage, back stage, and some even from the side of the theatre to create a surprise moment for the audience. The music was low until the performers raised their voice and jumped on the box and right after that it was silent. The music that they played gave the feeling of a mysterious magic was in the air, this effect was created by their polyphony. Because of the music being the background for the performers, its tempo was slow and matched to the performers’ pitch. In the show, the twin and most of the girls sang with high vocals while men only used low vocals to distinct the contrast among each group, and for most of the time they were singing duets as the conversation continued. When the stage was rearranged the music kept going to keep the environment lively. The performers had impressed their audience by the colorful outfits and the vivid paintings on their faces, and they also matched the time and place of the play. All together they created the lively mood for the stage and the theatre. The performers often come close to the audience and made the audience feel like they were on the stage together with the characters. The faster the singing, the faster the movement, and the faster the music played. It perfectly caught the entire attention of the audiences in the little theatre. The twins played the important roles in the show but the attractions were also important because at each sense, the attractions were playing as the background described and emphasized the mood for the ongoing conversation between the twins and the two business men. One example was of the party in New York, everybody was walking and drinking around the twins, but when Buddy Foster proposed to Violet, everybody just stopped moving and expressed the surprise on their face. Then everybody was drinking and singing and it created the happy environment of the wedding. Most of the audience was UTD students and some of them were relatives of the performers. They clapped at the end of every single song which sometimes interrupted the performers and delayed the show. The stage was decorated with yellow and red color themes as the background to help the audience feel like they were in the circus and on the side of the stage there was a sign that said, “The Midway, Vaudeville or the Follies…” Because the theatre wasn’t big, and the stage was almost half the size of the theatre the audiences could hear every single word and could watch every single movement. It helped the audience get more into the play and to feel connected with the play.
The audience seemed to take in every moment of the play, because of the great performance. The performers seemed to be enjoying themselves and they deserved it because they had put a lot of effort in the play. The night was not yet over and the music made it feel like there was still plenty of energy left for it to continue. The play was done really well and the polyphony created through the background music and the voices made it that much more enjoyable.
Work cited
Side Show. By Bill Rusell. Dir Robert Longbottom. Perf UT Dallas student. Dallas. 15th Apr. 2010. (Side Show)
Pham, Anh. Program notes. Side Show. 15th Apr. 2010. Dallas. Pham.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Gullah music culture
The music culture of Gullah is mostly used for celebration in church music. Their music is more about nature and spiritual things. Because of the slavery period, the Gullah people are angry at their ancestors.They resent them for coming under the contol of Americans and then being forced out by the same people that enslaved them. Gullah people are mostly agricultural; they live their life with nature and try to develop it the best that they can. Most of Gullah people are Christian, they go to church, pray for life and they are proud of their culture even though it is not really modern. Because the Gullah people are majority christian they share their love of church through music. For the instruments, drum is one of the main ones that make the melody sound wild and they also add words like “yeah or ah” to a certain part of the song. The performers wear their traditional clothes while they sing and dance with each other. They usually perform a duet between a male and female singer or a group of male and female dancers. The performance is outdoors and their audiences just stand around to make a big circle to show the friendship between each Gullah person. They clap along with the rhythm of the songs too.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Hanami Festival
I went to the Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival at Dallas Arboretum on Sunday. Under the blooming cherry blossoms the two performers played the koto and shakuhachi (floor harp and Japanese lute). Everybody brought their picnic blankets and sat around the performers and enjoy the music.
The performance started with a shakuhachi performance, it was played by a male performer. Shakuhachi is the vertical bamboo flute that the performer blows from one side to the other and makes a very soft windy sound. The tone of shakuhachi song was soft, each note flew slowly one to the other and became louder then it dropped to a silence note. The sound was almost like meditation music. The performer also made shakuhachi notes vibrate and repeated the pattern over and over again with different pitches. After he performed two songs, the female woman started to join in the third song. The two performers played with a chasing style, shakuhachi played first and koto played exactly the same notes but one or two beats later. Only at the chorus, the floor harp became background for the lute; it made the lute sound distinct from every other sound around. Several solo koto songs were performed after that; Japanese koto has thirteen strings stretched over the curved board. The female performer usually puts the rings on her first three fingers and plucks the string to make its sound. Koto songs had faster tempre than shakuhachi and more vibratos with bending pitch. The song went on continuously without a stop or silence note. The male performer wore Hakama pants with a black Haori and the female wore a Yukata which is cloth for summer. By wearing Japanese traditional clothing performers had created the mood for their audience, and helped the audience feel relaxed and like they were in Japan enjoying the music. The performance was at noon on a windy day, the air was clean with a few breezes from the lake chilling the air. The musicians chose to perform in the middle of the blooming cherry blossom space and with the audience gathering around them to listen to the music and enjoy their picnic lunch. When the wind blew, a thousand cherry blossom petals fell down on the grass and made the place become unforgettable. With the beauty of area also came some obstacles, the performers told me “The wind blowing makes it hard for us to play, because it affects and bends the sound of the instrument.” (interview). To be able to play outside, they had to watch out for the weather and decided on the best time to perform. He also told me “I have to stay very focus to play, but this is the first time for my partner to play outside like this, it is very hard for her.”(Interview). The male performer is a white dentist professor, he grew up and lives here so he knew the weather and chose to memorize the songs to make it easier. Most of the audiences were families, couples and friends; they either sat under the cherry blossom trees or in front of the performers to hear it more clearly. They also prepared Japanese food for lunch such as sushi, rice cake, and some other foods. Looking around the audience and listening to them I noticed that quite a bit of them are Asian and Japanese or they are American but had lived in Japan and love to go back to visit. The audience shared their experiences with each other and talked freely.
