samanthawhatley-blog

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Personal Reflection

Going into this class, I did not know what to expect. I mean, my roommates told me how their classes went, but I know that things change every year. If there is anything that I can take away from this course, it would be a better appreciation for the culture and time periods that influence the different sides to music. I have never learned and been exposed to this much music in such a short amount of time. I really liked learning about the Romantic period and the impacts that those composers had, and still have, on music. This class has made me think of classical and concert music in a different way. I was not a big pan of ‘classical’ music but after going to concerts and listening to music in class, it has grown on me and I actually like it. Despite listening to the music in class, my favorite thing I did was the music video. I loved making it and seeing how it turned out. I like to create and be artistic, even though I am not the best, and that project gave me the opportunity to do so. Also, I loved having the teacher that I had. I really felt as if she cared for us students and wanted us to not just sit there but really become engaged and learn something from the class. Overall, I would have to say that this class was a success. 

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Pansori Versus K-Pop

The pansori music that I listened to was very beautiful. I had never listened to any music like it before, so being exposed to it was amazing. I think that it is great that traditional practices like this are still happening today because it seems that in a lot of cultures the traditions are being thrown out for something that does not have as much craft and meaning. I liked how it is always just a singer and a drummer. I found a video that had subtitles for what the singer was saying and it was awesome to follow along with the story being told. I think that pansori signing is a gifted art, and I am glad I took this class to expose me to music styles that I generally do not listen to like this one.  

In comparison to panssori music, K-Pop is very different but in both there is a form of art involved. My roommate, Carri was the first one to expose me to a lot of K-Pop music. Every time I would get in the car with her she would have some songs being played. I knew what K-Pop was she played it for me, but never had I listened to it very much till last year. Her favorite group is BTS, and lately they have been picking up more traction here in the United States as they were the first K-Pop group to perform on an American awards show earlier this month. Through her, I have gotten the opportunity to learn more about K-Pop and its music industry. I see that there is a lot of effort put into their songs as they have some ridiculously hard dance moves in addition to there fast tempo music. I also think that it is cool how they have fans worldwide, and what I gather from Carri is that they are all truly dedicated to the group. This is just another example of how music goes beyond physical and language boundaries and reaches to all types of people.  

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Wedding and Funeral Selections

It is kind of crazy for me to go ahead and think about what I want my music to be at my wedding and funeral. I never have really thought about it much before, but this assignment made me start to think about it. For my wedding, I want my song to “When I say I Do” by Matthew West. This song has a lot of meaning behind it for me. When I get married I want the heart of our relationship to be centered around God. The first lyrics to this song are ‘There must be a God, I believe it’s true cause I can see His love when I look at you.’ It follows by saying that there must be a plan for our crazy lives because God has brought us together to stand by each others side. Also, that I will pray everyday that I mean what I say when I say ‘I Do.’ It then goes on to describe how as we live our lives together and we get older that I will live by the words ‘till death do us part.’ When I hear this song, it just makes me happy and hopeful about the future that God has in store for my life, and my life with a significant other. The time will come for me to get married and this will be the song that I want to use. 

For my funeral song, I want it to be one that is upbeat and happy. I do not want it to be sad and dreary because that is not how I live my life now. I do not know if I would necessarily chose this song, but it is one of my all time favorite songs, Allstar by Smash Mouth. It is just a happy song that has a good beat. Choosing a funeral song is a little more difficult than my wedding song because when people come my funeral, I do not want them to be so focused on me being gone but rather the life that I have lived. I have many goals I want to accomplish in my life and I want those to be celebrated because hopefully, I will accomplish them. 

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Dido’s Lament

This blog post is going to be all about Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas. This piece in particular is an aria from an opera that was composed by Englishman, Henry Purcell. In this composition, there is an ostinato bass line that is repeated eleven times. When the bass part is playing, it is called basso continuo and is descending by half steps. This selection was based off Virgil’s, The Aeneid. Before this class, I actually had already heard of Dido and Aeneas. For my College English class my senior year of high school, our summer reading book was The Aeneid. I really liked the book but had no clue that it was an opera. Freshman year of college, my roommate had music and civilization and for her music video project she chose Dido’s Lament where I had to act in it. However, for some reason the fact that this piece was from and opera did not connect till we spoke about it in class. I feel like I had a better understanding of what it was trying to convey since I was already familiar with the characters and their situation. 

