http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sMc-p19FIk
OK so I've seen this video a thousand times, but it's always been one of my favorites. It's the Chinese Circus doing Swan Lake. Its the same Swan Lake music we all know and love, but the acrobats in this video are phenomenal!!! Please take the time to watch this video...you'll be completely amazed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K8vd4ysc4Y
this video is a Chinese beat boxer performing. I thought it was hilarious...always a good time :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F53mHsvjC3M
I actually have no idea where this video takes place, or where the girl is from...but she looks Asian and this video is awesome. Shes probably the most flexible person I've ever seen in my entire life and it actually creeps me out at parts...but the music is neat too...
Part II of my post:
1. I was very surprised that there were so many videos of the Aboriginal people...I had always heard they didn't even like to be photographed because it was like capturing a part of their soul.
2. I always knew that our culture was diverse, but I didn't realize how much of our music was affected by different places around the world. I also found it really interesting how so many different cultures, that never met one another, created almost identical instruments.
3. I would like to study aboriginal dancing. It looked like so much fun and more of a workout than Zumba!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Cool stuff 2!
http://www.festival-au-desert.org/
this is super cool...its a festival in the desert that is held every year. This past year it was held just outside Timbuktu. They invite tons of Ambassadors and government ministers. There were over 40 musical groups. That is the main website where you can read about it and find out more!
http://www.ugandavideos.com/
I like this site because it is all Ugandan material. Music, music videos, news clips, etc. Its really cool for them to compile so much of that culture into one website. I really like the music video titled Omulangira Suuna - Kamuleke. Check it out!
http://www.laritmo.com/
This is the website for a Latin American music magazine. It has music news, charts, new artists...all kinds of things.
this is super cool...its a festival in the desert that is held every year. This past year it was held just outside Timbuktu. They invite tons of Ambassadors and government ministers. There were over 40 musical groups. That is the main website where you can read about it and find out more!
http://www.ugandavideos.com/
I like this site because it is all Ugandan material. Music, music videos, news clips, etc. Its really cool for them to compile so much of that culture into one website. I really like the music video titled Omulangira Suuna - Kamuleke. Check it out!
http://www.laritmo.com/
This is the website for a Latin American music magazine. It has music news, charts, new artists...all kinds of things.
Music and Gender
Growing up I found that gender didn't really have much to do with our listening choices. It was more of a social clique thing. The "popular" kids listened to all the hip music on the radio and then there were the "nerds" and by nerds I mean the theater kids, math team, academic bowl, Science Olympiad, explorers club, band, chorus, and orchestra (yes I was in all of those groups...). We listened to all the classic rock, oldies, jazz, swing, etc. It was always weird to me how the different cliques had different music taste. It almost seemed as if the music choices determined the cliques.
As a member of the marching band I did always notice the differences in which genders played which instruments. The flutes and clarinets were almost all girls, though we did have a few guys. Part of that was the face that we had over 30 flute and clarinets. The brass instruments were almost all guys with the exception of maybe 3 or 4 trumpet players. Our drum line had all guys that marched and the girls were expected to play in the pit on the side line.
When I was a freshman in high school we had a male drum major and everyone seemed to keep the attitude that the drum major should always be male. However, my sophomore year, we had a chick, and then male my junior year, but then another chick my senior year. So over all I think my school was pretty good about not making decisions for music positions based on gender.
I dunno...gender has never really played a huge role in music in my life I guess.
As a member of the marching band I did always notice the differences in which genders played which instruments. The flutes and clarinets were almost all girls, though we did have a few guys. Part of that was the face that we had over 30 flute and clarinets. The brass instruments were almost all guys with the exception of maybe 3 or 4 trumpet players. Our drum line had all guys that marched and the girls were expected to play in the pit on the side line.
When I was a freshman in high school we had a male drum major and everyone seemed to keep the attitude that the drum major should always be male. However, my sophomore year, we had a chick, and then male my junior year, but then another chick my senior year. So over all I think my school was pretty good about not making decisions for music positions based on gender.
I dunno...gender has never really played a huge role in music in my life I guess.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Music and Religion
Instead of sticking strictly to those two, rather large umbrellas, I am going to explain my religious experience that I have had with music, and incorporate those "umbrellas" into my story. I know that the instructions say "not necessarily an evaluation of your personal experiences", but I'm not sure I can address this topic without delving into that. I feel that by writing my story out it may better explain aspects of my personality that some people find difficult to grasp.
Let me begin by saying that I am agnostic. Agnosticism as defined by Merriam-Webster is 1 : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god.
