Rock and Roll - Jimi Hendrix

One of the most notable and influential rock and roll musicians in history is Jimi Hendrix. You might even classify him as a progressive rock musician. He definitely set the stage for many musicians to follow and expand on.
He possesses most of the elements that you would use to classify rock and roll music. The elements include the prominent use of electric guitar which you can see in his performance in 1969 Woodstock. You can hear his improvisation in the video for the American national anthem but you begin to see some his actual guitar work about 1:26 into the video.


In some of his other songs, which they are plentiful, he has a major emphasis on singing. Almost any musician would be able to recognize Jimi Hendrix because of his detrimental role in the progressive movement and other rock and roll genres.
Nearly every song by Jimi Hendrix evokes some type of emotional response, because he always put what he felt into the song or improvisation. These powerful styles of music that he performed help set the stage for many more musicians in the future.

Sideshow Performance Report

Post 1942 musicals became more an expression of American society and often have a romantic conflict or love triangle. This past Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 8pm, I attended Side Show the musical at the University of Texas at Dallas University Theatre. It encompassed a story about these Siamese twins, Violet and Daisy, and their quest to become famous and in love. They started however at a low point in the beginning of the musical as the main attraction at a freak show due to their faults. However when two individuals Buddy and Terry come into the mix, they see bright futures for the Siamese twins. From there the story, drama, and romance begin to take place. A love triangle forms between Daisy, Buddy, and Jake the Cannibal.
I would like to begin by describing the scene and setup of the musical and also the audience. The stage was mostly dark and mysterious with boxes and a backdrop which left the orchestra exposed. There seemed to be a lot of technology that went into the making of this musical compared to some of the other performances that I have seen at UTD. The conductor for the orchestra had a small television screen so that he would be able to see the stage even though his back was to it. Some of the performers had an abnormal way of using a microphone which appeared to be attached to their forehead and the wire ran back through their hair. Everyone in the audience was required to turn off all cell phones because the signal could affect their recording of the performance. Regarding the audience, it was nearly completely filled. Later, I found that Side Show had pulled in more audience than any other performance at UTD over the past 2 weeks of their performances.
The music for this musical was comprised of both vocals from the performers and from the orchestra. I would like to begin by describing some of the vocals that were supported by the orchestra. The vocals were very supported of each other. The vocals were very homophonic, both when the group of freaks were singing and when the Siamese twins were singing. Even though the story revolved around the Siamese twins, there were other characters that had an equally large part in the story. Jake the Cannibal was one of the members of the love triangle and went with the twins on the journey for stardom. The music was very conversational. The responsorial singing would go back and forth between characters and was the primary driver for continuing the story along. However, the story did not feel rushed. I felt very involved in the music, and like I was part of the performance. Jake helped include the audience when he would run into the crowd and increase the emotions from the crowd to get them more involved with his character. There was a point at which Buddy and Terry were conversing and the music would change in conjunction with who was singing. Buddy would have a progressive melody performed by the orchestra while Terry had more of a repetition of his melody. During this scene, Terry was more responding verbally instead of vocally singing. This support from the orchestra was demonstrated throughout the musical. Another interesting addition that you might point out about the music is that it was the major factor in building the suspense. I felt that the words from the songs would help me understand the story but the orchestra and music would help me feel the story. In other words, my emotions were brought out through how the music was playing rather than how it was sung.
The Siamese twins throughout the majority of the play were very supportive of each other. A case in point is whenever they would introduce themselves, one would sing, then the other, and then they would sing together. This is how the majority of their parts would go. Either they would be conversing with each other separately or together whenever they would perform. I thought it was very helpful in moving along the story and supporting each other.
The performers would be required to play multiple roles except for Daisy, Violet, Terry, Buddy, and Jake. All the others would play the freaks, and go off stage but then would play in the next scene as businessmen, reporters, or couples at a party. All of the vocals were memorized by the cast while the orchestra was mainly in the back. Most of the performance, the orchestra was hidden behind the curtains but they still played a crucial part in the performance of this musical.
In conclusion, the musical can be characterized as a combination of vocal and orchestral music that converse and support each other throughout the performance. The combination of the different textures of music come together to help support and balance the performance.

