The British Invasion is one of the few movements in music that didn't involve a radical change of musical influences, at least off of the get-go. When it first started, it was purely some of the British band's desire to emulate the American style of Rock and Roll. Though the influence was there, the movement didn't actually take place until The Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan show):
The movement was a combination of Rock and Roll, Beat, and Pop music, and was very similar in composition to the "surfer music" that was played already in the United States (The Beach Boys being an example of that). Though the music started out as being an extension of the style of music being done by other genre's, it quickly grew into its own style (crafted mainly by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones).
However, unlike many of the musical genre's, the British Invasion was not marked by the very specific things that it did to try and change about the current genre's, but the location from which the artists in question came from. Many of the artists had radically different styles of music, with changes to every aspect of Rock imaginable. The sole exception to this being that the guitar was always in the forefront of instruments, though the timbre, rhythm, type of guitar could radically change between each of the performers.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Sideshow the musical
Musicals are a popular form of play nowadays (transitioned from the Opera of earlier Europe for a middle class audience most likely). Though they tend to have somewhat radically different stories, the actual plot stays the same. Based heavily on the gender of the main character, the story tends to revolve around the life of the main character as they fall in love with someone (typically someone they meet out of the blue, and will later both break up with, and then join back up with again). On April 8-10 and 15-17, Sideshow the musical will be performed in the University Theatre (this post based upon the performance done on the 9th). Done in two acts, it depicts the antics of two Siamese twins trying to fit in the world (based on the real events of two similar people).
The songs tended to blend together throughout the entire musical due to their constant state. There would only be a few seconds while someone might be talking, quickly having them switching to singing their lines. Though each of the pieces were distinct, they followed a very similar trend of staccato notes throughout the pieces, with a few held notes to spice up specific lines. Notably, almost every instrument played drone, as well as spend time accenting the vocalists throughout the entirety of the piece (a couple of the brass instruments were the only ones to not do so). The singers did very little repitition of lines throughout the pieces, and only when the actual lines of the "play" would involve two groups trying to contest against one another (in an argument or otherwise).
The actors were in a constant state of motion for almost the entire duration of being on the stage. Only when a piece was done, or when another actor had some form of importance (and demanded the audience's attention) did the actors stop moving. Though they were in constant motion, there were no noticable ques between the actors for the music (several were done for the dance motions however), relying completely on the memorization of the piece (and the offstage director should they get stuck). In complete and sharp contrast, the instrumentalists in the back did almost no movement past raising their instrument when their time to play arose. Though they didn't directly que within one another, a director cued each of them for each of the movements done in the music.
Despite not being free, there was a rather sizable audiance throughout the theatre (though not a full house). Many of the viewers were parents to the performers on stage, as well as a large number of students that came for the performance. Many of the students came in larger groups of three and higher, though there were a couple that were there solo (only two couples that I saw throughout the crowd). There were also several previous members of the Art and Humanities department that showed up to support the new members.
The theatre was most likely picked for its ability to reverberate, and then quickly remove the reverberation. There were many edges along the walls, as well as along the back of the theatre, allowing for a large amount of reverberation through the theatre. The ceiling, however, had multitudes of sound traps to keep the sound from lasting for a large amount of time. The effect was that there was a large amount of reverberation when each note was done, but was quickly gone for the next note to start reverberating.
The flow of piece into another piece was the most notable aspect overall. While the pieces tended to be different entities onto themselves, they would get transitioned into one another to keep the general flow of the musical together. There were almost no times when there wasn't some form of music being played (desregarding the constant drone that almost always being played). This allowed the musical to keep flowing, and never have to spend time trying to set up for the next piece outside of the musical key.
The songs tended to blend together throughout the entire musical due to their constant state. There would only be a few seconds while someone might be talking, quickly having them switching to singing their lines. Though each of the pieces were distinct, they followed a very similar trend of staccato notes throughout the pieces, with a few held notes to spice up specific lines. Notably, almost every instrument played drone, as well as spend time accenting the vocalists throughout the entirety of the piece (a couple of the brass instruments were the only ones to not do so). The singers did very little repitition of lines throughout the pieces, and only when the actual lines of the "play" would involve two groups trying to contest against one another (in an argument or otherwise).