Now as you know if you read my previous post on music and family, I grew up singing in the church and playing piano in the church. I was raised United Methodist and was a very active church member. I was in the church choir from 5th grade through 12th grade. I performed countless solos, performed piano works, was the lead singer of the praise band, and led multiple Bible studies and Worship music groups. I even became a hired pianist for 2 years with a church back home.
Most of my religious "experience" that I had growing up was through music. I was taught to perform classically for most of my solo singing, because that was what was considered proper and "most pleasing" to the ears of all. But with the praise band and in my worship services I sang pop style because that is what the people my age wanted to hear.
Our church services were riddled with music: prelude, opening hymn, prayer hymn, doxology, offertory, a couple more hymns thrown in there, and then a postlude for people to walk out during. It wasn't a proper service if those pieces were not involved. Music started, put together, and ended every service. It was almost like the spine of a creature that was beginning to suffocate me.
I eventually decided that I was too far involved in the "religious" aspects of my faith, and I viewed it more as a job than something that I truly believed in. I discovered the difference between religious and spiritual and decided to take a step back from everything I was doing. I grew tired of watching people I knew fall to their knees in tears because the music was so powerful and moving and then the next week be huge hypocrites. I refused to turn out like that.
I have decided that if religion is meant for me, I will find it. I need something spiritual, not religious and even though music helps for me, it did not give me what I needed.
I have chosen to become an incredibly blunt, outspoken person for the sole purpose of never being a hypocrite.
Let me begin by saying that I am agnostic. Agnosticism as defined by Merriam-Webster is 1 : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god.
Now as you know if you read my previous post on music and family, I grew up singing in the church and playing piano in the church. I was raised United Methodist and was a very active church member. I was in the church choir from 5th grade through 12th grade. I performed countless solos, performed piano works, was the lead singer of the praise band, and led multiple Bible studies and Worship music groups. I even became a hired pianist for 2 years with a church back home.
Most of my religious "experience" that I had growing up was through music. I was taught to perform classically for most of my solo singing, because that was what was considered proper and "most pleasing" to the ears of all. But with the praise band and in my worship services I sang pop style because that is what the people my age wanted to hear.
Our church services were riddled with music: prelude, opening hymn, prayer hymn, doxology, offertory, a couple more hymns thrown in there, and then a postlude for people to walk out during. It wasn't a proper service if those pieces were not involved. Music started, put together, and ended every service. It was almost like the spine of a creature that was beginning to suffocate me.
I eventually decided that I was too far involved in the "religious" aspects of my faith, and I viewed it more as a job than something that I truly believed in. I discovered the difference between religious and spiritual and decided to take a step back from everything I was doing. I grew tired of watching people I knew fall to their knees in tears because the music was so powerful and moving and then the next week be huge hypocrites. I refused to turn out like that.
I have decided that if religion is meant for me, I will find it. I need something spiritual, not religious and even though music helps for me, it did not give me what I needed.
I have chosen to become an incredibly blunt, outspoken person for the sole purpose of never being a hypocrite.
Music and Family
OK...my family is quite odd when it comes to their music choices. My father listens to classic rock, jazz, and Motown...so that gave me an interesting appreciation as a child. I grew up singing the hits of the Temptations and the Eagles...
My mother on the other hand, was always big into classical music and bands such as Queen and Pink Floyd. So of course I was placed in piano classes by age 7. That way I could learn to entertain my parents at all times. I not only learned to play classical music, but Simon and Garfunkel soon became a favorite of mine, and I learned to played Frank Sinatra for my daddy.
I then began to play piano for church, along with singing for church. I was in multiple choirs and played the offertory on many Sundays. It was a small church, so for a 10-year-old to play piano for them, they were quite excited. Later, my parents told me that my brother had more natural talent on piano than I did and the only reason I was better was because I practiced more. It was a lesson to be learned because that is when I focused more on singing.
This proved to be useful as I started taking private voice lessons, joined my school choir, went to All-state multiple years in a row, and by senior year of high school, I was the top classical singer in the state of GA.
My parents always encouraged me to continue my singing once they realized it was what I truly enjoyed doing. Before that, they wanted me to either be a lawyer, a forensic scientist, a math teacher, or join the military. Mainly join the Military....
However, my love of music has remained and I, to this day, surprise countless people that sit in my car. When my iPod hits shuffle, there is Jazz music, swing music, opera, classical, rock, oldies, heavy metal, easy listening, country, rap, and a whole lot of 80s music. Pretty much any genre you can think of, I own as least some of it, because my parents raised me to listen to a lot of variety and to be well versed in all areas.
My mother on the other hand, was always big into classical music and bands such as Queen and Pink Floyd. So of course I was placed in piano classes by age 7. That way I could learn to entertain my parents at all times. I not only learned to play classical music, but Simon and Garfunkel soon became a favorite of mine, and I learned to played Frank Sinatra for my daddy.