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Brahms: Symphony No.4

For this blog, I am choosing to write about Brahms Symphony No. 4. This symphony is broken down into four movements. The first movement is in sonata form. The second movement is slower than in the previous sonata form. The third movement has more of a playful nature, like scherzo, compared to the first and second movements. Finally, the last movement is chaconne, having variations on an eight-measure theme. Johannes Brahms was the son of a double bass player born in Hamburg, Germany. He studied composition with another notable musician, Robert Schumann. In his works, Brahms focused more on writing symphonies that writing program music like some of the other musicians that he knew at the time. He wanted to put more effort into his music than simply composing a piece to get it done. Brahms was considered a conservative in terms of his music. Although he falls in the romantic era, Brahms’ compositions were influenced by the forms and structures of the classical period. As for this piece, I really like it. It has an overall lighthearted and upbeat movement to it which is always something I look forward to in music. 

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Schubert, Der Erlkonig

During the Romantic era, the art song was developed. The purpose of the art song was to add musical expression to text and not necessarily to sing beautifully. At the top of this was, Franz Schubert. He was one of the most important composer of the German Lied. The role of the piano in art songs was for it to be of equal value. The singer was no greater than the instrument being played. It helps to paint a mood and highlight a phrase of the text. In Der Erlkonig, there are three roles: father, son, and the Der Erlkonig. When the singer performs, his voice changes depending on who is suppose to be speaking at the time. The music also changes. For the father, the music may be a little lighter as he is trying to assure his son that everything is fine and no one is trying to get him. For the son, there is a sense of worry and fear in his voice that is shown in the performance. Lastly, for the Der Erlkonig there is a sense of power and evil. He is taunting the child, and when he finall kills the child there is a change is the tone of the music. I think that when art songs were being performed that there was a change in the way music was viewed. Music always told a story, but now that there is an actual story behind it makes it more real. 

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Beethoven Symphony No.5

For one of my blog posts, I want to write about Beethoven’s Symphony No.5. I believe that this is an iconic piece of music that most people know early on in their life. Beethoven challenged the role that music had in the Classical era and sought to change it. He saw music as an art, not a craft, and this showed in his music. In Beethoven’s fifth symphony there is no steady beat that you can tap your foot to, but rather many dynamics that add personality to the entire piece. In this symphony, and all of his other ones, the texture is considered “thick.” Simply put, there are more notes. Beethoven also developed the format of the music. He extended the development and coda as well as out a bigger emphasis on the orchestration of his pieces. This symphony is a great example of the longer development and coda, and the emphasis on orchestration. Beethoven is on the most famous composers and anyone who listens to his fifth symphony, or any other can see why that is so. 

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Honoring the Jazz Masters

At the beginning of October, I went to the Honoring the Jazz Masters Concert, a Swing Division Quartet. This concert was one that I was actually looking forward to attend. I went to New Orleans the summer before Freshman year of college and went to see a true jazz concert at Preservation Hall. It was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. Since New Orleans is considered the birthplace of jazz, I was lucky enough to go to a concert that was based off the old traditions and styles of early jazz music. I knew that the jazz concert here would not be like the one I went to in New Orleans, it was good. For most of the pieces chosen, I could not help but want to tap my foot and get up and dance. The trumpet seemed to have the main melody throughout mist of the selections. My favorite of the pieces chosen was Beshma Swing, originally composed by Thelonius Monk. It is lively and upbeat which is music that I generally like to listen to. The group performed only one slow song, Stars Fell on Alabama. The guitar starts the piece, and there is a constant adagio piece throughout. If given the opportunity, I would like to go to another jazz concert. 