The actors were in a constant state of motion for almost the entire duration of being on the stage. Only when a piece was done, or when another actor had some form of importance (and demanded the audience's attention) did the actors stop moving. Though they were in constant motion, there were no noticable ques between the actors for the music (several were done for the dance motions however), relying completely on the memorization of the piece (and the offstage director should they get stuck). In complete and sharp contrast, the instrumentalists in the back did almost no movement past raising their instrument when their time to play arose. Though they didn't directly que within one another, a director cued each of them for each of the movements done in the music.
Despite not being free, there was a rather sizable audiance throughout the theatre (though not a full house). Many of the viewers were parents to the performers on stage, as well as a large number of students that came for the performance. Many of the students came in larger groups of three and higher, though there were a couple that were there solo (only two couples that I saw throughout the crowd). There were also several previous members of the Art and Humanities department that showed up to support the new members.
The theatre was most likely picked for its ability to reverberate, and then quickly remove the reverberation. There were many edges along the walls, as well as along the back of the theatre, allowing for a large amount of reverberation through the theatre. The ceiling, however, had multitudes of sound traps to keep the sound from lasting for a large amount of time. The effect was that there was a large amount of reverberation when each note was done, but was quickly gone for the next note to start reverberating.
The flow of piece into another piece was the most notable aspect overall. While the pieces tended to be different entities onto themselves, they would get transitioned into one another to keep the general flow of the musical together. There were almost no times when there wasn't some form of music being played (desregarding the constant drone that almost always being played). This allowed the musical to keep flowing, and never have to spend time trying to set up for the next piece outside of the musical key.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Gullah Geechee, the peoples of the United States of Africa
The Gullah Geechee people are a segment of African Americans that became segregated from the rest of America due to their resistance to the prevalent diseases that were prominant in South Carolina and Georga. Because of this segregation, they kept many of their old, African traditions, including their musical heritage. In August last year they held a music festival to share their music with the rest of the United States.
The music is very distinctly African in origin, and holds many of the common traits found in African music. The emphasis on drums and the beat of the song over having a complex set of instruments (though, drums are not the only thing used). The empasis on movement from the audiance/performers (based on the non-formal performances). The vocal lines tend to be done in more of a "chant", rather than trying to make them into their own kind of instrument (with their own complex harmony or melody). However, unlike several of the African music styles looked at before, their musical style doesn't appear to have any form of stringed instruments. Their emphasis on brass is also much smaller than the other forms of African-influenced musical styles, as well as the lack of wind instruments.
The music is very distinctly African in origin, and holds many of the common traits found in African music. The emphasis on drums and the beat of the song over having a complex set of instruments (though, drums are not the only thing used). The empasis on movement from the audiance/performers (based on the non-formal performances). The vocal lines tend to be done in more of a "chant", rather than trying to make them into their own kind of instrument (with their own complex harmony or melody). However, unlike several of the African music styles looked at before, their musical style doesn't appear to have any form of stringed instruments. Their emphasis on brass is also much smaller than the other forms of African-influenced musical styles, as well as the lack of wind instruments.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Shakespeare in Song
Shakespeare is a name known throughout the world for his amazing use in language (a fact that anyone who can read this has had drilled into their head). On the 26th and 27th the Chamber Singers paid homage to him with their Shakespeare in Song (more can be found out about them at their webpage: http://www.utdallas.edu/ah/programs/arts/musi/chambersingers.html ). Done in two acts, it showcased several of the pieces either in Shakespeare’s work, or inspired by it. This performance report is over their first performance, on March 26th at 8:00 PM
The actual performance consisted of seventeen classical pieces of music, all done by vocalists and a piano. The songs themselves had multitudes of differences’ within these boundaries however. Some of the songs had a soloist singing (though, none were acapella), some involved the entire choir. Some songs had the voice groups singing the same lyrics, some had them singing different lyrics. The piano, the real consistency throughout the performance, changed its texture to match the piece. If the song involved a soloist, the piano was played with a small texture. If it involved the entire choir, the piano had an extremely thick texture. Before, and sometimes after, there were also spoken lines from the play that the song originated from.