Sideshow College Society

Recently, I have attended Side Show the musical written in 1997 at the University Theater at the University of Texas at Dallas. Even though the musical takes place in the 1930’s, you can see how it relates to today college society. I believe the major relation to today’s society is the tempo and non-stop performance. We are so intertwined to be constantly stimulated that it is hard to stay in a theater or watch a movie that is longer than an hour and a half. Side Show lasted nearly 3 hours including intermission and during this time, rarely had a point where either the orchestra wasn’t playing or the performers weren’t singing. Another relation to today’s college society is the drama. Dreams from the Siamese twins, Daisy wanted fame and Violet yearned for love in a nice quite place. This separation of interest, in my opinion describes the two different goals of college students today. However, seeing as they were connected, it would be hard for one to achieve what she wanted without the other losing her dream. A love triangle and mixed emotions shower the scene, which make me thing of a lot of shows that you might watch on MTV such as Taking the Stage.

The Gullah Culture

Although the Gullah does not have any one tie to a certain African nation, you can generalize their location and cultural background to that of West Africa and Western Sudan. Like many other cultures throughout history, the Gullah was influenced by those who watched over them, in this case the whites. Christianity was probably one of the major influences from the whites. However, the Gullah people went a different way about praising; they did it in the form of ring shouts. Gullah culture is vibrantly similar to that of Western African, language, arts, crafts, and the way that ceremonies are conducted. I can also notice some similarities between song and dance with other African countries that we have studied before. There is a strong influence of drums in the Gullah music culture. I also notice from one of the video posts that there are sometimes individuals that are “taken away” into a kind of trance. Repetition of rhythm help those who are dancing or singing stay on beat. I could not tell entirely but it appears that some of the instruments the Gullah use are indeed the same instruments that their roots in Africa use.

UT Dallas - Shakespeare in Song

I attended Shakespeare in Song on March 27, 2010 at 8pm in the Jonsson Performance Hall at the University of Texas at Dallas. The stage was setup in a way which I find very typically for most of the performances that I see either at UTD, or Dallas Symphony and that is the piano is located at right stage. The bleachers at which the choir were stationed was at middle stage (men were on the left and women on the right when facing the crowd), the scenes were played out on left stage and soloists were closer to the piano at right stage.

The audience didn’t seem to be crowded as I heard some of the other shows were. When I attended, most of the audience seemed to consist of parents or grandparents, and students. Several of the students I recognized were in my Understanding Music class and others I assume were there to see their friends perform. An interesting tidbit that I learned from this performance is that you clap after each of the scenes and not to wait until the end because it helps keep the audience involved. The performance consists of sixteen scenes from various Shakespeare plays.

The music for this play was performed by the UT Dallas Chamber Singers and pianist Michael McVay. The music ranged from various different forms, it would be controlled and syllabic in some of the begging scenes of the play but there would be points where it was hoppy and melismatic. The asciendo would mostly be located towards throughout the songs as the tempo of the music would increase. The piano moved with the flow of the performers and would constantly be looking at the performers and the director for queues on when to begin the next part of the song.
Mix between solo performers which helped express the individuality of the music and choir which helped characterize the movements in speed, volume, and texture of the song. The choir was separated into sections of soprano, and alto for the women and tenure and bass for the men. This helped create the distinction of lyrics when the entire choir was singing at once because once you would listen and be able to tune out everything except for a certain pitch, it was much easier to understand the lyrical flow of the song. Also at some points, a main characteristic of the play was that there was a repetition of lyrics that when sung by different levels would create different intensities that seemed to increase with speed and repetition.
Another interesting point I noticed throughout the play, was that I saw there was a strong emphasis on the emotions of the singers and when they played their lyrical parts, it was easier to observe some of the emotions involved because it was easier to understand what they were saying.

Performers were dressed in Renaissance style clothing which was the setting in which each of the acts were written. The performance was conducted by Kathryn Evans who played a tremendous part. She was crucial in controlling the speed and timing of the performance. She would be the lead person to help people get back on queue if they got lost at any point within the performance. Also she was able to queue the pianist when to start playing and I noticed that throughout the piece he would look for queues on when to continue. I think that this allowed the performers to be able to carry out notes a little longer if they felt like it, especially during the solo parts.
While members of the choir were performing their scene that didn’t involve song, other members of the choir were quite as to not take away from those performing the scenes. Performers had the song sheet and play sheet in front of them while they were performing so that memorization was less of a key point in the play.

