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Blog Post #20
I think the presentation on animals and music was interesting. this goes toward the importance of music not only to humans. Or the presentation on the instruments or different culture and their style of music or dance. this also showed a different perspective and again the importance of music across the world. helps to appreciate and learn to listen to another style, something we are not used to listening. because since we are not used to it, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate.
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Concert Review #4
I attended the student recital of Rebecca Hobson, oboe and English horn with Robert Elfine on piano. There were four performances in total. The audience was mostly included students. The first performance was Oboe Sonata in B Major by Georg Philipp Teleman. She performed for stages, Adagio, Allegro, Cantabile and Vivace. The second performance was an “Oboe Concerto” by Vincenzo Bellini. The third was “The Seasons” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. She performed “By the Hearth” and “Lily of the April”. The last performance was “Sonate for Oboe and Piano” by Paul Hindemith. This included “Munter” and “Sehr Langsam”. Generally, i think rhythm and harmony was important. Most of the performances had a slow tempo and i think they were in between minor and major. Also, mostly, she played narrow ranges. The student played well but generally i did not enjoy the performances or the recital in general, only because it was not too interesting for me not because it was not good.
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Concert Review #3
I attended the Augustana Jazz Ensemble Winter Concert which was directed by Joseph Ott. The Jazz ensemble included five saxophone players, four trombone players, four trumpet players and five members in the rhythm section. There were 11 performances in all. During each performance there was a solo performance. They all were not dressed in any particular or similar way but they were all formally dressed. There wasn’t really a lot of audience but it included mostly fellow students and parents. There were applause after any solo performance at the end of each performance as a whole. Even though the place was quiet when they played the whole atmosphere was still not dull and boring somehow. I think the solo performances in each performance was interesting and made their performance lively. The players performed note for note transcripts of Ellington, so i believe them it was kind of a way of shoe of the artists which is actually interesting.
One of the performances i liked was “Jump For Joy” by Ellington/Strayhorn and lyrics by Kuller and Webster Trans: Berger. This performance featured a solo performance from a trombonist, tenor saxophonist, pianist and vocals. This was the only performance that included vocals, and that part was my favorite. The singers sang really well. The performance in general had a fast tempo and kind of a high pitch. During the solo performances the other players still played but under a low tone and this showed how harmony was important. The other performance i enjoyed was “Manteca” by Gillespie Arr: Gil Fuller. This included a solo performance from a tenor saxophone and a trumpet player I liked this performance because of its style or form. It started out with percussion, then the band came in and the whole performance ended with percussion again. i really enjoyed the end.
Attending this performance i did not really know what to expect so i wasnt disappointed in any way I definitely enjoyed the show.
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Blog Post #18/19
John Adams- Tromba Lontana. Orchestral fanfare. contains two trumpets that are separated from the orchestra. mesmerizing repetitive accompaniment. theme growing out of a small idea. it had a dark sound as opposed to brighter sound of wind bands.
Arnold Scheoenberg- Pierrot, No. 18, The Moonfleck it is a 12-tone technique. i will make one by making a 12 tone row by using only one of each of for instance A#/Bb B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab
Anton Webern- Five pieces for Orchestra. klangfarben melodie (color melody). about 15 different instruments
Billie Holliday- Fine and Mellow. 12 bar blues. sing-solo 1-solo 2-sing-solo 3-solo 4-sing. they use repetition to make a whole piece out of it.
Strayhorn- Take the A Train by Ellington Orchestra. 32-bar form or AABA. instrumentation included trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, drums and bass.
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Blog Post#17
In Ghana, our style of music is a little different. We do not categorize them as R&B or Country or EDM. We have gospel music, afrobeat. highlife, hiplife and others. But i will be presenting on the two main genres: Hiplife and Highlife. Hiplife is gradually gaining popularity in West Africa and even the United States, United Kingdom Canada and others. Hiplife fuses Ghanaian culture and hip pop and it is also influenced by reggae and dancehall. so i will be showing some music videos as examples of these types of music. for instance, the video below is a song by Daddy Lumba an example of highlife.
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Concert Review #2
I attended the General Student Recital on the 24th of January, 2017. There were eight performances. The first was a flutist and pianist Grace O’Shea and Gail Baldwin of “Cantabile et Presto” by George Enesco. The second was a cellist, Grayson Dixon who performed the prelude and fugue of “Suite No.5 in c minor, BWV 1011″, by Johann Sebastian Bach. Next was flutist Kylie Gember, and she performed four scenes from the “Japanese Countryside” by David Loeb. There was a performance by a cellist Jeana Brown and pianist Charles Schmidst to “Allegro Appassionata, Op.43″ by Camille Saint-Saens. The next was a violist Kamneev Rai and pianist Rachel Heah, to “Vocalise, Op.34 No.14″ by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Then a flutist Nicole Romano who performed the third of “Virtuoso Flamenco Studies” by Krystof Zgraja. Stephanie Tillman a cellist and Charles Schmidt a pianist performed the second of “Sonate de Concert, Op. 47″ by Charles-Henri Valentin Alkan. Finally, Grace Dwyer a pianist performed “Etude, Op.10, No. 3″ by Frederic Chopin. The atmosphere of this recital was serene and relaxing. The audience was mostly filled with fellow students. All the performers weren’t so formally dressed but it was enough to make them look elegant and professional.