Throughout the performance, the performers kept a constant, stoic stance throughout the performance; unless their turn to do some form of solo or spoken dialog came up. Very little motion was made through the performers to try and give any form of cue or non-verbal conversation (short of the director), though there was a semi-constant movement back and forth from them (a product, potentially, of it being the first day). They also wore costumes as though they were performers in the pieces (Disregarding the fact that there were no female performers in Shakespeare’s time period. At least ones that openly displayed that fact). Though there were a few slip-ups in the performance, they managed to come out of their first performance without any hitches.
Even though the performance was free, there was a surprising lack of people attending despite being free to attend (a little less than half the chairs were filled), and most of the viewers were students. There were a few people there on dates, as well as a few parents/grandparents and a child. Of the students there, many of them appeared to be taking notes of the performance, though there were several that were strictly watching. Multiples of the watchers were from the older Chamber Singers group, and were there to give support to the new group.
The later time played a notable factor in the performance, as being after the days classes meant that there were more students able to attend. However, and more likely a bigger factor, was the day of the performance. Due to being on Friday, many of the potential viewers were more than likely out doing something else, instead of being there for the performance. Due to the composition of attendees, there was a fair amount of applause the times that the Chamber Singers left, and entered, the stage.
Despite keeping to the same type of music throughout the performance, the variety within the pieces helped keep the performance together. They had very few times were the music was similar enough to be noticeable (the pieces that were similar were also placed far apart), and they kept the pacing through the use of singing and reciting the lines from the plays. Giving a little bit more back-story into the context of which the songs would be performed.
The actual performance consisted of seventeen classical pieces of music, all done by vocalists and a piano. The songs themselves had multitudes of differences’ within these boundaries however. Some of the songs had a soloist singing (though, none were acapella), some involved the entire choir. Some songs had the voice groups singing the same lyrics, some had them singing different lyrics. The piano, the real consistency throughout the performance, changed its texture to match the piece. If the song involved a soloist, the piano was played with a small texture. If it involved the entire choir, the piano had an extremely thick texture. Before, and sometimes after, there were also spoken lines from the play that the song originated from.
Throughout the performance, the performers kept a constant, stoic stance throughout the performance; unless their turn to do some form of solo or spoken dialog came up. Very little motion was made through the performers to try and give any form of cue or non-verbal conversation (short of the director), though there was a semi-constant movement back and forth from them (a product, potentially, of it being the first day). They also wore costumes as though they were performers in the pieces (Disregarding the fact that there were no female performers in Shakespeare’s time period. At least ones that openly displayed that fact). Though there were a few slip-ups in the performance, they managed to come out of their first performance without any hitches.
Even though the performance was free, there was a surprising lack of people attending despite being free to attend (a little less than half the chairs were filled), and most of the viewers were students. There were a few people there on dates, as well as a few parents/grandparents and a child. Of the students there, many of them appeared to be taking notes of the performance, though there were several that were strictly watching. Multiples of the watchers were from the older Chamber Singers group, and were there to give support to the new group.
The later time played a notable factor in the performance, as being after the days classes meant that there were more students able to attend. However, and more likely a bigger factor, was the day of the performance. Due to being on Friday, many of the potential viewers were more than likely out doing something else, instead of being there for the performance. Due to the composition of attendees, there was a fair amount of applause the times that the Chamber Singers left, and entered, the stage.
Despite keeping to the same type of music throughout the performance, the variety within the pieces helped keep the performance together. They had very few times were the music was similar enough to be noticeable (the pieces that were similar were also placed far apart), and they kept the pacing through the use of singing and reciting the lines from the plays. Giving a little bit more back-story into the context of which the songs would be performed.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Giacomo Puccini: Turandot
Similarly to Noh, opera is a bit more than just music. Opera is a story given to the listener, a majority of which is done in sung form. What causes it to stand alone, and not just be a "play," is its distinct use of human voice throughout the songs, and, as a more recent change, always involving orchestrated music (though plays will sometimes use an orchestra, it isn't always guaranteed). As another similarity to Noh, it is also a classical style that is not performed often anymore. A good example of this music is "Nessun Dorma" by Giacomo Puccini (performed in Turnadot), a popular composer in the 18th and 19th century.
Throughout the song, it is apparent that the singer is the forefront, and holds the melody, as the instruments are barely audible throughout the performance (which is not a problem with the recording made). The instruments are mainly used to accent the singer throughout the song, never quite being a notable player in the piece until after the singer has completed his part in the piece. The singer consistently keeps singing throughout the piece, with a few, large, cadences between the phrases being sung. The song keeps a slow tempo throughout, only changing when a dramatic end to a phrase drew near. The song is homophonic, though the singer is loud enough that it is almost a monophony.
