wrapping it up!

Music of Diverse Cultures was a class I fully enjoyed. It allowed me to gain full appreciation for other cultures, dig deep into the world and fully understand how other cultures celebrate through music and instruments. After learning about other cultures and thier music, I really began to notice that music truly is its own language and has the ability to speak to every culture differently. I think that is extremely special to each individual culture as music helps to shape who they are, not only as people but as tribes, families and nations.


There were so many interesting musical ideas given during this course that finding one particular thing that surprised or intriqued me is quite challenging. However, out of all the places we discussed, I was really interested in the India unit as their music was very unfamilar to me. Although, I did like the Arab world unit as well. In India, I was really drawn to the drum language (konnakol) they use. This still fascinates me every time I hear and watch it being done. I would love to know how konnakol is taught and done so effortlessly. It would also be fantastic if more modern day musicians started to incorporate konnakol into a pop or hip-hip genre. I think that would be so cool. :)
It was surprising to me when it was said that Indian music doesnt focus on the tonal center of the note. This sounded weird to my ear at first but I actually grew to love it. In the Arab world, I thought that the quran was really neat and  something I would want to know more about. If you want to hear Ed Sherran's "Shape of You," with an added flair of konnakol, go check out IndiaRaga. It is my new jam for sure. But for now, here is another video from IndiaRaga.

I have never known a different culture. I always knew country and pop music to be the music I have always listened too. I, also,  grew up religious, so religious music is also a big part of my music repertoire. Ballet, tap and jazz seem to be the only dances (at least for me) popular in south carolina. (Other than the occasional cupid shuffle and Silento that are played at school dances and parties). With that said, music of diverse cultures did definitely show me that the culture I live in, is not only different but also similar to the cultures we studied. Music was similar because there was some music theory, forms and characteristics that we use in western music involved and dances were almost always accompanied. Don't we dance to music?  It was different, however, because every culture has ther own set of rules and instruments to play. For example, we like to hit the tonal center of the note, while India likes to explore the note more. That is hard to grasp but it is something that I wasn't aware of coming into the class.

I really liked the many varieties of clips that were played. Rather new or old. It really does help to hear the music that is being talked about. My favorite videos were the women of blues and the African music clip from youtube. Those made me so happy. I enjoyed the presentations as well. It was neat hearing about Brazil and Greece because I adore them both. I also think the presentations serve as a great opportunity for everyone to practice public speaking and teach in an environment that is suited for both. My favorite thing about the class was seeing and hearing about Dr. Weeks travels. This was a great added component to the class. Really everything, except for the textbook, I enjoyed. We needed to play more of the audio from the book during class,however, because I for some reason could not figure out how to play the examples that were in each of the chapters. This may have just been me though. Other than that, I enjoyed the class!

Africa has always been a fascination to me. I guess maybe it's because "Africa," by Toto is my favorite song, I dont know, but nonetheless, Africa will always be something I want to know more about. I would love to visit Africa one day, either as a fun trip or as a mission trip, so I can be more hands on with the music. I think being there and experiencing something for yourself is more rewarding than just hearing about it. I would really also love to know more about the vocal tradition they have. I love vocal music and I want to know what choral works actually derived from Africa! I also would be up for learning more about the Arab world and their music. As I have no desire to visit, I still would want to know more about the quran.

And just for fun, Here is "Africa" by Toto! :)

China and Indonesia!

I love the opera tradition. I have been to about three operas and I just can just never get enough. Because of this, I got excited about jingju or Beijing Opera. After watching the videos in class, I decided I wanted to know more about the costumes and masks that each performer wore as it fascinated me. 

Costumes

Due to the scarcity of props, costumes are of huge importance in Beijing opera. Costumes function to establish the rank of the character being played. Each character, depending on their rank or age, are given different colored robes to wear.