Opera - Verdi's Falstaff

One of Verdi’s last opera that he wrote was the Falstaff. I decided to watch a shortened version of this opera that sums up the performance in 10 minutes. Unlike some of Verdi’s other operas, this one seems to be more continuous at points; there seems to be constant action in the performance, rarely do you have a part that is without sound except in between Acts. The melodic range of this piece seems somewhat to range between high and low periods depending on how the scene is. This helps to create a very dramatic story. The melody in parts is very skippy but other parts are more continuous movement from note to note. At the end of the piece, they realize that the world is meant for fun as they all come together in an accelerando. During this accelerando, there is the addition of individuals in the choir and not to have the entire choir singing at the beginning and all the way through. The music of this opera is very complementary to the singers. If you pay attention closely, there is the accompaniment that is somewhat lagged to the performance of the singers and often intertwined with their performance. It also helps build the mood and direction for which the act is going. However, often you will find that it speeds up till a climax and then slows again. Approximately 1:55 into the video, you can see the use of a Rossini crescendo to help build excitement. This helps show the influence that Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti has on Verdi’s work.
The performer’s seemed to have done an excellent job of dressing the time period at which the piece was written. They also do a good job of movement and using the entire stage that they are performing on.

Avatar - Na'vi and Film Score

After watching the movie Avatar, and actively listening to the music during different scenes, you can decipher the two different styles of music. One would be the typical music score of the orchestra that was played outside the Na’vi scenes and the other is the Na’vi music that consisted of drums and some monotone sounds and background drones.

The Na’vi music, I felt was best described by associating it with certain African style music cultures but after further review and speaking with my peers, I began to realize that it was more complex. There seems to be a Native American theme to the movie and it is only reasonable to consider this style of music as well. A friend of mine stated that Avatar seemed to depict the Pocahontas story in that the primarily white English came to the “New World” and took it over. There is a strong association with the Na’vi treated their world and the way the Native Americans treated theirs. As I was watching the movie, I felt the struggle and the cultural connection that the scene was portraying through the music that was being played.

The orchestral film score that was played was completely different to that of the Na’vi. It was the sound of music that you would typically hear in an epic type movie like Avatar. This score had a sort of battle of survival or uplifting tone that would require you to be inspired or emit some sort of emotion. Because of the struggle between the Na’vi and the marines, you also saw the battle between their two different types of music which made them very distinct.

Radio UTD Music Ethnocology

Introduction

There are several different music cultures in the Dallas, Texas area that go unheard or unrecognized. I focused on a music culture that was close to home and affects most of my peers around me. I chose to do my music ethnography on Sean Jordan’s Radio UTD – Rockin’ It Old School. “Radio UTD is a student-run, non-commercial internet radio station for The University of Texas at Dallas, located in Richardson, Texas” (Radio UTD). Radio UTD plays several different genres of music but the session that I went to and want to focus on is Alternative Indie music. Alternative Indie music can be classified as the music that rejected the mainstream commercialization and chose to stay independent. Alternative music is close to rock but lacks some of the heavy jam music. Indie bands live the “do it yourself” life and are unique because they are inspired to create music that maintains their original sound and are not subject to the mainstream commercials that you will tend to hear on the radio in your car (MusicMoz). Radio UTD is a link to which brings you indie music, although they only can be heard online, they offer some events and parties at which you can attend in order to help broaden your views on this culture.

Methodology of Collection

The primary method for my data was collected through an interview during the Radio UTD session that Sean was offering. The Radio UTD studio is located in the lower level of the Student Union at The University of Texas at Dallas. I would like to begin by describing the process that I went through in order to conduct my research. Prior to communicating to Sean Jordan, I looked at my life and saw the different music cultures that affected me. At this point, I realized that I wanted to conduct my music culture on the alternative indie music brought to me by Sean Jordan at Radio UTD. So I began by conducting some background research not only on Radio UTD, but also on the music that Sean promotes. I conducting some background research, I thought that it would be an excellent opportunity for me to visit a live showing at Radio UTD. I attended a live session from Sean Jordan on Thursday February 18, 2010. Upon arrival at the studio, Sean procured me a guest badge. Seeing as this would be my primary source of information, we talked about everything ranging from the devices he uses in office, rules that he must abide by, workings of the office (i.e. management), and the type of music that Sean plays, Alternative Indie. A great way to get involved into Alternative Indie music or other independent bands is to search around the internet. A way that I keep in touch with the current news, albums, and top rated tracks is through Pitchfork.com (Pitchfork).