Throughout the song, it is apparent that the singer is the forefront, and holds the melody, as the instruments are barely audible throughout the performance (which is not a problem with the recording made). The instruments are mainly used to accent the singer throughout the song, never quite being a notable player in the piece until after the singer has completed his part in the piece. The singer consistently keeps singing throughout the piece, with a few, large, cadences between the phrases being sung. The song keeps a slow tempo throughout, only changing when a dramatic end to a phrase drew near. The song is homophonic, though the singer is loud enough that it is almost a monophony.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Avatar
Avatar is the newest "big" movie in quite some time. So much so that there are self-help forums for the people who can't live without the thought of not being on Pandora. Part of what made the movie so interesting was the unique soundtrack that was used throughout the movie. Composed by Wanda Bryant it was designed from the ground up to be a unique existance. As if the music was actually from another world (stressed greatly in the interview: http://www.music.ucla.edu/blog/2010/02/02/avatar_ethnomusicology/ ). Within the music of the movie there are several distinct sets of sounds for each of the groups. In this case, I am comparing the sound differences between the formal film score (as given by the main theme), and the Na'vi (as given by "Jake's First Flight").
Though they are very similar in musical composition, they are very distinguishable in style from one another (and not just because one features singing and one does not). In the Na'vi theme, the use of membraneophone and aerophone is extremely prominent, while the main theme focuses mainly on chordophones (and electrophones... though those are also made to sound like chordophones some of the time). In a similar sense, the main theme is also very "pop"-centric, like many western influenced songs are, while the Na'vi theme tries to shy away from electronic sounds (though a keyboard is most likely used). In both cases, however, the melody is very easily distinguishable (nor particularly complex), and stays heterophonic throughout the song.
Though they are very similar in musical composition, they are very distinguishable in style from one another (and not just because one features singing and one does not). In the Na'vi theme, the use of membraneophone and aerophone is extremely prominent, while the main theme focuses mainly on chordophones (and electrophones... though those are also made to sound like chordophones some of the time). In a similar sense, the main theme is also very "pop"-centric, like many western influenced songs are, while the Na'vi theme tries to shy away from electronic sounds (though a keyboard is most likely used). In both cases, however, the melody is very easily distinguishable (nor particularly complex), and stays heterophonic throughout the song.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Musical Ethonography
Introduction
The event that I went to for RadioUTD was not much of an event, it was a basic part of their musical life. RadioUTD is made up from their broadcasts and dances, so their holding of one doesn’t speak of anything out of the ordinary. The broadcast that I went to was held on the fifth of March (2010), and was held in the Student Union at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The broadcaster for the event was Andrew Godefry (though, I went early enough that I heard a little bit from the person before him, though I didn’t catch his name at the time). His performance, Duderonomy, is based on Hip-Hop, Rock, and everything in between.
Music
Much of the music is distinctly American stylized (though, not all of it comes from America), and follows the general stylisms: homophonic with a melodic tonal center, a non-complex melody, and highly pulsatile (though the last one can be attributed that much of it was “music that you can dance to”). Probably the most characteristic about the culture was the pulsatile nature of the music. When asked, neither Godefry nor Leyla Aksu (the Musical Director for RadioUTD), were able to come up with something non-pulsatile. This can be directly attributed to the station’s big attraction, its dances. Non-pulsatile music is much harder to use in influencing motion in the listeners, and would thus not be used very much in the broadcastings of the station. Similarly, the homophonic and melodic nature of the songs can be attributed to the American audience that the broadcast is being made out to.
Performers
Though there isn’t much being seen by the audience, the performers are far from doing a performance. While the event was going on, Godefry was constantly flipping through CDs, updating the music list, keeping track of what the comments about the broadcast were, making comments during the intermission between certain songs, and a million other things that I probably didn’t notice. While this was going on, however, Godefry was in no state of rush during the ordeal, going between places without much of a rushed haste in his pace. Similarly, he was able to converse with the other performers during the broadcast, as well as the audience, without losing his stride in the performance. However, no form of cues was given between the broadcasters during the performance. Each artist was left to his or her own means in deciding what would be done while the performance was under-way.