Emperors and their families normally wear yellow robes and high-ranking officials wear purple. The typical robe worn by these two groups is called a mang or python robe. The python robe features brilliant colors and rich embroidery that are often in the design of a dragon. People of high virtue wore red while the lower ranked people tended to wear blue. Children wore white, the old, wore white, brown or olive while everyone else wore black.

On formal occasions, the lower ranked officials may wear the kuan yi, a simple gown with embroidery patches on both the front and back. On informal occasions, all other characters wear the chezi, a basic gown with varying levels of embroidery. Those typically did not have jade girdles to denote rank. Every gown or robe have water sleeves that are attached to facilitate emotive gestures. The characters who are least important or of no rank wear simple clothing with the absence of embroidery. Hats are intended to blend in with the rest of the costume and will have a matching level of embroidery. 

Mask color and meanings

Red: positive character

• Prosperity
• Loyalty
• Courage

Purple: substitute for red

·         Justice

·         Sophistication

Black: neutral Character

·         Impartiality

·         Integrity

Blue: neutral character

• Stubbornness

Green

•   Violent
• Impulsive

Yellow- cruel character

•   Evil
• Ambitious
• Sly

White- evil character

·         Hypocritical

Gold and Silver- Demon or seen as mystery

·         Ghost

·         Spirit

Indonesia

Kecak was a dance I did not quite understand but I decided to look more into it as it was very interesting. Some of the other musical concepts were interesting but the kecak really stood out to me because it was something I had never seen before. I wanted to, essentially, know more about the tradition and where it came from. Here is what I found.

Kecak is a form of Balinese Hindu dance and music drama that was developed in Bali, Indonesia in the 1930’s. It has been performed primarily by males until 2006 when the first women’s kecak was created. The dance is based on the story of the Ramayana and was traditionally performed in temples and villages across Bali. The dance is performed by 150 performers who wear checkered clothes around their waists. They chant ‘chak” while moving their arms and hands. The dance typically depicts a battle in which the monkey-like, varanas, helps prince Rama fight the evil king Ravana. The dance also has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance. The duration of a typical kecak is around an hour and they are performed in the evening daily (around 6 PM Bali time). The dancers are either the chanters or the main Ramayana dancers who play the bigger roles.

I am attaching a video of the Kecak being performed by women. I think it’s neat that women have the same tradition, so I want to share it with all of you. 

Vava is a Chinese rapper from Ya’an, Sichuan, china. She has often been called China’s Rihanna.

She rose to fame from her performance on the first season of the iQiyi television show The Rap of China. Her song “My new Swag” was featured in the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians.

Music and Family

As a field study, I was asked to interview someone of the older generation. As I did not interview a family member specifically, I did interview someone I am really close too. She is like family to us, so I thought why not. With this class having a focus on different cultures and thier musics, I did not want to do my parents as they were both born here, in Spartanburg South Carolina, and most of my other family members were also from the same areas in Spartanburg. I thought, also, that it would be more interesting to interview someone who was born into a different culture unlike my own. So, I decided to interview a rather close family friend of ours.

I have only known Stacey for about a year and this interview has really helped me get to her from a musical standpoint. Here is a bit of her background: She was born in Shelbyville Indiana where she got married and had her first born. She moved to South Carolina 26 years ago where she had her three boys. Most of her family was not musical but she had a love for music that made her an avid participant of choirs. I asked her a few questions about her childhood and her parents: (not word for word, I just kind of summarized).

Me: What kind of music did you listen too when you were growing up?
Stacey: I listened to a lot of the older rock and roll but as I got older I listened to country for the most part.
Me: Do you still listen to that type of music?
Stacey: Yes, eventhough, I prefer country, I still listen to Rock and Roll on a daily basis.
Me: Did your parents influence what you listened too in any way or did you just kind of discover that type of music on your own?
Stacey: No, not really but my mom loved Elvis Presley so that could have been some of an influence for liking rock and roll.
I then asked her "What was your first memory of music?"
Stacey: It was Elvis Presley because my mom loved him.
This is a short response, but, because of her mom, Stacey grew up with a lot of Elvis Presley influnece. So this, in a sense, allowed her to discover rock and roll and her love for it.
Moving on to her later life
Me: Did you go to any concerts?
Stacey: Yes, I think the first concert I attended was Lisa and the Cult Jam, but I have been to others.  ACDC, Blake Shelton and Willie Nelson were among those. I have been to a lot so I can't think of all the ones I have attended right off hand.
Here is a song from Lisa and the Cult Jam!