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Power and Pawns

In the middle of November, I decided to go to the Power and Pawns concert given by the Music Theatre Scenes class. This by far was one of the more entertaining concerts that I went to. I could not help but laugh and sing along to some of the pieces that they did. The first excerpt the class performed was from the musical Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. There was a lot of comedy from this section. I had never heard of this musical before this concert, but I liked it and I wish I had the opportunity to go and see the full thing. The second excerpts chosen were from the musical Rent. The name sounded familiar, but the plot was not familiar. I did not really like this musical. It just was not something that I would usually go and watch if I had the chance. However, I did like the very last song that was performed, Seasons of Love. This is a song that I knew, and everyone in the audience could not help but to start to sing along. The final selections of music were chosen from the musical Newsies. I knew this musical and had heard great things about it. I even have seen some videos of it being performed. This is a musical that I would love to go and see on Broadway. I have seen only one musical on Broadway and would love to say that I have seen another one. Overall, this concert was entertaining and one of my favorites. 

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Cornerstones

For one of my concerts, I went to the concert put on by the Georgia College orchestra. The Cornerstones concert was one of my favorites that I went to. I liked most of the pieces chosen, except for the Fugue for String Quartet. This piece did not grab my attention like the other ones did. My favorite of the pieces played my Boreas “The Cold, North Wind.” It had a slightly faster tempo than allegro and when the music went softer, it also got slower, and when the music got louder, it also got louder. I also liked the Gregorian Chant piece. For some reason, I think it is because of how it was played, it reminded me of the children’s song I learned in church growing up, “Jesus Loves Me This I Know.” I found myself singing that song in my head when the piece began. Something that I noticed about the very first piece that was played, Concerto No. 1 in D minor, was that it had a cadenza where the piano had a solo. Overall, I really enjoyed this concert and I would go to it again on my own time, not simply for a class.  

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Bizet, Farandole

Originally composed as part of a play, I felt the Bizet’s Farondole Suite No. 2 started off strong. There are two main sections to this piece. The first section is played in minor keys and the tempo was close to andante. The suite begins with the wind instruments followed by the strings. The first section ends with a cadence, where the music comes to a complete stop before the second section picks up. When the second section begins, there is a definite shift in the tone of the piece. The tempo is allegro and the keys are in minor. After the second section plays for a bit, the first section picks up again. This is forming an ABA format. As I continued to listen to this piece, I noticed that the snare drum and cymbals enter and that the tempo is increased even more to presto before finishing abruptly. I liked this piece and had heard it before this class too. 

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Dies Irae

This piece of music is from the Medieval era. It emphasizes the importance of God and the role that the church plays in people’s lives. Written in Latin, Dies Irae was sacred music meant to be sung inside the Church. The words Dies Irae can be translated to “Day of Wrath,” where it is meant that people will be summoned before go and those who are saved will go to heaven and those who are not will face the fires. This piece was also written in a time where composers were writing for multiple voices for the first time. Perotin in particular was composing for three or four voices which had almost never happened before. If someone were to listen carefully, he or she would notice that there are four voices and that they are all male. There is not true rhythm and the texture is polyphonic. Also, no instruments are playing alongside the singers, so there is no accompaniment. There is harmony to this piece, as it is very smooth and restful. It is important to notice that there are not pieces of music composed like this today. 

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Pachelbel, Cannon in D

Pachelbel’s Cannon in D is one of the most famous pieces of music to come out of the Baroque era. An interesting fact about this piece is that it was forgotten for hundreds of years, and now almost everyone has heard of it. It generally is played at weddings as the bride or wedding party is walking down the aisle. Although the date of its composition is unknown, the earliest surviving copy of Cannon in D dates back to the 19th Century. Also, the reason why it was written is also unknown. I found that some historians think that Pachelbel could have written it for J.C. Bach’s wedding, but that it is only speculation. An aspect of this piece that Pachelbel include was a basso continuo. It is a “figured bass” or a short hand system that composers used because there was no need to fuss over the details since they writing so many pieces. An aspect of Baroque era music is that it is meant to influence your emotions. Being in D major, this piece was meant to make anyone listening to it feel happy and uplifting, and this is exactly how I feel when listening to it. There are no sharp dynamics and it has a smooth rhythm that provides a sense of contentment. Overall, I like this piece by Pachelbel.  

