Dec
12
El Condor Pasa
December 12, 2008 | 1 Comment
The 12 girls band
MILLENIUM CHAPUZON
Simon and Garfunkel
Nov
16
Sweet Honey in the Rock
November 16, 2008 | 1 Comment
On November 9, 2008 I went to the Sweet Honey in the Rock concert held in Finney Chapel. Since I arrived 30 minutes early I had my pick of seats. I sat in the front row of the Balcony for two reasons. The first being I’m short and wanted to eliminate the possibility of someone blocking my view, and second being the balcony proved to be a great place to watch people throughout the concert. Since I arrived early, very few people were present. I took the extra time to examine the stage. With the help of red lighting they managed to make Finney’s stage look smaller than normal. The lighting coupled with the six chairs arranged in a semi circle, helped to create an intimacy between the audience and the performance to come. I also believe the stage was arrange this way to pre-focus the audiences attention, in order to keep our eyes from wondering around the large stage during the performance.
Ten minutes before the start of the show, the audience began to pour into the seats. As I looked from one face to another I once again felt the power of music. Flowing into Finney Chapel were people of various races, couples of various age and orientations, and for a moment in time the generation gap between old and young snapped closed. As the noise rose from reunions and introductions, I also sensed the relaxed anticipation of the audience growing. It was almost as if everyone was thinking the same thought, “It’s Sweet Honey in the Rock, of course it’s going to be amazing.” This collective confidence infused in to my body, and I sat back ready to enjoy the show.
Five minutes, and the steady stream of people continue. The lower level is now full, and people are starting to fill the first section of the balcony. When the stream stops, Finney Chapel isn’t packed, but there is a nice size audience in attendance. As we wait for the performance to start I wonder if the turn out would have been so nice, if it weren’t parents weekend. I don’t get to finish my thought as the lights go dim to thunderous applause.
Sweet Honey in the Rock started off the show by telling the audience not to be shy. They wanted us to clap, sing, dance, sway, and do whatever the music called us to do during the course of the show. It was evident by their choice of clothing and songs that the first set focused on Africa. They preformed songs from African tribes like the Mbuti and Mali. They also relied on interlocking, diaphony, and heterophony to create and build up the melodies of their pieces. Furthermore they preformed a mixture of open ended and closed songs. I noticed that who ever sung lead in the open-ended songs, was the person the rest of the group took their cues from. After each song, they told the audience why it was important to them or the culture from which it originated. This seemed to be a winning combination as I could feel the continual raise of the audience’s energy. The end of each song was met with thunderous applause, whistling, and woo’s. The success of the first set is due to how well they executed their concept of Africa. Through their music, and iconic African clothing, I believe they stayed, as close to being as authentic as possible, while still maintaining a contemporary style that held the attention of everyone.
The second set of the Sweet Honey in the Rock Concert wasn’t as successful. Vocally the women were on point, and the chemistry between them still oozed from their pores, but it was the concept behind the second that weakened the impact. It started with their costumes. They were bright, multi colored outfits, that flowed like kimonos, but made them look bigger then life. As the second set was geared towards the blues, the out fits didn’t make sense. I guess they were going for something more fun, but I just felt like the look was over done. Also, the second set lost the authenticity of the first. It seemed as if the focus of the second set was promotion, while the first was exhibition. At first I thought it was just me, but as I looked down at the audience, I noticed them moving. People weren’t swaying to the melody; they were wiggling, stretching, or stock still as if they were really concentrating on what was going on. During this set, the air of Finney Chapel kept shifting from wild to mild interest. The break down of the concept affected the ability of the audience to accurately interpret the music. Unfortunately, this disconnect took away the audience’s ability to enter a collective flow. I believe this is due in part to splitting the show in two. Had they toned down the second set of costumes, and found a way to blend the two halves together, the second portion would have been more successful. Overall, the concert was great, and more then worth the 7-dollar cover charge.