I did end up asking her how the experience was and she just said "fun!" This was a simple answer but I then asked her "Did the experience of seeing concerts help you love music more? Here was her answer:
"Yeah, but I loved music before because when I was in high school, I was in what they called a show group. I actually went to many state competitions and won many awards while doing it. I loved music and still do."
I actually didn't know this about her so it was nice hearing a story I could relate too on a personal level. I, too, competed in multiple state level competitions with the chamber choir I was in for two years of high school. Just a cool fact that i'm glad I captured about her.

Me: When you moved here, did your type of music change and if so, what did it change too?
Stacey: It did. It changed to country. I listened to country when we first moved here, I guess because we are in the south! haha!
I later learned that Indiana wasnt much of a country influence to her as South Carolina was.

I knew she had travelled some but I had no idea that she had been to so many places.
me: "Did you travel any?"
Stacey: Yes, I have been to Hawaii, Pennsylvania, New York City, Boston, Tennessee, Kansas, Ohio, Missouri and Arkansas.
I found this to be fasinating because, though only 9 states were stated during the interview, she still had numerous other states she had visited and seen. I told her that I had only been to Florida, Germany, California and Tennessee but it would have been really cool to visit Hawaii and Kansas.

Moving on to others questions.
After asking her about her travels, I asked her "what kind of music did you hear in Hawaii, specifically?" and her response was "well it was Hawaiian music and (it) was definitely much different than what we hear in South Carolina." I then asked her, to keep the conversation going, "did you see dances and things that were not traditionally done here," and she said "Yes, definitely," My goal here was to get a story but unfortunately I didn't. This was completely my fault as some of the questions were just pulled during the spur of the moment so to speak but none the less, I still learned a great deal about her travels.

With her being a mother of four, I was curious to know what she thought of thier music. Her oldest daughter is in her late twenties while her youngest son is 11. We see totally different age gaps here so I was curious to know.
Me: Thinking about the music you grew up with, do you enjoy/like the type of music your children listen too?
Her response to this really shows her personality!
Stacey: uhh, no. *laughs*
I asked her why and she simply said "because you can't understand the words."
Me: How different was your daughters music compared to your youngest sons?
Stacey: Well Cassy listened to country so I could handle her music but Colton, one the other hand, is totally different. He thinks he needs to listen too all that rap and music that is hard to understand. That crazy stuff!
I think it was important to ask this because music is constantly evolving and with me, basically, growing up as the only child, my influence of music came from what my parents listened too. However, some of it came from what my friends listened too as well. My point here is that music is always changing and each generation has a different influence in regards to what they listen too.

Me: Do you like to expose your children to the type of music you listen too?
Stacey: Yes, because I think it's better music and every one of my kids, but Colton, listens to what we do.
Me: Do you think it's important for the different generations to have thier own type of music?
Stacey: yes, I think it is. I'm not gonna hate on it but I do think it's important.

Wrapping up, I asked what I feel is the most important question. What is music to you?
Stacey: Music to me soothes my soul. If i'm in a bad mood, I can turn music on and it makes me feel better instantly. It calms me.
I don't think this could have been answered any better. Music is my everything and it definitely is my healing. I couldn't imagine a world without it!

She went on to talk about her show choir more and her singing experience. She used to compete in what I guess is considered,now, solo and ensemble, where she scored a perfect score of 7. Then she went with a trio, and they also scored a perfect score.  She talked about the many outfits of the choir world. If anyone was in choir, you know what i'm talking about. She enjoyed singing and still sings to this day. Like I said before, she didnt come from a musical family but when her parents found out she could sing, they enrolled her into chorus and made her a participant of music.