Audiance
Though there was an audience, the audience was not in visible. Almost everyone that was listening to the performance through the Internet broadcast provided by RadioUTD. Though they might not be visible, the massive majority of the people attending the broadcast were students from UTD (with several faculty members from UTD as well). In that regard, the people who are UTD students/faculty are “insiders,” and the non-UTD students/faculty are “outsiders” (though, in the interview with Godefry, he made a great point that the radio welcomes everyone). The reaction during the performance was rather limited due to the lack of a visible audience, though the comments/requests made to the station while it was a rather noticeable reaction to the songs being played. Similarly, because of the requests that were made to the station there was a high level of communication between the audience and the performers, not to mention the talk sessions that were held in-between certain songs.
Time and Space
The office that was used by the radio had a definite impact on the actions made by the performers. Due to the small nature of the office, the CDs were arranged all along one of the walls, making the arrangement extremely important. While there were many CDs, due to the alphabetical organization, they were quickly found among the many different CDs with relative ease (this was most notable when Godefry was quickly deciding which song to use next in the performance). However, despite the office being perfectly made for the performers, it is not the case for the viewers (assuming they want to watch the performers while it is all going on). Due to the office’s location in the Student Union, it is almost impossible to really have a spot to sit and view the performance as it is going on live. However, this is most likely for its main, online, viewing. While the actual physical location is not designed for viewing, the website is an extension of the main University of Texas at Dallas website, and is easily accessed. Similarly, due to the WiFi around the campus, it is quite easy to listen in to the performance as it is being done.
Conclusion
While the actual performance was done a bit on the fly (what with all of the requests made by the audience, and the performers deciding on songs as time went on), the actual event was anything but. The actual location was pivotal to having the music heard by the largest group possible, and served as the backbone of the entire performance. Without the webspace involved, the performance would not have made it to the double digits in listeners most likely. That is heavily due to the audience being made up of students. Due to time constraints that students are most likely having, they would not be able to effectively go to any form of live performance, but would be able to listen to the performance if they would be able to stream it from the web (most likely not having a radio, outside of their car, to listen to). The performers took advantage of the “lulls” while a song had just started to prepare for the next one coming up, to update the information about the song being played, or to reply to comments made by the listeners. The time of the event, however, had a very opposite effect on the performance. Due to it running from 2:00 -4:00 PM, many of the students would be in classes and unable to listen to the performance. This meant that the listeners either had morning or night classes, and the performance might have been altered due to that being the case (though, that is something that I would need to take more time to study the culture than was given in this regard).
Citation
Dudeoronomy. Andrew Godefry. University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas. March 5, 2010.
Godefry, Andrew. Personal Interview. 5 March 2010.
Aksu, Layla. Personal Interview. 5 March 2010.
The event that I went to for RadioUTD was not much of an event, it was a basic part of their musical life. RadioUTD is made up from their broadcasts and dances, so their holding of one doesn’t speak of anything out of the ordinary. The broadcast that I went to was held on the fifth of March (2010), and was held in the Student Union at 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The broadcaster for the event was Andrew Godefry (though, I went early enough that I heard a little bit from the person before him, though I didn’t catch his name at the time). His performance, Duderonomy, is based on Hip-Hop, Rock, and everything in between.
Music
Much of the music is distinctly American stylized (though, not all of it comes from America), and follows the general stylisms: homophonic with a melodic tonal center, a non-complex melody, and highly pulsatile (though the last one can be attributed that much of it was “music that you can dance to”). Probably the most characteristic about the culture was the pulsatile nature of the music. When asked, neither Godefry nor Leyla Aksu (the Musical Director for RadioUTD), were able to come up with something non-pulsatile. This can be directly attributed to the station’s big attraction, its dances. Non-pulsatile music is much harder to use in influencing motion in the listeners, and would thus not be used very much in the broadcastings of the station. Similarly, the homophonic and melodic nature of the songs can be attributed to the American audience that the broadcast is being made out to.