Ideas About Music

Now, we will discuss the different aspects of this music culture including the ideas about the music, activities involving this music, repertoires of the music, and the material culture of the music. Some important ideas about the music culture or Radio UTD include the main belief that music should be shared with others. Those who are unable to effectively go out and find music are given a short cut. Although mainly played through an internet radio station, Radio UTD also broadcasts within the Student Union at UTD for students to listen to when they are eating, playing pool, arcades or just relaxing. The role of music within Radio UTD is that it creates a new outlet for the music that wouldn’t otherwise be heard. Without new independent music, there would not be Radio UTD. Since the spectrum of independent music is so large, music can be aired 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Sean’s timeslot within those hours are Thursday’s from 2pm to 4pm. The history for this music can be traced back to around the 90’s. According to MusicMoz, the Alternative Indie music has its beginnings in 1989 when Nirvana switched from their independent label and began their first commercialized album. From that point there were several Indie bands that followed and also signed onto major record labels while others decided it would be best to remain independent and continue doing what they love (creating music for their own satisfactions).


Activities Involving Music

Indie music has become increasingly popular over the past 20 years. Some activities involving this music include the different outlets to where the music can be reached. These outlets include but are not limited to iTunes, concerts, music stores, radio stations, and the internet. Some of the musicians that play the indie music do it professionally while others do it mainly as a hobby. Indie singers can be hired to do events such as weddings, private parties, or corporate events (Minnesota). Those who don’t perform professionally, tend to perform either within the confines of their own home or at local pub or venue. Locally there may be a tendency for the formation of groups through religions, race, or ethnicity but Alternative Indie is not limited to any type of stereotype. The group is very diverse in nature because of their individuality. Radio UTD helps diversify their music by playing all different types of Indie music, not limited to Alternative, they have a huge collection of music that ranges from Alternative to Metal to R&B. The diversity is really shown throughout the culture, from who performers, records, and distributes. Although Radio UTD tends to stick with the English dialect, Alternative Indie is prominent through several different countries, and is not confined to the individualistic nature of American or British cultures. Since the music is so diverse, it can appeal to different groups separated by age, ethnicity, and geographical locations. Music has always had a way to bring people together. It’s not always the lyrics that catch my attention but rather the tone and melody that capture my interest. It is because of this open nature and variety of sounds that people are attracted by all sorts of different lifestyles. However, because independent music is known for being so creative and without commercialization, sometimes it is hard for the bands to raise money so you find things to be lower budget than you would from these multimillion dollar artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Britney Spears. For that reason, you will tend to find less advertisement for Alternative groups, making it harder for their music to be heard. Radio UTD puts together a couple events every year that consist of dance parties held typically in the art barn at UTD, while larger dance parties take place in the galaxy rooms. Students, faculty, and even outsiders will attend these events. Their main source of advertisement is word of mouth, fliers, posters and announcements. The musicians are not limited to local bands, last year they brought in a band from Las Angeles, CA (Jordan).


Repertoires of Music

Indie music can fit into nearly every type of genre; the music that Sean Jordan plays during his session at Radio UTD however is strictly Alternative. I tried listening to some of the songs that Sean played while I was interviewing him and it seemed that most of the songs had to do with love. There are other lyrical basis of Alternative music that can range from heartbreak to a variety of other things that have nothing to do with love. The lyrics are a direct reflection of how the artist, normally the performer is feeling. Because of this, you will find that some of the songs are not as melodic as other mainstream songs. This is due to the fact that they are presented through the eyes of the artist. Because alternative is a fairly new genre of music, it is important to stay up to date with current events, albums, and artists (Jordan). Radio UTD is actually sent CD’s from promotional studios every week in which they are required to play throughout the day. This makes this music-culture expanding in nature because of the activity of music being introduced not only a monthly basis but a weekly basis. When CD’s are sent to the studio, they are ranked by the Radio UTD manager, as well as ranked by the overall attitudes of those who listen to it online. Also along with the CDs sent is a list of other musicians that are similar to that. This is how Sean creates his playlist, linking songs that are similar in nature because you don’t want to go from a song that is mellow to a song that is harder rock. There needs to be a smooth transition of music. The internet is the primary way in which this music is transmitted. Several different colleges and schools around the United States provide this same type of service to help promote Indie music.