I interviewed Stacy in her house and it was a nice, calm enviroment, except for her cat wanting ALL the attention. He even one time, sat on my notes and I spent a whole minute trying to get him to move! Lol, the joys of having animals. Anyways, I think the interview went really well and we both were super comfortable through the whole interview. It was a great interview and i'm so glad I was able to talk with her more. :)

I will attach her favorite song to give everyone a break from reading! This is "Gone' by Montgomery Gentry. This would have been the song to describe her as well!

India and the Arab World!

I have always loved the flute. I seem to have a never-ending love for the sound of it.  That sounds weird I know, but the sound of it always sends me into a state of meditation and sometimes we just need that in our lives! 😊 Anyways, because of this, I wanted to know more about the Ney and its history. The Ney was very interesting to me and here is what I found during my research:

The Ney is an end-blown flute that is prominently heard and used in the Middle East. It is considered one of the oldest instruments, that is still in use, because it has been played for nearly 4,500-5,000 years continually. The Persian Ney consists of a hollow cylinder with finger-holes. It typically has six holes, one of which is on the back. Arabic Neys, however, have seven with six in front and one thumb hole in the back; just like the good ole recorders in elementary school!! Typically, but not always, will the Ney have a brass, horn or plastic mouthpiece that is placed on the top of the wood for protection. The mouthpiece also provides a sharper and durable edge to blow into.  A Ney is typically made with a hollow cane or a giant reed while a modern-day Ney is made from metal or plastic tubing. The pitches of the Ney vary depending on the regions and finger arrangements. A highly skilled Ney player, a Neyzen, can make the Ney reach to more than three octaves. It is more common, though, for there to be several players to help cover the different pitch ranges. (ensemble).

Often, Neys are constructed in various keys. In the Arab, there are seven common ranges: the longest and lowest-pitched is the Rast. This is followed by the Dukah in D, the Busalik in E, the Jaharka in F, the Nawa in G, the Hussayni in A and the Ajam in B (or Bb). The Dukah Ney is the most common, however. Attached is a relaxing video of the Ney being played. WARNING: you just might fall asleep listening to this but boy, oh boy, isn't it beautiful? 

This video is a technique video of how the Ney is played. Not quite as relaxing but still beautiful, just the same.


I got really interested with the konnakol tradition in India. It is such a neat concept and I really wanted to know more about it. Konnakol, or drum language, is the art of performing percussion syllables vocally. It is essentially the spoken component of solkattu- refers to a combination of konnakol syllables while counting the tala or meter with the hand. This is why we saw them clapping and saying the syllables simultaneously in the few videos we watched. Looking more into this, I found a few musicians who use this method as a compositional aid and teaching method. The most prominent musician was John McLaughlin who used konnakol as a compositional aid. Also, Dr. Joel, Subash Chandran's disciple, is known for incoporating konnakol into his rock and western classical music. Arun Luthra and Steve Smith are also notable musicians who use Konnakol methods.
I am attaching a video of Arun Luthra who is a jazz artist. He incorporates the Konnakol rhythms into his music and I think that is really cool. He is also one of the small group of American jazz musicians, of Indian heritage, who have continued to explore the possibilities of fusing indian classical music with the modern post-bop sound of jazz.

Neha Kakkar is an indian playback singer who specializes in the Bollywood genre. This particular song, O Saki, Saki, has a very popish vibe and that happens to be my favorite genre. :) I really enjoyed her music so I thought I would share it with everyone! Also, you can definitely hear the Indian vocal tradition shining through the very american style. Enjoy!

Haifa Wehbe is a Labenese singer and actress. She represents Arabic pop music! I couldnt find that much information on her but her music is so fun and definitely something I would continue to listen too. So, without further ado, here she is!

COOL STUFF!!