Performers
Though there isn’t much being seen by the audience, the performers are far from doing a performance. While the event was going on, Godefry was constantly flipping through CDs, updating the music list, keeping track of what the comments about the broadcast were, making comments during the intermission between certain songs, and a million other things that I probably didn’t notice. While this was going on, however, Godefry was in no state of rush during the ordeal, going between places without much of a rushed haste in his pace. Similarly, he was able to converse with the other performers during the broadcast, as well as the audience, without losing his stride in the performance. However, no form of cues was given between the broadcasters during the performance. Each artist was left to his or her own means in deciding what would be done while the performance was under-way.
Audiance
Though there was an audience, the audience was not in visible. Almost everyone that was listening to the performance through the Internet broadcast provided by RadioUTD. Though they might not be visible, the massive majority of the people attending the broadcast were students from UTD (with several faculty members from UTD as well). In that regard, the people who are UTD students/faculty are “insiders,” and the non-UTD students/faculty are “outsiders” (though, in the interview with Godefry, he made a great point that the radio welcomes everyone). The reaction during the performance was rather limited due to the lack of a visible audience, though the comments/requests made to the station while it was a rather noticeable reaction to the songs being played. Similarly, because of the requests that were made to the station there was a high level of communication between the audience and the performers, not to mention the talk sessions that were held in-between certain songs.
Time and Space
The office that was used by the radio had a definite impact on the actions made by the performers. Due to the small nature of the office, the CDs were arranged all along one of the walls, making the arrangement extremely important. While there were many CDs, due to the alphabetical organization, they were quickly found among the many different CDs with relative ease (this was most notable when Godefry was quickly deciding which song to use next in the performance). However, despite the office being perfectly made for the performers, it is not the case for the viewers (assuming they want to watch the performers while it is all going on). Due to the office’s location in the Student Union, it is almost impossible to really have a spot to sit and view the performance as it is going on live. However, this is most likely for its main, online, viewing. While the actual physical location is not designed for viewing, the website is an extension of the main University of Texas at Dallas website, and is easily accessed. Similarly, due to the WiFi around the campus, it is quite easy to listen in to the performance as it is being done.
Conclusion
While the actual performance was done a bit on the fly (what with all of the requests made by the audience, and the performers deciding on songs as time went on), the actual event was anything but. The actual location was pivotal to having the music heard by the largest group possible, and served as the backbone of the entire performance. Without the webspace involved, the performance would not have made it to the double digits in listeners most likely. That is heavily due to the audience being made up of students. Due to time constraints that students are most likely having, they would not be able to effectively go to any form of live performance, but would be able to listen to the performance if they would be able to stream it from the web (most likely not having a radio, outside of their car, to listen to). The performers took advantage of the “lulls” while a song had just started to prepare for the next one coming up, to update the information about the song being played, or to reply to comments made by the listeners. The time of the event, however, had a very opposite effect on the performance. Due to it running from 2:00 -4:00 PM, many of the students would be in classes and unable to listen to the performance. This meant that the listeners either had morning or night classes, and the performance might have been altered due to that being the case (though, that is something that I would need to take more time to study the culture than was given in this regard).
Citation
Dudeoronomy. Andrew Godefry. University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas. March 5, 2010.
Godefry, Andrew. Personal Interview. 5 March 2010.
Aksu, Layla. Personal Interview. 5 March 2010.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
RadioUTD post 2
The real difficulty in gathering information about the culture isn't due to any problem on their part, but because of their prowess in conveying music. Unlike many of the other options available, RadioUTD has such a wide range of differing music that it's hard to pin down aspects that actually fit throughout the entirety of the program. While there might be a similarity within the music of one of the performers, that similarity will crumble when the next one makes it to the station. Because of this, the actual amount of valid information (musical theory-wise) is rather sparse, and despite having been to a broadcast and having interviewed two of the performers I still feel like I'm on square one.
Though the major problem is due to the breadth of the music involved, there are some technical issues in gathering information. While there is a broadcast, there is no way to find out what has been played by the station, both before and after the current song (at least as far as I have been able to find. If there is one, the lack of visibility is a problem). This means that there isn't any way to quickly gather information about what is being played in-bulk, and only allows for directly listening through all of the songs being broadcasted from start to finish (which doesn't work if there are any time constraints). Next is the lack of update management, specifically the lack of RSS feed to their various updates. In order to find out what is going on at the radio, the site itself must be accessed directly, rather than being able to quickly check as to whether or not there was a change since the last time it was accessed.