Material Culture

Due to the size of the Alternative Indie culture and the budget associated with it, the material culture for this group is sometimes limited. Instruments typically used consist of electric guitars, drums, microphones, and synthesizers. For Radio UTD, the instruments they use to promote the music consist of several computers, internet, mixer, turn tables, speakers and headsets, and a huge collection of CD’s. Most of the instruments that are required for recording and distribution can be found at any typical music store. Not many indie music books are sold. Some other types of goodies that are sold that aren’t directly related to the recording and distribution include t-shirts and other types of fan gear that are sold are the concerts.

In conclusion, we have established the history of Alternative Indie, how it is promoted, and who promotes their music. Radio UTD has established themselves among the majority of campus, as well as many other individuals. It is through a medium like Radio UTD that most indie music gathers its fans. From that point, it is up to these promotional mediums to help keep listeners up to date on current events that are happening around their area. Individualism and Creativity have maintained the music culture of Indie music even through times of greed and money making opportunities. With this stream of music pouring in, there is a dire need for students to take it upon themselves in order to spread the news and albums. Events are happening all around, you just need to stay tuned or visit some key websites on the internet in order to find a place near you to experience Alternative Indie. Your mind is the creative limit and Indie music is the exploration of that mind we see in our music today.

Links to Alternative Indie Music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0u11rgd9Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpMPJWcC1Dk&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNgyFJOzbs4

Work Cited:

Jordan, Sean. "Radio UTD." Personal interview. 18 Feb. 2010.
"Minnesota Indie Rock Musicians, MN Indie Rock Music, Indie Rock Musicians MN, Indie Rock Music Minnesota." Event Entertainment Planning: Live Music Bands, Wedding Musicians, Party DJs, & more. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .
"MusicMoz - Styles: Rock: Alternative: Indie." MusicMoz - Open Music Project. Web. 28 Feb. 2010. .
Pitchfork: Home. Web. 15 Feb. 2010. .
Radio UTD. Web. 15 Feb. 2010. .

Blog Post 8 - Radio UTD Possible Problems

When analyzing the Radio UTD music culture, I ran into some minor issues but most were easily corrected. Some people first of all might find it a little difficult to schedule an interview with the person they are most interested in at the station due to schedule conflicts because their DJ’s are assigned a certain time slot. But since I had already contacted and researched everything before trying to schedule an interview, I didn’t have much difficulty with this aspect. It was very easy to get inside the studio, I walked up, saw my friend through the Radio UTD glass window, and he met me at the front desk and I just had to sign in for a visitor badge. Some other difficulties that spurred up during my research was finding which promotional studios are responsible for sending CD’s to Radio UTD and are they in competition with one another. Since Sean Jordan didn’t know every aspect of the industry, it was a little difficult to find this information out. Although Sean did a very good job at answering the questions that I needed answered.
For the most part, the Radio UTD music culture, because it was student run, was very easy to contact and from what I understand, they don’t have any conflicts with timing and event management. I did ask if someone was sick, do they play off-air music and he said that they would just call around and find another DJ to substitute for the absente. In all, most of the problems that arise can be easily communicated through those at Radio UTD, and they are very timely at responding to your issues.

Blog Post 7: Radio UTD

I chose to do my music ethnography over Sean Jordan’s Radio UTD time slot, which cover Alternative Indie music. I would like to provide a brief background of this music type as well as how things are typically run at Radio UTD. First of all, the music stirred during the mid 80’s or 90’s depending on the source that you will look at. I would sum Indie music up as individuals or bands that are not commercialized through big radio stations and albums. They are not confined to some of the trends that you would classify popular music. Indie music is unique because it is an image of what is going on in the artists head. This means that sometimes it can be without a specific or easy to hear melody. This lack of restriction really allows the artists to explore their imaginations. Radio UTD plays a huge role in the exposure of this type of music. Every week, they receive several CD’s that they are required to promote. With some basic equipment that they have in the station, they are able to broadcast this music of internet channels as well as places like the Student Union on the UTD Campus. Without Radio UTD, and other college student run organizations, most of this music would probably go unheard. There are several concerts that you can attend in your location. Most of those are advertised through UTD but you can access concert venues through you local entertainment sites. Radio UTD also hosts some concerts on campus and they bring in bands to perform from all over the United States. I hope that you find this music-culture as entertaining as I did and I hope that I have provided a good enough brief information for you to research on.
Here are some websites that you can view to further your interests in this music-culture:
http://radio.utdallas.edu/
http://musicmoz.org/Styles/Rock/Alternative/Indie/desc.html