In the process of taking the South America quiz, I stumbled upon the word "Quijada." I was really curious to know more about this so called instrument that was used in Latin America. It was an instrument less talked about but it is important to know that it existed. Here is what I found:

A quijada or jawbone is an idiophone percussion instrument typically made from the jawbone of a Donkey, Horse or Mule. The tissue from the jawbone is cleaned and dried to loosen the teeth; making the teeth act as rattles. It is seen and used in most of Latin America, including Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador and Cuba. Though played in Latin America, it originated from the Africans that were brought to America during the colonial era. It is said to be an Afro-Peruvian instrument because it was believed to have first been introduced to the people of Peru. It is one of the main instruments used by Afro-Peruvian music ensembles and other cultures in Latin America such as Argentina, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The Quijada is also used at carnivals and religious festivals. This instrument is amazing to me because it proves you can make instruments out of anything.

To play it, the player will hold one end in one hand and strike the other side with either their hand or a stick. By doing this, the player is causing the teeth to rattle against the bone which in turn creates a loud, untuned sound that is characteristic to the Quijada. The first video is the Quijada being played with multiple instruments; as an ensemble! I love this one. The second video is the Quijada all by its self! :)

During our discussion in class, I got curious to know what other subgenres were associated with the Blues genre. During my research, I found five different ones. These subgenres are: Texas Blues, Louisiana Blues, Kansas City Blues, Delta Blues and West Coast Blues. Most of these are straight forward but I think its neat to hear different cultures mixing with other musical traditions from around the world. 

I will briefly describe all five genres:

    

    1) Texas Blues- Blues music from Texas. As a regional style, its original form is characterized by Jazz and Swing influence. However, later examples are often closer to Blues Rock and Southern Rock. Some artists of Texas Blues are Johnny Copeland and Smoky Hogg.

     

      2) Louisiana Blues- this genre developed in the period after World War II in the state of Louisiana. It is divided into two subgenres- New Orleans Blues and Swamp Blues. Both genres peaked in popularity in the 1960s, but interest started to decline in the later 1960s. There have been occasional ‘come backs’ since 1970. Some artists of this genre are Slim Harpo and Katie Webster.  

      

    3) Kansas City Blues- Kansas City is known for their Jazz music but it has also contributed to the history and the preservation of the Blues. Blues did not begin in Kansas City until the 1940s. Charlie Parker’s hit, “Now’s the Time,” a bebop jazz number made use of the familiar blues pentatonic scale and blue notes,which in turn, helped give the Blues its push to popularity in Kansas City.

    

     4) Delta Blues- One of the earliest known styles of the Blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta. It is regarded as a variant to Country Blues. The guitar and harmonica are the main instruments used in this genre, but the slide guitar is the hallmark. This is the genre most commonly heard. Some artists include Robert Petway and Geeshie Wiley.

     5) West Coast Blues- Influenced by Jazz and Jump Blues, with Piano and Guitar being the prominent sounds: this originated from Texas Blues. Often features smooth vocals that commonly crosses with urban blues.  Artists include Etta James and T-Bone Walker. 

      

     I have included videos of Smoky Hogg and Charlie Parker, who represent Texas blues and Kansas City Blues and Etta James because why not! :)

I came across the slide guitar as I was trying to figure out what to include as my third "cool thing." I had never heard of the instrument so I thought I would share it with all of you! The Slide Guitar is strongly associated with the blues genre. In the American South, the technique emerged among blues musicians around the turn of the 20^th century; tracing its origin back to that of the diddley-bow (African). Around the same time, the hawaiian steel guitar began to gain popularity in the U.S. through concerts of hawaiian musicians. Though, the Hawaiian steel guitar makes the most significant mark with country music, it is very likely that blues music, the guitar and country music were influential in the course of the slide guitars’ development.

The Slide Guitar, often called the Bottleneck guitar, is a technique of guitar playing in which a hard object, typically a steel tube is pressed across multiple strings and slid along the fingerboard. This produces a smooth, whining sound that somewhat mimics the human voice. Players use open tunings in which all the strings are tuned to the pitches of a single chord. 