I then began to play piano for church, along with singing for church. I was in multiple choirs and played the offertory on many Sundays. It was a small church, so for a 10-year-old to play piano for them, they were quite excited. Later, my parents told me that my brother had more natural talent on piano than I did and the only reason I was better was because I practiced more. It was a lesson to be learned because that is when I focused more on singing.
This proved to be useful as I started taking private voice lessons, joined my school choir, went to All-state multiple years in a row, and by senior year of high school, I was the top classical singer in the state of GA.
My parents always encouraged me to continue my singing once they realized it was what I truly enjoyed doing. Before that, they wanted me to either be a lawyer, a forensic scientist, a math teacher, or join the military. Mainly join the Military....
However, my love of music has remained and I, to this day, surprise countless people that sit in my car. When my iPod hits shuffle, there is Jazz music, swing music, opera, classical, rock, oldies, heavy metal, easy listening, country, rap, and a whole lot of 80s music. Pretty much any genre you can think of, I own as least some of it, because my parents raised me to listen to a lot of variety and to be well versed in all areas.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Cool stuff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiIa2i29PZ4
This is really neat...its a Swahili rap about poverty in Tanzania. The artist is Faza Nelly from the group X Plastaz which is a very popular hip hop crew in Tanzania. This particular piece merges Swahili rap and traditional Maasai music. The video was filmed on a remote, active volcano named Ol Doinyo Lengai.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pen8GoXPq0&feature=related
This is the Ghost Dance performed by Apurimac III Nature Spirit Pride. The video is all Native American art work by J.D. Challenger, Frank Howell, and Howard Terpning. The history of the Ghost Dance is really cool. It was a new religious movement the Indians had to separate themselves from "the white man". It was a focus on the restoration of the past as opposed to salvation for the future. Of course when Europeans came to America they came preaching Christianity, and the Indians were not big fans of forced religion.
http://www.myspace.com/withoutrezervation
My last neat thing I found is a Native American hip hop group. I found their Myspace page and their little tag line thing says "Native America Strikes Back." You can go on their page and listen to some of their music. Its pretty cool. They advertise for an American Indian Movement of Colorado that is to abolish Columbus Day. I think it would be neat to learn more about their views on the situation.
This is really neat...its a Swahili rap about poverty in Tanzania. The artist is Faza Nelly from the group X Plastaz which is a very popular hip hop crew in Tanzania. This particular piece merges Swahili rap and traditional Maasai music. The video was filmed on a remote, active volcano named Ol Doinyo Lengai.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pen8GoXPq0&feature=related
This is the Ghost Dance performed by Apurimac III Nature Spirit Pride. The video is all Native American art work by J.D. Challenger, Frank Howell, and Howard Terpning. The history of the Ghost Dance is really cool. It was a new religious movement the Indians had to separate themselves from "the white man". It was a focus on the restoration of the past as opposed to salvation for the future. Of course when Europeans came to America they came preaching Christianity, and the Indians were not big fans of forced religion.
http://www.myspace.com/withoutrezervation
My last neat thing I found is a Native American hip hop group. I found their Myspace page and their little tag line thing says "Native America Strikes Back." You can go on their page and listen to some of their music. Its pretty cool. They advertise for an American Indian Movement of Colorado that is to abolish Columbus Day. I think it would be neat to learn more about their views on the situation.
Monday, January 4, 2010
My Musical Autobiography
I grew up in a military family. I was born in Michigan and then we moved to Germany for three years. However, my father was then stationed in south Georgia, and yes, I mean the state, not the country. So growing up in Georgia you wouldn't think there would be a lot of cultural diversity in the music. The interesting thing about Columbus, GA is that many military families retire there, and almost everyone I went to school with had lived in another country at some point in their life.
One of my first boyfriends had recently moved from Germany and turned me onto German heavy metal and techno. Two of my best friends had recently moved from Korea and played me many of their favorite tunes. I also had a friend from Nigeria who taught me a lot about African music. My fathers' favorite music has always been jazz, so I heard jazz music on every car ride we took: When it takes 10 hours in a car just to visit your grandparents, thats a lot of jazz music.
My favorite type of music that I learned of growing up was when I had to write my final music paper for my IB diploma. I researched Chinese Opera and singing styles and compared it to Italian Opera. I learned quite a bit about the subject: the costuming, the characters, the differences in technique. One of the biggest things I learned from this project was tolerance of different styles. Chinese singing is very piercing, and does tend to give me a headache.
But most importantly, I took a music history course as a high school senior where we listened to music from all over the globe. We studied South American, Asian, Russian, African, and Australian music. I believe that because of my background in many musical cultures I will enjoy this class as memory refreshment and to learn new things.
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