The two pieces that i enjoyed the most were the performances by Jeana Brown cellist and Charles Schmidt pianist, and Grace Dwyer pianist. In the first piece, the student was Jeana Brown, she played really well, she looked calm and relaxed as she played. The sound of just the piano and the cello together was very pleasing. Like the name suggests, the tempo was fast and bright, loud dynamics with a conjunct melody. The second piece was very interesting, it was different and great. It started out slow and agreeable then it changes to kind of a discordant sound with loud dynamics. Overall, the tempo was vivace, fast and lively so i am not surprised it was the last performance of the event.
Overall, all the students did a great job. They played really well and it was all so soothing and relaxing to be there.
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Blog Post #15
The connection Miranda drew from Hamilton’s story is very interesting. History helps us to understand change and how the society came to be. the past causes the present and so the future. therefore it is important that we stick to the story exactly as it happened or as close as possible. we definitely have to give life to the story but not to the extent of changing what really happened instead, it could be modified by finding different means of sharing the historical fact. for instance Miranda’s musical Alexander Hamilton is an interesting and good way of sharing this history. Just by making it a pop musical gives life to the story hence there should be no reason why the history itself will be underrepresented or over represented. Sometimes we tend to modify our history because some facts tend to unpleasing, but history is not meant to make us feel good, we are suppose to learn from it to better understand our present and future. Music to me is also a form of communication. it relays information, thoughts, experiences, feelings and many others. History is all about the interpretation of the past. i do not believe we can truly look at history without bias we might try as much as possible to not be bias but in one way or the other we tend to be. but that is okay it is just important to always look at history with an open mind and from all the different perspectives for better understanding
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Blog Post #14
The first video has more of a quick tempo than the second. The slow tempo helps to absorb the lyrics of the song more.The second has a soft and cautious dynamics. has a very simple melodic and harmonic structure. Both have sad sounding and it is relaxing but the in the first the loudness makes seem less sad. But the second video has a more minor tone than the first. The second video is also more homophonic i think. the second has more of a wide range since there is a lot of silence as compared to the first. for me the first music and video is more like just a song about peace and love. the change in the second version draws more focus and attention with less distractions.
http://www.borgenmagazine.com/top-9-celebrities-for-social-justice/
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Blog Post #13
I attended the presentation “What’s Love Got to Do with it? White Desire, Country Music and Cross-Border Love.
I definitely acquired new insight during this presentation i do not know if i agree with it so much but then again i am not disregarding it or disagreeing. Basically the presenter made note of how there is racism in country music, mainly he focused on the stereotype of Mexicans or Mexican women and how they are used to express the logics of white supremacy. He made references to songs or artists such as Jimmy Buttet “Margaritaville”, Jack Ingram and Dixie Chicks “Long Time Gone” by concentrating on particular lyrics of their songs. The sum of it all, as we discussed in class shows how portraying a socially responsible behavior is important. Our views, opinions and actions tend to be influenced by musicians and music whether we realize it or not.
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Blog Post #12
I believe music for social justice is advisable and should be encouraged. Young adults spend so much time in a day listening to music hence, it will be rational to supplement or implement this as a teaching method which can potentially shape an individual’s values, actions and worldview. Many justice movements have used music as a way of inviting and maintaining broader participation in their initiatives. For instance, artists like Bob Marley, Micheal Jackson, Beyonce etc and songs like Man in the Mirror, Get up Stand up, etc. Music can introduce societal problems such as racism, abuse, addiction and many others. Music should be selected by considering how it relates to certain topics to be discussed in class. “It is because of the way music feeds into our emotional lives and because of social well being we get from sharing emotional states with others that music so frequently accompanies movements that build and depend upon solidarity.
Symposium:
Is it OK for any Choir to Sing Gospel Music?
Dr. Jon Hurty, music; Keith Hampton, Cantor to the Seminary Community Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago; members of the Augustana Choir
Potter Hall, Bergendoff Hall
Performance by the Augustana Choir with discussion about a choir that is primarily made up of singers of European descent performing music from a traditionally African American art form. Questions about race, ethnicity, art, music and performance practice will be discussed. This session is interactive and will include both musical performance and discussion of the topic. Participants will also be encouraged to sing along with the choir.
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Blog Post #11
Definitely not what i expected, but how is this music?