The music performance at the Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival was performed by a Japanese female koto player and a white male shakuhachi player. They had created a Japanese festival moment for the audience in the Dallas arboretum. The blossom trees blowing and swaying in the wind while the performers played soft and gentle notes created the perfect Japanese atmosphere which everyone was swept in. It was a scene that could be enjoyed by a single person or with the whole family.
Work Cited
"Hanami Festival." Personal interview. 28 Mar. 2010.
Pham, Anh. Program notes. Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival. 28 Mar 2010. Dallas.
The performance started with a shakuhachi performance, it was played by a male performer. Shakuhachi is the vertical bamboo flute that the performer blows from one side to the other and makes a very soft windy sound. The tone of shakuhachi song was soft, each note flew slowly one to the other and became louder then it dropped to a silence note. The sound was almost like meditation music. The performer also made shakuhachi notes vibrate and repeated the pattern over and over again with different pitches. After he performed two songs, the female woman started to join in the third song. The two performers played with a chasing style, shakuhachi played first and koto played exactly the same notes but one or two beats later. Only at the chorus, the floor harp became background for the lute; it made the lute sound distinct from every other sound around. Several solo koto songs were performed after that; Japanese koto has thirteen strings stretched over the curved board. The female performer usually puts the rings on her first three fingers and plucks the string to make its sound. Koto songs had faster tempre than shakuhachi and more vibratos with bending pitch. The song went on continuously without a stop or silence note. The male performer wore Hakama pants with a black Haori and the female wore a Yukata which is cloth for summer. By wearing Japanese traditional clothing performers had created the mood for their audience, and helped the audience feel relaxed and like they were in Japan enjoying the music. The performance was at noon on a windy day, the air was clean with a few breezes from the lake chilling the air. The musicians chose to perform in the middle of the blooming cherry blossom space and with the audience gathering around them to listen to the music and enjoy their picnic lunch. When the wind blew, a thousand cherry blossom petals fell down on the grass and made the place become unforgettable. With the beauty of area also came some obstacles, the performers told me “The wind blowing makes it hard for us to play, because it affects and bends the sound of the instrument.” (interview). To be able to play outside, they had to watch out for the weather and decided on the best time to perform. He also told me “I have to stay very focus to play, but this is the first time for my partner to play outside like this, it is very hard for her.”(Interview). The male performer is a white dentist professor, he grew up and lives here so he knew the weather and chose to memorize the songs to make it easier. Most of the audiences were families, couples and friends; they either sat under the cherry blossom trees or in front of the performers to hear it more clearly. They also prepared Japanese food for lunch such as sushi, rice cake, and some other foods. Looking around the audience and listening to them I noticed that quite a bit of them are Asian and Japanese or they are American but had lived in Japan and love to go back to visit. The audience shared their experiences with each other and talked freely.
The music performance at the Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival was performed by a Japanese female koto player and a white male shakuhachi player. They had created a Japanese festival moment for the audience in the Dallas arboretum. The blossom trees blowing and swaying in the wind while the performers played soft and gentle notes created the perfect Japanese atmosphere which everyone was swept in. It was a scene that could be enjoyed by a single person or with the whole family.
Work Cited
"Hanami Festival." Personal interview. 28 Mar. 2010.