Though the major problem is due to the breadth of the music involved, there are some technical issues in gathering information. While there is a broadcast, there is no way to find out what has been played by the station, both before and after the current song (at least as far as I have been able to find. If there is one, the lack of visibility is a problem). This means that there isn't any way to quickly gather information about what is being played in-bulk, and only allows for directly listening through all of the songs being broadcasted from start to finish (which doesn't work if there are any time constraints). Next is the lack of update management, specifically the lack of RSS feed to their various updates. In order to find out what is going on at the radio, the site itself must be accessed directly, rather than being able to quickly check as to whether or not there was a change since the last time it was accessed.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
RadioUTD, The sounds of UTD
RadioUTD is probably a name that quite a few of you recognize. They are the official radio (though they don't actually have a on-air frequency) station of UT Dallas, and have their own room in the Student Union building (right across from the software kiosk on the first floor). RadioUTD also has its own website at Http://Radio.UTDallas.edu/ , which is also a portal into what is being played by the station should you not be in the Student Union at the moment. While the station itself keeps mostly American-made music, the music itself is influenced from all over the world (many of the songs came from Europe for example). Even then, much pride is taken by the station in the level of diversity in songs, many of which are formed by "Indie bands," or bands that haven't been signed under a major music company. Though, even with their desire to go with new and unique songs, room is still made for more popular bands/songs (when I was there a request came for an Elvis song, which was then promptly played on the fly). Though the group is bound together by the radio, the musical styles that the individuals play is not; with multitudes of the broadcasts having drastic shifts in styles based on who is on the air at the time. Though they get their name from the radio station that they run, the dance parties they host are something not to be missed. The long bouts of random insanity are sure to bring a smile to your face.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Noh, a Japanese Drama
Noh is a bit different than the other forms of music featured thus far. Unlike the others, it is also a form play, with music used to accent the actor's performance. The actual music is made up of chanters (known as a "hayashi" ensomble), drummers (a "shimi-daiko" drum, a kotsuzumi drum, and an otsuzumi drum), and a flautist (playing a shinobue). An example of this is an aptly named "Noh in Nagoya." Assumably named due to being a Noh performance in Nagoya (sadly, the play name was not listed).
The song is highly disjointed (almost disjunct), and is carried along by a highly sporadic beat. This ends up giving the song a very "random" feel to the overall beat of the song (though, it is by no means random). While all of the performers in the piece have cadences throughout the piece, there are very few times where they come to rest at the same time, with the only example of one being at the beginning with the main character of the play singing (though, it is rather hard to hear the singer as the video fails to really capture the singers voice). What is most interesting to me are the drums. Looking at what they're doing it seems that a majority of the time they are switching between drums, forming a kind of ornamentation loop. As one drum leaves another comes in as ornamentation, as that one leaves it gets ornamented by the next, etc. However, the complexity of the song comes from the fact that they don't actually follow that with the drums, as each drum keeps its own part of the rhythm for the chanters throughout the song (not just being some form of ornamentation of each other).
The song is highly disjointed (almost disjunct), and is carried along by a highly sporadic beat. This ends up giving the song a very "random" feel to the overall beat of the song (though, it is by no means random). While all of the performers in the piece have cadences throughout the piece, there are very few times where they come to rest at the same time, with the only example of one being at the beginning with the main character of the play singing (though, it is rather hard to hear the singer as the video fails to really capture the singers voice). What is most interesting to me are the drums. Looking at what they're doing it seems that a majority of the time they are switching between drums, forming a kind of ornamentation loop. As one drum leaves another comes in as ornamentation, as that one leaves it gets ornamented by the next, etc. However, the complexity of the song comes from the fact that they don't actually follow that with the drums, as each drum keeps its own part of the rhythm for the chanters throughout the song (not just being some form of ornamentation of each other).
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Hindustani, the Music of Northern India
Hindustani is the combination of the various influences of Northern India: vedic chants, Musiqi-e assil (the name for the traditional Persian music), folk traditions, etc. It uses a twelve note scale (the same scale as is used in Western music styles) but with the base frequency not fixed on one note, and is heavily focused on the melody and beat. An example of this style of music is "Telephone" by Ar Rahman.