Here is a street performer playing the string guitar! Enjoy! :) 

Music and Gender

I was born into a semi musical family. My dad was in choir for most of his high school career and my brother was in the orchestra. Because of them, I became interested in music a little bit more than I already was. I have had many experiences with different music activities as I have been in band, chorus and now college as a music major. I want to share just a few stories. :)

Both my dad and my brother played the guitar. For my dad it was the acoustic and for my brother it was the electric.  I was told by my dad, though I have never heard him play, that my grandpa was an amazing guitarist. He would play and sing all the time. He had a black acoustic guitar, with a rose on it, that he gave my dad. Eventually, my dad passed it down to me. Though I don’t play, I still have it in my room as a reminder. Moving forward to my brother. He is still to this day, a brilliant guitarist. He used to play in his room all the time and I loved listening to him. Though, I think he put the amp on the highest volume he could, so that he couldn’t hear me in my room jamming to One Direction and Hannah Montana. Anyway, He was always so good, and I wanted to learn how to play the guitar because of him. I took lessons for a while, but I ended up not continuing with them as band and chorus was pretty much my priority. 

Long story short- I have always seen the Guitar as being a "boy instrument." I feel like I only ever saw boys playing it; at least when I was younger. When I took those few lessons, the instructor was  also male. I began to see more women playing it as I got older. There were female guitar players with some of the bands I enjoyed but I saw it more with the country genre. 

converse has definitely changed my opinion on the guitar being just a male instrument. This is thanks to the music therapy program that makes guitar class a requirement. 

Moving ahead to high school. I have been in choir for practically my whole life. While in choir, I noticed there were always more females than males, participating in any chorale activity. If the number of girls to boys were put into a ratio, the girls would most certainly be the highest number. The boys tended to be loud in thier speaking volume but never quite could sing loud enough while the girls, especially the sopranos, would try to over sing. I think we had a couple of girls sing tenor but that was really all the mixing that happened. There could have been a possible boy singing alto as well.

I have found a list of instruments that are said to be either "boy instruments" or "girl instruments," and I will share these with you but for right now, I want to share another story: 

My brother was in the orchestra in high school. He played the Violin and had lessons often- probably 3 times a week. I vaguely remember going to his concerts, but I feel as if he was the only male violinist in the orchestra; Though, i’m sure he wasn’t the only one. Even when I got into high school, I saw this same thing. What was in the violin section? Only girls for the most part. This is why I think violins are considered feminine. However, it did turn to gender specific when I started going to converse. I, for sure, see a mixture within the violin section now when we have community players with us. When their not, however, it's all girls (as expected). 

I was in band for two years. I played the clarinet even though, I had my heart set on the flute. For the most part, the girls would either be playing the flute or clarinet and the boys would be playing the trombone, trumpet or saxophone, along with the percussion. There was one girl, however, that played the trombone and I also believe thier was a female on percussion. This was odd, at the time, as it was very uncommon for girls to play the trombone or anything of that sort. Being surrounded by women, I have seen more girls playing the instrument. It's a more common occurance for me now and it's definitely not considered weird or odd anymore. 

Lists of female instruments:

Piano, harp, flute, clarinet, violin, viola and oboe 

Lists of male instruments:

Bassoon, bass, trumpet, saxophone, organ and euphonium

All in all, I have definitely spotted changes during my time at converse. Every time I go to a concert, I am always amazed at how much variety there is on stage. I see girls playing the trombone, trumpet and bass along with percussion while, I have seen some men on the cello or viola. Sometimes, too, the girls will be asked to sing with the guys if they can get low enough. Being able to be apart of such a diverse music program is so rewarding. :)

Cool Stuff! :)

Native American music continues to fascinate me every day. One concept in particular, though, really caught my attention; the use of vocables. I wanted to know if there were other uses for vocables. 