Pham, Anh. Program notes. Hanami Cherry Blossom Festival. 28 Mar 2010. Dallas.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Post 10: Opera
This is the Final Act of Tosca by Puccini as portrayed in 1900. In the play, Scarpia the old man was trying to make her his even though she had begged him to let her go. But at the last scene she killed him and escaped. During the opera, the performers not only perform their singing but also they have to play in the drama, they express the character emotion throughout their voice and face expressions. At the part that she kills Scarpia, she looks angry, her voice's volume raises high and she sung at a very high pitch. At the same time the orchestra plays to the scene and enhances the mood and dramatics of it all. Then the music is slowed down and lowered, and it became silent to create a scary and tense mood. The harmony of the music flow from each other with the act of the performers. This program music is very dramatic and it was designed to be that way ever since it made its way out of Italy when it started. That is why all of the words are in Italian and the singers are trained to act while singing so they ca enhance the meaning of the words they sing.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Dallas music culture
Dallas music culture is very complex, it was brought by many immigrants from other parts of the world. The immigrants brought their own styles like meditation music, church music, pop music, folk music and etc. But Dallas’ music culture has its own distinctions, like country music for example, it is famous with the cowboy culture. The culture of the music is extensive and has evolved over several decades. So for my music ethnography I have chosen to write about this wonderful music.
To collect my data, I have used several sources from the internet to know more about the history of this music culture. Besides using the website I also went to “Texas Love &War” a couple of times to observe. I also went to gain a better understanding of the music so I interviewed one of the bands.
Country music’s origins began in the South. Early settlers of the South from several different cultures helped produce the original sound that has evolved into what we now call country music. Irish settlers brought the fiddle, Italians brought the Mandolin, Spaniards brought guitars, and the African Banjo. These instrumentals were brought together because of early Appalachian String Bands. Many cultures helped influence the origins of Country Music; Irish immigrants with their fiddling of really sad tunes to playful melodies allowed for easy assimilation into the Southern culture. African Americans had a helping hand as well because many of the children in the poor white and black neighborhoods played together. Some of the church music in the area also helped influence country music in several ways. Today country music however is predominantly associated with Caucasian people as they are the major market of this genre. Most of the country music fans tend to be Southern, which is no surprise. Country music is popular in other countries as well such as, Ireland, Australia, and in Britain. But, most of the fans and the people living in those countries are predominantly white. Today, when you talk about the culture of country music, generally you are talking about the culture of the south. The south has very conservative beliefs, whether it is politics or lifestyles. The beliefs tend to follow the churches doctrine. There is some deviation from the music and the culture here though, in the old days, country music was more conservative. The lyrics of most country songs earlier were about real world experience like mining, logging, ranching and railroad. Others were about tragedies such as natural disasters, murder and accident. Now though, many of the songs depict heartbreak, revenge, or drinking. Although these are stereotypes of the genre they are the biggest topics of country music today. The South defines music in many ways, generally a catchy tune and a pleasant voice is all that’s needed to make a song. The general attire for this genre includes; tight jeans, a large belt buckle, a woven shirt, and a cowboy hat. Boots can also be added but also regular tennis shoes are welcome. Country music offers a peculiar role in the South. Unlike many genres today, it does not have an over filled market of dance tunes. It does have many love song ballads and songs that instill a longing for your home or the “good ol days”. It does provide an outlet for the growing antimodernism movement. By that I mean the distaste for the current modern lifestyle that we are a part of. Many country music fans dislike the digital age that has become so engraved in our culture. Most of the country music is performed in restaurants, bars for people that are interested in it, and also people at camp sites. At any Texas Cowboy souvenir store you will probably find traces of country music influence. Some people perform country music on the street in New York City, they play as a hobby and it also helps them to get some money, but most of them are amateurs. Some of the people do what is called a square dance, Scottish reel, Iris jigs when they listen to this music. Some like to listen to the country music while they are having dinner or lunch, they like to enjoy and follow it by tapping their feet or shaking their head with the beat of the song. Since I went to Texas Love & War there are some other customers that are wearing cowboy hats and boots with jean to join in the environment of the restaurant. The performers of country music most play for their hobby such as in a party or at camping nights. As stated before majority of the fans are white, gender plays little to no role when it comes to participation. The region where you’re from does play a large role in the US though. Because the South is the origin of country music more participation happens in the South than in the North. In fact, depending on where you live in the South certain types or styles of country music might be more welcomed than others. Radio has always played a large part in country music’s success. In the early 1920’s radio helped push early country music, this was known as hillbilly music, to new heights. It started from a Georgian station and moved all the way to a Chicago Station where the music spread throughout the center of the United States. The Cavender Boot is where you can purchase the country outfits. The boots are made in many places but in Texas they are made in El Paso. In the cowboy festival the popular food served are steak, potatoes, and corn.
To summarize Country music would be a disservice to the genre but a necessary component for the sake of my paper. “Country music was a federation of styles, rather than a monolithic style” that is the true essence of the music. It was built by several other musical genres that have exponentially evolved one after the other. Country music has always had its roots in the South and it continues to develop those even today. It is a rich culture that is still developing today and I have enjoyed the experience of getting to know it.
Work cited:
"Music Culture." Personal interview. 6 Mar. 2010
Scaruffi, Piero. "A Brief History of Country Music." A Brief History of Country Music. Web. 10 Mar. 2010
To collect my data, I have used several sources from the internet to know more about the history of this music culture. Besides using the website I also went to “Texas Love &War” a couple of times to observe. I also went to gain a better understanding of the music so I interviewed one of the bands.