Blog Post 6 - Japanese Noh

Japanese Noh Theatre has been around since the 14 century. The noh, is different from many other forms of art and music because it is said that the actor is unaware of what is going to be played. The actors and musical performers feed more off each other and that is how their performance is made. Due to their nonpulsatile music, it lets the actors expand with how they will conduct their performance. Experts have a sense of where the piece or flow the of music is going and feed of the vibe in order to create the Noh performance. With this type of play, it is very easy to lose a sense of time. To observe the Noh theatre, I searched YouTube and found a great segment from a classical Noh performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdk1pi0BSug
First, I watched this link to observe more of the instruments used and how they are used to build on each other. Noh performances consist of four instruments typically, a bamboo flute, and three small drubs. Within this link, you are able to see those. I also noticed that many of the Noh performances where typically set on a wooden stage and the main actor would perform in front of those playing the instruments. Another great link that shows for of the actor side of the performance can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTv8uM_jmmI&feature=related
I have also noticed that the actor is often carrying a fan in one hand. Their performance instead of being tremendously acrobatic and quick jumping around, consists of walking and more rigid movements. At least this is the impressions that I have got from the videos that I have watched.

Blog Post 5

I chose to watch the following link on YouTube featuring Pandit Bhimsen Joshi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC35uWZFW3g&feature=PlayList&p=3786E62F6052A973&index=4
This differed from most of Ravi Shankar’s performances in that it was based primarily on vocals that told a story to the listener. Fortunately the video I watched translated what he was singing. The drums played an important role in this performance. I noticed that the drummer would not use sticks however, he would make his music via his fingers. It looks like he is using the Tabla. Some of the instruments in the performance include possibly the harmonium, tambura, and possibly the Sitar. The tabla is the most recognizable of the instruments because it differs in that it is a membranophone will the other in my opinion more distinguishable instruments are chordophones.
What impressed me the most about this video is that according to others who have viewed this video, the vocalist (Pandit Bhimsen Joshi) is older than 80 years old and is still able to create the very distinct sounds for this culture. This is truly a classical Hindustani song compared to the more modern western influenced Hindustani music.
It seems to me like it is very traditional to have this sort of setup in this music culture where all the musicians surround the main piece but the way that this differs from other types of cultures is that they are all sitting, most of which I would explain as “Indian style.” The scene is also very traditional and is a different stage setup that most western people are used to

Blog Post 4 - Googoosh

I chose to watch one of Googoosh’s live performances on YouTube. The title was “A Unique Performance of GOOGOOSH(Kavir Song).” There are some distinct music elements that different from other popular music that I have seen. For one, the crowd was mostly dressed very eloquently, and an extremely large crowd at that. Somehow, they managed to provides seats for everyone as well. Googoosh, like the crowd is dressed in very nicely, differently from some of the clothing that we would see in today’s western style music. It seems very appropriate for the time and age of Googoosh’s performance. Which I believe this video was from 2000 (at least that was referenced in the comments for the video.) But I think this also shows her traditional culture. Although I know that her tour was a very big thing that captured media from around the world, letting a female from Iran go on tour. It was to show the new political forces in power during that time.

Her music is very intriguing and I would almost describe it was uplifting. There is a certain breathtaking sensation that not only takes me away but also the crowd as well. In the beginning of the video, you can see some of the individuals swaying to the music. It looks like she includes the drums, piano, and a flute to create her piece. At the end of the song, the crowd goes wild to show their appreciation for Googoosh.

