Chinese and Western Music Culture - Assignment Example

MUS 327 Discussions & Questions of affiliation A. Obviously, the Navajo areconcerned with form and shape in their art. How does this symmetrical form support the meaning of the text? Amongst the Navajo’s, music is spiritual and from it originates power. Traditional practice is characterized by music and music criticism is based on how well it meets its intended function. Most songs involve presence of vocables, descending melodies, strophic forms, and repetition. Rituals like blessingway, enemyway, and nightway define form and shape in Navajo music. During ceremonies, the songs sang include texts surrounded by vocables and ceremony-specific chants, introductory formula distinct to genre, and voice that could be nasals, robust or subtle. Other aspects include meter that is either duple or triple, melody, medium range, and scale. The Enermyway ceremony is regularly held within ancient Navajo religion and is a form of welcome for service men or women during their return. Shizhane’e’ refers to the circle dance sang during the Enemyway ceremony. Since the Shizhanee songs are sang during a social event, a listening to the song helps in the identification of the point of view of the Navajos which in this case is the curative rite. In section B, the song reveals that sickness results from the ghosts linked to dead outsiders while C indicates the performer is a community member who has been away for long like in hospital or in war. This symmetry supports meaning in text given that the Shizhanee songs constitute of nasal quality of the vocal, combine translatable words with vocables, emphasizes triple meter. B. Examples in of Shizhanee in Western Popular music For the Navajos, symmetry has been part of their art and music culture representing beauty, balance, and harmony. In most cultures, balance is crucial for any art and music work and this balance preservation is fundamental given that symmetry within any traditional society mediated between the cultural and natural. This way, the natural is culturalized while the cultural is neutralized. In modern society, dynamic symmetry is present in most western popular music where the artists try to balance two conflicting sides using the equivalence idea. This contrast creates unity, which is evident through music dynamic levels ranging from very quiet to very loud; tonal color or timbre that occurs as overtones that specific to each instrument; musical form that involved presentation of new contrasting materials; and musical style evident in various eras including modern western art music (Wright, 2013). Some examples of Western triple meter songs are minuet, waltz, and mazurka. Waltz triple time songs involve closed position folkdances and ballroom in a smooth and progressive manner. With the evolution of numerous Waltz variations, the most popular types today include Viennese and the slower American and global style waltzes. These forms remain extremely valued by all age dancers. Minuet is a famous triple time social dance amongst French people where two people participated in a relatively paced and elegant dance defined by three flat beats and ordinary tunes. With time, minuet dance was famous and specially favoured by Bach and others. Amongst the Polish people, Mazurka folk dance in triple time involved the use of a tempo that was lively with a second or third beat ascent. Discussion 3 A. Listening to this beautiful music, how does closely reflect the meaning of the text on page 206 Sirahusa is a Hindu song addressed to the goddess of learning and music referred to as saraswati. Within America, Hindu music requires learning first before one can participate in its performance. The learning process requires lessons by a guru and all classes are oral. The learning process involves several parts. These parts include alapana, tanam, Kirti, Kalpana svaras, and Tani. After the lessons, one is considered to understand the text of the song well and knowledgeable about the song context. While listening to the Sarasiruha song for the first time, one may not manage to identify any patterns in it. This could be probably due to the length of this song thereby causing loss of attention and concentration. However, a view of the written song changes ones perception by bringing out the song’s pattern making it noticeable. Evident musical elements in Sarasiruha include two song layers played using one instrument, and slow and speedy sections particularly during the playing of the kirti part. During the playing of the Alpana or improvised section of Sarasiruha song, the evident style involves free flowing raga exploration and exposition while Tanam involves extremely expositive raga section. According to Titon, Cooley, Locke, Rasmussen, & Schechte (2009), kirti or the Sarasiruha song composition largely represent carnatic music performances. Its duration could be four minutes or as long as 15 minutes. However, the length did not matter a lot given the flexibility of this section as characterized by indefinite contractions and expansions. Flexibility allows the performer to use this section in procedures or ideas obtained from ones memory (Weidman, 2006). B. American Music that celebrates Learning Within American culture, I do not know of music that celebrates learning or music that could be identical to the Indian Sarasiruha. The reason could be that Indian music comprise of numerous musical elements that one has to learn before engaging in any performance. These aspects are mostly on the instrumental part, which remains audible while most words of the song are not. As a result, the knowledge of the instruments is evident during performance sections requiring repetitions of a given musical phrase repeatedly prior to completion. In America, most music teaching and learning involves strategies that effectively equip students with