Country music’s origins began in the South. Early settlers of the South from several different cultures helped produce the original sound that has evolved into what we now call country music. Irish settlers brought the fiddle, Italians brought the Mandolin, Spaniards brought guitars, and the African Banjo. These instrumentals were brought together because of early Appalachian String Bands. Many cultures helped influence the origins of Country Music; Irish immigrants with their fiddling of really sad tunes to playful melodies allowed for easy assimilation into the Southern culture. African Americans had a helping hand as well because many of the children in the poor white and black neighborhoods played together. Some of the church music in the area also helped influence country music in several ways. Today country music however is predominantly associated with Caucasian people as they are the major market of this genre. Most of the country music fans tend to be Southern, which is no surprise. Country music is popular in other countries as well such as, Ireland, Australia, and in Britain. But, most of the fans and the people living in those countries are predominantly white. Today, when you talk about the culture of country music, generally you are talking about the culture of the south. The south has very conservative beliefs, whether it is politics or lifestyles. The beliefs tend to follow the churches doctrine. There is some deviation from the music and the culture here though, in the old days, country music was more conservative. The lyrics of most country songs earlier were about real world experience like mining, logging, ranching and railroad. Others were about tragedies such as natural disasters, murder and accident. Now though, many of the songs depict heartbreak, revenge, or drinking. Although these are stereotypes of the genre they are the biggest topics of country music today. The South defines music in many ways, generally a catchy tune and a pleasant voice is all that’s needed to make a song. The general attire for this genre includes; tight jeans, a large belt buckle, a woven shirt, and a cowboy hat. Boots can also be added but also regular tennis shoes are welcome. Country music offers a peculiar role in the South. Unlike many genres today, it does not have an over filled market of dance tunes. It does have many love song ballads and songs that instill a longing for your home or the “good ol days”. It does provide an outlet for the growing antimodernism movement. By that I mean the distaste for the current modern lifestyle that we are a part of. Many country music fans dislike the digital age that has become so engraved in our culture. Most of the country music is performed in restaurants, bars for people that are interested in it, and also people at camp sites. At any Texas Cowboy souvenir store you will probably find traces of country music influence. Some people perform country music on the street in New York City, they play as a hobby and it also helps them to get some money, but most of them are amateurs. Some of the people do what is called a square dance, Scottish reel, Iris jigs when they listen to this music. Some like to listen to the country music while they are having dinner or lunch, they like to enjoy and follow it by tapping their feet or shaking their head with the beat of the song. Since I went to Texas Love & War there are some other customers that are wearing cowboy hats and boots with jean to join in the environment of the restaurant. The performers of country music most play for their hobby such as in a party or at camping nights. As stated before majority of the fans are white, gender plays little to no role when it comes to participation. The region where you’re from does play a large role in the US though. Because the South is the origin of country music more participation happens in the South than in the North. In fact, depending on where you live in the South certain types or styles of country music might be more welcomed than others. Radio has always played a large part in country music’s success. In the early 1920’s radio helped push early country music, this was known as hillbilly music, to new heights. It started from a Georgian station and moved all the way to a Chicago Station where the music spread throughout the center of the United States. The Cavender Boot is where you can purchase the country outfits. The boots are made in many places but in Texas they are made in El Paso. In the cowboy festival the popular food served are steak, potatoes, and corn.
To summarize Country music would be a disservice to the genre but a necessary component for the sake of my paper. “Country music was a federation of styles, rather than a monolithic style” that is the true essence of the music. It was built by several other musical genres that have exponentially evolved one after the other. Country music has always had its roots in the South and it continues to develop those even today. It is a rich culture that is still developing today and I have enjoyed the experience of getting to know it.
Work cited:
"Music Culture." Personal interview. 6 Mar. 2010
Scaruffi, Piero. "A Brief History of Country Music." A Brief History of Country Music. Web. 10 Mar. 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Music culture
The most difficulty that I found when I analyze this music culture is when I first started to listen to it. Because I am not used to listen to country music so at first it gets kind of bored to me but after I read and do research about country music, the more I know about it the more interested that I gained. I and my fiancé have a good time going to the Texas Love and War, we enjoined the band playing country music. After dinner we came and asked the band to do a little interview with them. They are pretty open, they answered and explained what we need to know and what we were unclear about. Everything was going well when I did my project and also the restaurant is not far away from where I live so I actually have more time to come over there and find out more about county music. I also did some research online and found out about some interested website that play country music. I also have interested in Garth Brooks music, and one of the song that he sings and I really like is “More than a memory”. This music culture project helps me learn more about the music that I don’t know.
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