Not only are vocables seen in Native American music, but they appear in traditional music and jazz music as well. Vocables can be used as a method for teaching music. 

In traditional music, vocables are used in Blackfoot music, Pygmy music and Highland Scots music.  Vocables, in all of these, tend to be comprised of all the vowels and only the three consonants H,Y and W. The letters N and C are normally avoided. The E vowel tends to be  slighty higher in pitch while the A, O and U vowels are typically lower in pitch. 

There are other traditional forms that use vocables. These are: Eefing- Appalachian vocal technique similar to beatboxing, Puirt a beul- Traditional Irish and Scottish song and Nigun- Jewish religious music. This video is an example of Puirt a beul or mouth music. It consists of mainly vocables and is considered Lilthing in Ireland. Enjoy :) 

Teaching students how to sight read can be tough but vocables can be used to help students learn it easier. A similar technique is used in India. As solfege, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do is our native concept for teaching sight reading, India uses a technique called Sargam. Sargam is essentially a musical system of seven notes. In Indian classical music, the notes in order are: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. Though vocables mean nothing and are essentially made up vowels and sounds, it still speaks a language of its own and that is what I find so neat about vocables. It has many uses and though it might mean nothing to us, it means something to the culture that is using it.  

I have always loved Africa and learning about its music has made me love it even more. As we learned about the instruments and saw how some of them were made, I wanted to know how the Kora was constructed. The Kora originated in the Valley of the River Gambia, but there were also players in Mali, Burkina, Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Senegal. The Kora could accompany a spoken or sung story about a person or family and it could also be used for fun during a social gathering or solo dance. 

The materials needed to make a Kora are Gourd, wood, animal hide and Iron. The Body is made with half of a gourd that is covered with the hide of either a sheep, cow or antelope. A sound hole and holes for the neck are cut into the gourd. A round stick made of keno wood is inserted vertically through the calabash or Gourd. For each string a wet strip of skin is braided around the stick. Two other, thinner sticks, are inserted vertically in the hide at the edge of the gourd and this serves as handgrips. This is a brief description of how its made but I have attached a very descriptive video that explains it a little bit further. The Kora makes such a beautiful sound and it was so interesting to see how it was made with items simply from the earth. 

When I watched superman's video in class, I remember saying "This is so cool." I decided to look for other artists who do similar things as him. As I was researching, I found that native americans and africans have genres of thier own. I noticed that most were classified under global fusion. I wanted to essentially find out more about global fusion and its artists. I was successful in finding two artists that play instruments and use techniques that we have talked about in class. Global Fusion refers to a fusion of international music- world music with jazz. It blends classical, jazz, pop, rock and blues music. 

Joanne Shenendoah is a Native American and is a member of the wolf clag. She has recorded over 15 albums and has won multiple awards. She is known for blending traditional and contemporary techniques and instrumentation. In the video, you will hear the traditional flute and vocables being used. There will also be some texture in which voices overlap at times and a shaker is used. 

Another artist that uses Global Fusion was Sona Jobarteh. She was born into one of the five principal kora-playing Griot families from West Africa. She is the first ever female kora player to come from a griot family. In the video, you will see her playing the kora and singing in her language. :) 

I have enjoyed writing this and I am so sorry for the length. I hope you enjoy :)

Music and Religion

I have attended a Southern Baptist church for as long as I can remember. In fact, I have never attended any other church than the one I currently go too. I have visited other churches because of chorus or different family members but nothing really came close to the experiences I received at my church. My grandma started taking me to church when I was about six years old. Because of her influence, I enjoy attending church every Sunday and I have grown to love the traditions we have as baptists. I am familiar with the catholic episcopal traditions, but the Baptist tradition is where my heart truly resonates.