creative thoughts skills and the enthusiasm to carry on thoughts creatively. Conversely, music within the culture of America is viewed as a form of entertainment and a chance to engage with self and others. In order to learn high-level thinking for credible lifelong success, America perceives and teaches music education to facilitate an individual’s survival in the world of universal-based economy (Small, 1996). Consequently, music in American culture does not celebrate learning but focuses more on sharpening the attentiveness of the student, allowing creativity, reinforcing perseverance, and adherence to effective self-esteem and study conducts. Such knowledge is not only confined to music, but also spreads to other academic areas hence contributing to the overall better performance of the student. Additionally, knowledge creation in students also focuses on preparation of learning in students by affecting areas like fine motor abilities enhancement, training the brain to receive achievement and nurturing of enhanced thinking. Discussion 4 A. In what ways does the audience react as they might in a concert of Western music? According to Titon, Cooley, Locke, Rasmussen, & Schechte (2009), the audience to Shaghal or Obsession excerpt react to numerous parts of the performance. One reaction is shouting by a musician or an individual in the audience. This reaction could have occurred in a live concert of Western music since it indicates the extent of an individual’s engagement with the performance. The exclamation by an individual is could indicate that the audience actively concentrated on the event thus ignoring self and others around. Audience applause could is also highly likely in a concert of western music particularly due to active audience conduct and communication. In addition, applause could indicate that the performer did something moving or excellent and immediate recognition is preferred over waiting until the end of the performance. Another indicator of an active audience is in the murmuring of the audience due to silence or elongated pause by the performer. An active audience is engaged to the performance and want to give their opinions about sections that leave suspense. Consequently, the audience murmurs in efforts to predict the next action. Silence is an element of production used to obtain audience approval. During Western music concert, silence by the audience could be used to indicate that the audience encountered new work alongside and established work. Through silence, the audience aims to grasp the new ideas presented and relate them to previously known ideas for consistency or flow of concert events (Sloboda & Ford, 2011). Segments resulting to audience silence indicate performance inclusion and provision of something special to all in attendance of the event. B. Overall form of the Shaghal performance The form of performance in the Shaghal excerpt indicates combinations of numerous musical elements particularly melody, harmony, texture, and rhythm. As one listens to the track, the most evident aspect is that the performance had a live audience present. The audience in the track is not passive and actively interacts with the performance through clapping and shouting at different points. The implication is the enforcement of an ancient setting that can be part any performance universally. It is also clear that the recording of the excerpt utilized technology and so was the dissemination of the content throughout the globe over the internet. From the track, repetition is evident. The melody repeated forms a recurring refrain that all the performers join in and together repeat it. Polyphony texture is also present in the track. Polyphonic texture is displayed particularly through the presence of at least two independent melodies sounding simultaneously. Listening to the Shaghal excerpt, polyphonic instances occur when one instrument or the ostinato first operates alone then quietly and slowly joined by the buzuq and the two run simultaneously forming the main melody of the performance (Cone, 1968). Additionally, the polyphonic moment presents only Racy, the soloist singing, while other musicians hold back until he is through and all join in the refrain. The ud’s dramatic descent is what guides the group into the refrain definitively. Such dramatic descent entails divergence from the ensemble vamp and engagement into creation of countermelody that directs the group and allowing for audience’s resounding approval (Cone, 1968). MT questions A. Comparison between goralski dance to the Iroquois dance "Gadasjot"? Goralski dance defines one couple’s solo dance involving succession of dances. Transition from one segment to the other involves singing by the male dancer who has the discretion to identify and pick tune or nuta within a rhythm that is freely structured. Consequently, the ensemble responds by picking up the identified tune and performs it so as fast as possible to facilitate continued dancing by the couple (Czekanowska, 2006). Despite being a couple dance, the goralski dance does not involves touching until the couple engages in the final turning point. In order to set the pace for the dance, the man performs the guiding role characterized by very intricate steps. However, the woman follows the man’s actions and results to performing less intricate roles. At the start, the man is alone on the arena dancing solo. However, the introduction of a female onto the arena by another male and the man perform in circles round the women. Male costumes include black hats, and white shirts and pants. Women put on colorful skirts with numerous flowers. The azwodnais five parts while speedy sections or Kryzesanie involve four bars. The Iroquois dance "Gadasjot" does not normally concentrate on accompaniment or vocals but instead focus on instruments like drums, rattles, and flute. These songs