Extra Credit Blog Post 1

I would like to being by saying that I thought the Chinese UIBE group was very interesting and talented. I learned many things not only about their music but also about their culture. There group was for the most part shy but I would say that not many of our class engaged in conversation either. Suprisingly, they spoke much better English than I thought that they would be able too. I was thoroughly amazed and at speaking talent as well as their musical talent. They played a couple things including vocals, guitar, and I’m not sure of the instrument name but it’s a clattering wooden instrument.
They sang different types of classifications of music in their culture that varies depending on the region. They included opera in which one of the male students represented both how the females would sing and how the male would sing. Interesting enough, only the men are allowed on stage so men have to play both men and women. They are sang at different octaves, that is how they distinguish between the sexes. Also, a female student sang a piece from of their cultures, and I’m not sure how to describe it besides nothing but absolutely amazing.
Next, one of the students played the guitar for one of the folk songs, in which most of the music revolves around the theme of love. He played the guitar while singing and the wooden instrument was used during this. Eventually, the rest of their class started clapping, as well as my class. It was a very involved song and didn’t seem to complicating for someone to follow.
All in all, I thought that their performance was going to be amazing because it would include both martial arts and music but unfortunately I was unable to attend until a little later and it was already fully packed.

Blog Post 3 - Faculty Concert

I attended the Music Faculty Concert (40th Anniversary) on Friday, January 29th at 8pm in the Conference Center at UTD. I would like to begin by saying that I thought it was a very well run event and I had a lot of fun listening to the different pieces. In my discussion, I am going to talk about the 4 different elements of music; the music, performers, audience, and time and space of Part II How Insensitive and Lamento by Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994).
The music consisted of a piano, electric guitar, cello, and drums. I chose this piece out of the rest because I was more familiar with these types of instruments. The music had a somewhat jazzy or cultural latin rhythm to it. The piece began slow but then picked up pace as it continued. I found it very enjoyable to listen to this type of music. Some of the other pieces seemed more relaxing but this piece was more inspiring. The drums provided a constant rhythm which I could go back to if I got lost in the melody of the song.
The performers, especially the drummer and guitarist seemed to be very into the piece and really provided a spark to it. I would say they were the life blood of the piece. Every one of the performers were dressed eloquently which different from the majority of the crowd which were casual. Some of the audience however, dressed more similar to the performers. During the piece, the crowd remained silent throughout but were very appreciative at the end with their applause.
The majority of the Conference Center was full. I would say that the stage was a bit overcrowded and it seemed that the performers didn’t always have the space they needed. I would give the overall performance an A.

Blog Post 2 - Music Ethnography

I have chosen to do the radio UTD music culture. They run their showing from the UTD campus in the Student Union building on the 1st floor. There are several people involved in the production of this music including interim station manager, programming director, music director, promotions manager, system administrator, and advisor. In addition to those admin positions, there are numerous programmers that are allocated different time slots throughout the weak and you can tune in to hear the latest of what they have to offer.
http://radio.utdallas.edu/

They have a very relaxed environment in order to conduct their operations. It seems like an occupation in which they greatly enjoy their time and provides them with time to just sit back, relax and listen to some music. They offer streaming music 24/7.

I plan on attending possibly several show times in the studio but I have already spoken with one of the programmer's Sean Jordan who runs the air every Tuesday from 2pm - 4pm. His program list is filled with "Rockin' it Old School."
http://radio.utdallas.edu/programs/?id=1843

Post 1 Music-Culture

It is very hard to pinpoint one music culture that has had the most influence on me. There has been so many different music phases that I have gone through since childhood. Of course, I began with children's music which definitely had a major role in my education, from learning the abc's to grammar. Next, being that I was partially raised by my grandparents in the country, country music had a very influential impact on my life. Then I began listening to alternative music because I wanted to fit in more with my peers. Kids at school would sing songs together so it was natural for me to change my preferences to adapt to more of a city lifestyle. At the time, I completely despised metal and rock because to me it seemed like there was just too much yelling and I couldn't understand their lyrics. Little did I know, it would become my most influential type of music culture (Rock). I would never say that it was a necessity but being raised playing several different sports, I used music to prepare myself for every game, practice, or scrimmage. Later music would help pump me up for things less physically demanding but equally as mentally challenging such as video games. Linkin park would be one of the more influential music groups in my life. Their songs are upbeat, and you might describe it as more of a rap/rock tempo. Every time I would listen, there was that perfect pulse that would get my heart pumping and adrenaline roaring. Probably the song that really got my blood flowing was Linkin Park’s Figure.09 on their Meteora cd.

Several other rock/rap have provided me with the edge I needed before a game but Linkin Park seems to be the most common for me in relation to the rest of my peers. Unfortunately I am more of a passive listener to music (a trait that I am working on fixing) so it is somewhat difficult for me to describe how the lyrics of Linkin Park have changed my life. I would say that the sounds they create to form their music and the ways that they piece their songs together is what attracted me the most.