Music within the Baptist tradition is rooted on congregational hymn-singing. At my church, we always begin Sunday service with a hymn that the whole congregation sings together. Following that, our adult choir sings a few more on their own. We also have solo singing as our prayer opportunity that allows more modern gospel music to be shared. Our church doesn't tend to sing any sacred music though. Music is our worship. We typically don’t dance or yell as much as some churches, although we do encourage and appreciate this, we just simply worship by praying at an alter or raising our hand to the lord. As my preacher always says, we allow music to be a part of our personal time with Jesus . This is our way of thanking and praising the lord for what he has done for us. We truly sing for the honor and glory of the lord. Hymn-singing in this fashion allows for a sense of connection with the entire congregation and I think this makes each service special.

One of my favorite hymns that is commonly sung during our services is “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.” This is referencing God’s death and how he shed his blood for us on Calvary. I enjoy this hymn because it helps me to express my gratitude for what God has done for me. Music, here, is a replenishing award. It constantly reminds and fulfills the church. 

Though our music connects the church as a whole, the choir music is somewhat exclusive.  Everyone is encouraged to sing if they are capable to do so, but at the same time, there seems to be a limit on the amount of people who can perform or particpate. I have always been apart of the choir and I am the only one who has majored in music, yet I am involved virtually in nothing relating to the musical aspects. This creates an idea of a possible clique. I don't know if all baptist churches have this same issue but it is something I have noticed through my time spent as a baptist. With this being a issue within my church and one that I don't considerably like, I still enjoy the other traditions we share outside of that.

I love being of the baptist culture but I hope to expand and learn more of the different ones!

My Global Autobiography

I was born and raised in South Carolina. My roots are extremely southern. Growing up, my parents listened to Country music whether it was new or old. It’s what was always playing in the car or at our little cookouts we had every year. I enjoyed older country music the most because my dad would play and sing it all the time. I really began to enjoy the artists Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. I know not many like country music but it was my music growing up. I discovered acapella groups and bands in middle school. I absolutely loved Pentatonix and the Christian band, Skillet. Also, during this time, I began singing in my churches choir. We would mostly sing hymns and incorporate more modern gospel to our repertoire. I enjoyed singing in church and it is still a huge part of my life today. I joined honors chorus and band in the fifth grade but band never brought me as much joy as choir did. I never quit chorus and I'm so glad that I didn't. 

 I remember singing songs from other cultures all throughout middle and high school. One was a Swahili language prayer from East Africa titled, “Baba Yetu.” This piece incorporated drums and a few string instruments including violins and a bass. Another African piece we did was “Ukutula.”  This piece really helped me to appreciate the African culture and their language in ways I can’t explain. African music is so different but it’s so fun and enjoyable to sing. 

 It wasn’t until the end of my senior year that I got to really immerse myself into the Mexican culture. For my senior trip, I really wanted to visit California and I was fortunate enough to go with my mom. I have to say, I was very surprised at the different music that was heard while I was there. While, American music was played on the radio, California does really expand on the Mexican culture and heritage. Fun fact: California has the largest Hispanic population and has Spanish, Mexican, Asian and Eastern United States roots attached to it. It’s obviously no surprise that multiple cultures are seen here. Many of the flea markets sold Spanish sombreros and other clothing. I also saw an abundance of Spanish instruments, like maracas and other percussion, that had been made by hand on Olvera Street. California had some Spanish speaking radio stations that played only Spanish music and most of the time places had local based mariachi and folk music bands playing as we walked the streets. Thanks to California, I grew to enjoy the music and appreciate the Hispanic heritage. 

Converse was really my portal to understanding and listening to a wide variety of music. This is probably my neatest interaction with cultural differences in music. Converse has given me the opportunity to hear many great performances, including the King Singers and the Vienna Boys Choir. I have seen many operas and have sung arias from operas that developed from many different cultures and traditions. Converse has also taken me all the way across the world to Germany where music is very much a part of their world. There were many instances in which someone would be playing the organ in a church as people were touring. Having these opportunities has shown me that each culture should be performed, loved and appreciated and that each one is unique and serves a purpose for the world around us. I have experienced so much here already that I am so excited to learn and explore more as the world and its music has so much more to offer. 😊