are usually monophonic and like the goralski these songs use call and response where the male voices sings and the woman remains silent. The two forms of music are native in American music lack structuring and organization presented by other American music. B. Musical style elements of rhythm, melody, and timbre and how the three occur simultaneously in music In music, rhythm defines the manner in which sounds are organized in any music through time implying that rhythm involves specific sounds’ pattern especially those occurring between or on the beat. The aspect responsible for shaping rhythm is meter. The meter is the skeleton holding rhythm, does not change within the composition, and is expressed as a fraction. Conversely, the beat division is responsible for rhythm generation and beat takes groups of 2, 3, 4 or more divisions. Musically, melody refers to the sequence of distinctive pitches such that the resulting pitches’ order forms a identifiable unit. Effective melody is unstable but represents an abstract idea for remembrances. Numerous observers and the artists have acknowledged the role lyrical melody in that strong melody result into linear attribute unlike well-written melodies that contribute towards goal­­­-based music motion. Timbre refers to tone colour or sound quality. In music, timbre aspect makes it possible for the ear to differentiate sound with identical loudness and pitch. The determinant of timbre is harmonic content including other aspects like attack decay envelope and vibrato. In order for there to be music, the meter should be known so that on it, other music aspects’ identification occur including time signature, Key, beat, and music aspects amongst others. The combination of rhythm and melody requires quality control and this involves timbre to distinguish all sounds that the ear should hear (Duckworth, 2012). F Questions In Taiwan, Beiguan music commenced between 17th century and 20th century and characterized as a form of ancient melody, music, and theatrical performances. When in use, Beuiguan’s instruments include suona, Daluo, Xiaoluo, Bangzi, tonggu, xiobo, bangu, and dabo. A group of recreational musicians performs Beiguan music. Given the Hinduism nature of music, framework group organization occurs within neighbourhood temples and performs festivals within the temple. Some of the festivals include honouring the birthdays the gods’ and goddess’. Processions of temple festivals in involve hired drum pavilion, and domestic and sent ensembles for the procession to proceed (Davison & Reed, 1998). Other responsibilities of the ensembles include ritual occasions by members of given families including birthdays, funeral, and weddings. In order to prolong beiguan tunes, percussion patterns insertion occurs between each phase with the single-headed drum player responsible for the determination of the nature and place of insertion. The form of melody elongation involving extra percussions models are preferred over immediate prolonging through repetition. Compared to the Beiguan, Sunjuanes in Ecuador is a form of music identified using eight beats phase lengths, can be instrumental or sang, and involve roaming and walking as crucial elements of text. The Sanjuanes festivals involve women leaping over bonfires particularly those expecting to be mothers. The rite comprises of burning of all old clothing as a way of expelling bad omen through ringing bells and matching bands that fill the streets and fireworks in the sky (Titon, Cooley, Locke, Rasmussen, & Schechte, 2009). In my opinion, the sanjuanes in Ecuador is crucial to its people as a cleansing festival to protect innocent young children from bad luck as they grow to lead the society in coming days. 3. Rhythm of the sanjuan tradition compared to Chinese Jiangnan sizhu? Cite relevant examples Sanjuan singing occurs during St. John the Baptist festival. Sanjuans playing involved using harp other than pedals where men, mostly played the harp or Imbabura. For some sanjuans, singing could be required while in some, only instruments are played. Repetition in sanjuans occurs in multiple levels. The sanjuan are also characterized by typical rhythmic motifs and pitch, and harmonic support. Performing sanjuanes involves singing and playing instruments by men and women, and boys and girls of all ages. Amongst the southern Chinese, Chinese Jiangnan sizhu implies string and musical instruments. Jiangnan refers to south river in the Yangtze valley (Witzleben, 1995). Sizhu names the classification of instruments based on construction items. References Cone, E. T. (1968). Musical Form and Musical Performance. United States: W. W. Norton & Company;. Czekanowska, A. (2006). Polish folk music : Slavonic heritage, Polish tradition, contemporary trends. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Davison, G. M., & Reed, B. (1998). Culture and customs of Taiwan. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. Duckworth, W. (2012). A Creative Approach to Music Fundamentals. Boston, MA : Schirmer Cengage Learning. Sloboda, J., & Ford, B. (2011). Understanding audience workign paper 2. London: Guidehall School of Music and Drama. Small, C. (1996). Music, Society, and Education. Great Britain: Wesleyan University Press. Titon, J. T., Cooley, T. J., Locke, D., Rasmussen, A., & Schechte, J. M. (2009). Worlds of music : an introduction to the music of the worlds peoples (3rd ed.). Belmont, Calif: Schirmer/Cengage Learning. Weidman, A. J. (2006). Singing the classical, voicing the modern : the postcolonial politics of music in South India. Durham [u.a.]: Duke Univ. Press. Witzleben, J. L. (1995). Silk and bamboo" music in Shanghai : the jiangnan sizhu instrumental ensebmle tradition = Jiangnan-sizhu-yinyue-zai-Shanghai. Kent, Ohio : Kent State Univ. Press. Wright, C. (2013). Listening to Western Music. London: Cengage Learning. Read More