Reading the article hasn’t really convinced me of how this can be referred to as music. However, knowing the reason behind this piece gives some sense of perspective to it. Otherwise one might think why would someone just do this and call it music, then everyone can also do it. For instance, “An exhibition about John Cage and hence the empty room made sense”, knowing Cage and and his style doesn’t get you to wonder what is going on. i also find it amazing how he came about composing this. when i listened to it for the first time i was just thinking, “is this it?, what is he doing” but after reading the article and knowing the concept behind this piece listening to it again makes me concentrate on experiencing and enjoying the silence that he brings. i liked this quote so i am just adding it, “Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating”.
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Blog Post #9/10
Stravinsky frequently spent his summer at a place where he was exposed to the Russian culture that thrived in old villages around his country home. The people of the village were still close to the cycles of the earth and they celebrated the timed of planting and harvesting and the mysteries of gods and faith determined everything. Naturally they celebrated with music. the people made music with whatever they had including their hands and instruments they built themselves. the music was a mixture of sounds and noise and this amused Stravinsky. he admired the extent to how the music sounded and how it felt to those who made it. he therefore wanted to bring music back to its primary origin, where people danced to celebrate their relationship to the earth.
The bassoon. it off note because it was set so high that the even audience did not know what instrument they were hearing.
The premiere was interesting. the comparison of the bassoon to he baboon by an individual from the audience particularly caught my attention. Every instrument played a wonderful role. also the astenato was employed. I believe the audience was not ready for such difference and rawness of music or performance and therefore could not appreciate the ingenuity of the music and sounds composed. considering Stravinsky’s for instance Firebird success, the audience came with certain expectations instead of an open mind. the anger and yelling of the audience made it difficult for the performers to hear the music and therefore danced off beat.
The most interesting instrument to me was the squeaky high e-flat clarinet and the low grumbly bass clarinet. generally, the clarinet was used to symbolize the voice of the shamans solo. it interests me because of the way it interrupts and takes the listeners attention off the other instruments.
The sacrificial dance is basically based on a young girl who is chosen aa a sacrificial victim and dances her way to death. The dance showed pattern and teams of dancers moving in different patterns in the same way. almost entirely, the performers were in contact with the floor, focused on the “earth”. The movements of the dance were largely turned out and extracted in a way that was against the romantic style. the clothing or costume fully covered their bodies and its style was meant to represent the primitive life. the way the music accompanied the dance was quite impressive as well. for instance, he used the brass instrument as a musical exclamation, the way the drums were played at a particular time showed death! death! death!. basically, the instruments were used to show gestures.
this was quite interesting, their costume and make up really stood out. it is quite attractive how music, art and dance is combined during this time.
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Concert Review
I attended A Christmas Messiah. It was performed by Handel Oratorio Society Chamber Orchestra. This included Jon Hurty (conductor), Mary Wilson (soprano), Rebbecca Ringle (mezzo-soprano), Dann Coakwell (tenor) and Mark Walters (baritone).The stage also featured performances by the Augustana Brass Ensemble, Ascension Ringers, Augustana Symphony Orchestra, Augustana Choir, Augustana Concert Chorale and Jenny Lind vocal ensemble.
The performers wore a black and white attire. The atmosphere was very serene and calm for both performers and the audience.
Overall i enjoyed the program. I thought i was going to be boring and not interesting but it was calming and relaxing. The part that interested me the most was when everyone stood up during the chorus of Hallelujah. i did not know that it was something that is done so i was quite confused but interesting. There was a large number of musicians on the stage but yet still their singing was very pleasing and harmonious.
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Blog Post #7
Harpsichord
18th Century Piano
Clavichord
Modern Piano
The Clavichord is the oldest piano, it has a small sound. it is more of a private instrument so it is not used commercially. it is a rectangular box with and its played by striking the strings. There are 2 strings for every note. This is known as fretted, some notes share the same string. there is less string to tune and also less tension for the sound board.
The harpsichord has two keyboards which adds more strings as compared to the clavichord. With this the strings are plucked. Every note has two independent strings
The 18th Century piano has 58 notes. Used mostly during the classical period. It is not as loud as the modern piano but the attack of sound change is still quite obvious and the treble range sounds like woodwinds/ clarinet. unlike the modern piano it has no pedal so the knees are used against it.
The modern piano is more massive, it is metal plated. Less portable as compared to all the others. Could have the same tone but volume changes. The romantic era began to use this piano since by then most modern instruments had been invented. The stringlike feature of the harpsichord and clavichord proved to be used more in the baroque era since their instrumental music was string instrument/ keyboards
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Blog Post #6
it wasn’t easy to be a musician during this time period. Mozart had several restrictions however despite that, he was able to rewrite the musical rules and transformed the face of industry as we know it today. this alone shows us how much of a genius he was. he started composing and playing at a very young age and people actually thought he had supernatural powers because it wasn’t common. Music helped mozart unlock his emotions. “Life was the driving force of his genius”
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