Nov
16
You say no, I’ll find a way to yes
November 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
“When America was rocking to the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, the airwaves in China were dominated by songs with lyrics from Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book.” The undoing of China’s control on music is a combination of the people’s curiosity, and the internet. With a click of a button people now have the ability to bring the outside world in, without the permission of Big Brother. Without the musical oppression imposed by the Chinese Governement, musicians similar to B6 would not exist. From Shanghai, electronic musician b6 is one of many musicians using the internet to defy the Chinese government’s restriction on Music. Before the internet, B6’s only exposure to western music was through CDs bought off the black market. Now with his website Neocha, co-founded with Sean Leow, other aspiring artists have a place to promote their works. It’s a shame no one found this article important enough to comment on. This article not only shows how music transcends the political system, but also the importance of technology. Without the internet, it’s a lot easier for the government to control the music. The invention of the internet has opened a brand new world where people are no longer afraid to be heard, and music can do what it is supposed to do, free the mind.
Nov
10
Protected: I have wings on my feet. Do you?
November 10, 2008 | Enter your password to view comments
Oct
26
Protected: Sorry it’s short, im still waking from break.
October 26, 2008 | Enter your password to view comments
Oct
10
Gamelan
October 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The major difference between Gamelan Beleganjur and the traditional Javanese gamelan is its portability. Gamelan beleganjur is different because it is processional. Also the only instruments played in these processional are large kettle kongs, regular kettle kongs, drums, and cymbals. Like the traditional Javanese gamelan, the gamelan beleganjur is cyclical. The difference is traditional Javanese gamelan cycles every 16 beats starting on note 16, and gamelan beleganjur cycles every 8 beat starting on beat 8. Also gamelan beleganjur possesses a sound distinct from the sounds of Traditional Javanese gamelan. When I hear a Traditional Javanese ensemble I think of rain drops, because every strike of the instruments seems separate and a part. When I listen to gamelan beleganjur I feel as if the notes are trying to run away from the musicians, and just when I think the tempo is two fast for the musician to keep up, the tempo slows. The speeding up and down of the tempo is an aspect of gamelan that is not often heard in traditional Javanese gamelan, and if is present it is not as dramatic as it appears in gamelan beleganjur. I think the drama is a product of the cymbals. The cymbals add a sense of movement not always present in traditional Javanese gamelan. Also, if you can listen past the cymbals, the beat of the piece is easy to discern. I think it is easier because the punctuating layer only contends with 3 other instruments instead of 13. Personally I like Traditional Javanese gamelan better because it is more dreamlike, less hurried, and gentler on my untrained ears.
Oct
5
Protected: I almost forgot
October 5, 2008 | Enter your password to view comments
Sep
21
Protected: Sounds so sweet.
September 21, 2008 | Enter your password to view comments
Sep
13
shh…
September 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Converting “The Call to Prayer into a ring tone seems offensive to the Islamic faith. Although this rendition is a beautiful specimen of music, defining it as music is where it fails. The addition of a low drone and piano, coupled with the elongation of the words, takes away from the original aesthetics. Rooted in deep cultural beliefs for thousands of years, these powerful additions seem trivial when the religious implications out weigh any attempt to appeal to the masses. Commercialization of “The Call the Prayer,” serves as another example of the cultural ignorance we all eat for breakfast.
Sep
11
Adrian! You ain’t GONNA FLY AWAY from me!
September 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
“You’ll never forget this,” were the exact words my mother spoke as we watched Rocky celebrate amongst the children. As she often is, my mother was right. I never did forget that moment, and it wasn’t because of the children. To tell the truth I always remembered Rocky scaling those stairs alone to the unforgettable soundtrack of “Gonna Fly Away.” I recall shivering as chills ran up my spine, and my lips curled into a proud grin. Most importantly, I remember what Rocky symbolized. In the 2 to 3 minutes it took Rocky to conquer those steps he became apart of my index for pride. Rocky’s theme song serves as an index because it connects the song (sign) to the movie Rocky (event). From there it breaks down into Rocky, the pride in his accomplishment, and then in to the notion anything is possible if the mind is willing and able. The specificity in the memories elicited through Rocky’s theme is why it represents an index for me.
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