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Aaron Copeland:”Hoe-Down”

Listening to Aaron Copeland’s “Hoe-Down” I could not help but to feel like I needed to get up and move around. “Hoe-Down” is originally from the ballet Rodeo which Copeland scored during World War II. The piece starts off strong with, what sounds like to me, cymbals along with violins and other string instruments. Shortly after the piece begins, an instrument is being played that sounds as if horses were right on stage. Also, there seems to be an ABA pattern to this ensemble. Part A slows down and comes to a complete stop around a minute and forty seconds and then part B begins then later, part A repeats. The dynamics of when part A ends and part B begins abruptly occurs.  Also, the temp for most of “Hoe-Down” would have to be allegro. One aspect of this piece that made me like it was because of the fast-pace tempo that it had. I do not always like slow-moving songs, so listening to this was a good change compared to the other classical music I have been writing about and listening to. 

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Palestrina, Sicut Cervus

Sicut Cervus by Palestrina is a Renaissance era motet. While listening to this piece it is apparent that there is no accompaniment. The term for where singers use only their voices is called acapella. Renaissance motets were in Latin and consisted of smooth lyrical lines. There is no strong beat or meter and is sung in small groups of men and boys. Also, new lines of text are introduced through imitation. In contrast to the Renaissance motet is the Medieval motet. Where the Renaissance motet is in Latin, the Medieval motet is largely in French. The place where the motets were performed where not in churches but in courts. The Medieval motet used one line from the Gregorian Chant and the rest of the lines were different and often in a secular language. The secular language was often times love. However, both the Medieval and Renaissance motet had polyphonic texture. Looking back on the different periods of music, I think that it is cool how the music reflects the time. As people���s ideas and beliefs change, so does the music. 

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Concierto de Aranjuez

For this blog entry, I decided to write about the Concierto de Aranjuez. It was originally composed by Joaquin Rodrigo in 1939. I always like to find out the history behind the pieces of music that I will be writing about. In 1939, the Spanish civil war had just ended and a new dictatorship regime was just beginning. Anything from music to art had to reflect, or pretend to reflect a people that were celebrating the new political situation. Inspired by the gardens at the Palacio Real de Aranjuez, it seemed as if Rodrigo was celebrating Spanish culture and history. While listening to this piece it is important to note that it was created with the intention of the guitar having the main melody accompanied by an orchestra. Every time that the orchestra stops playing and the soloists begins is the cadenza. Concierto de Aranjuez is divided up into three movements, or independent sections. The three movements in this piece are: Allegro con Spirito, Adagio, and Allegro Gentile. I love Spanish culture and the music that goes along with it, so I enjoyed listening to this piece.  

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Mitamba Yalagala Kumchuzi

When Mitamba Yalagala Kumchuzi was played for the first time in class, I thought that it was good. It captured my attention with a sense of having deep traditional African roots and was different than other pieces we had previously listened to. Unlike the others, Mitamba Yalagala Kumchuzi is not classical. It involves a group of men playing percussion instruments and singing along to the beat in which they were creating. The instruments used would actually be goblet drums, cylindrical drums, and tin rattles. After about the first minute, one man starts to sing, quickly followed by another. With the two voices and accompanying chords, this piece is considered to have polyphonic texture. I found Mitamba Yalagala Kumchuzi interesting, and so it made me curious to know more about this piece of music. When I looked it up, I found that it was created by the Zaramo people of Tanzania. While the Zaramo people use goblet drums, cylindrical drums, and tin rattles, there are other ethnic groups in Tanzania that use other instruments specific to their own culture and way of life. I think that it would be awesome to learn about different regions and where they derive their source of music. I know that this class is suppose to teach us about types of music throughout the different eras, but I wish that we would have the opportunity to learn about how music affects people like those of the Zaramo tribe. It would be beneficial to see music through the eyes and ears of different cultures.