The song has many long cadences for the singers, many lasting for more than a second. It also uses ornamentation after many of the phrases. Despite the Arabic feel to the entire song (progression, breaks, etc.) the ornamentations do not last for very long. The repeating beat in the background forms the pulse for the song, making the song very easy to keep with the beat (further helped by the slow pacing of the song). The song is homophonic, with the melody switching between the two singers. The song is made using a synthesizer, chordophones (most likely sitars), aerophones (most likely flutes), and two singers (whom are a bit too special to list under chordophones). The aerophones and chordophones are used to accent or ornament the vocalist's melody throughout the song, with some ornamentation of the synthesizer towards the beginning. The singers keep the melody, however they never compete for the melody due to not singing at the same time. The female singer, however, has a modified voice (using the synthesizer), causing her to sound higher in pitch.
The song has many long cadences for the singers, many lasting for more than a second. It also uses ornamentation after many of the phrases. Despite the Arabic feel to the entire song (progression, breaks, etc.) the ornamentations do not last for very long. The repeating beat in the background forms the pulse for the song, making the song very easy to keep with the beat (further helped by the slow pacing of the song). The song is homophonic, with the melody switching between the two singers. The song is made using a synthesizer, chordophones (most likely sitars), aerophones (most likely flutes), and two singers (whom are a bit too special to list under chordophones). The aerophones and chordophones are used to accent or ornament the vocalist's melody throughout the song, with some ornamentation of the synthesizer towards the beginning. The singers keep the melody, however they never compete for the melody due to not singing at the same time. The female singer, however, has a modified voice (using the synthesizer), causing her to sound higher in pitch.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Googoosh: The Iranian Pop Idol
Googoosh is a Iranian pop idol that is popular world-wide. Even though she was not allowed to sing due to laws passed in Iran, her popularity grew over time, until 2000 when she left the country and began to perform again. The control she has over her voice has made her known across the globe, and is shown well in her song "Hejrat" (the video is on the bottom of the post). Many of her phrases end in a long vibrato ornamentation, sometimes lasting for several seconds at a time (even when the phrase itself was quite long). Many of the phrases have large cadences afterwards, with small ones seemingly just to let her catch her breath. The slow tempo helps her pull off the long "drags" that she does with her ornamentation. Similarly, she places a large amount of accentuation on the ends of phrases, with each phrase coming with its own crescendo. The song is played in a simple meter, with the drums in the background causing the pulse of the song (quasipulsatile).
The song is made up from very few instruments: just vocalists, a keyboard, and a drum (assumably a tombak/darabukkah). While Googoosh herself never fades out, the other vocalists spend much of the song fading in and out, accenting the various phrases. The keyboard plays the bulk of the song (along with Googoosh) and harmonizes with Googoosh when she sings. The drum keeps the beat of the song, keeping rhythem throughout the life of the track. The melody is done solely by Googoosh's singing
The song is made up from very few instruments: just vocalists, a keyboard, and a drum (assumably a tombak/darabukkah). While Googoosh herself never fades out, the other vocalists spend much of the song fading in and out, accenting the various phrases. The keyboard plays the bulk of the song (along with Googoosh) and harmonizes with Googoosh when she sings. The drum keeps the beat of the song, keeping rhythem throughout the life of the track. The melody is done solely by Googoosh's singing
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Night at the Theater
Robert Rodriguez was correct with his initial statement that the songs that he composed for the concert "felt like Broadway." While I have never (and probably will never) consider myself a theater-goer, the cords and dissonance used in all of his pieces stuck me as something out an American made play. His piece "The All-purpose Rag" embodied this feeling for me, with its heavy dissonance use, and its emphasis of "chaos" over "order" (for lack of better words). Its use of violin and clarinet melody kept a constant war going on stage, with the piano constantly trying to hang on. The drums served as ornamentation through most of the piece, relegated to the back of the musical chaos. Due to the small size of the theater the reverberation within the theater was quite noticable, causing every noise to become far more noticable (used to great effect by the triangle). Unlike the other pieces, this seemed to hold a greater influence over the audience. Throughout the pieces before, I could hear students chatting throughout many of the pieces (most likely due to the performers being teachers), but this piece caused all chatter to die out. One thing that I noticed though was the lack of smaller children, most likely an influence of the late time that the concert was.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Ethnographical Analysis
For my ethnography assignment I would like to follow Radio UTD (Radio UTD can be found at radio.utdallas.edu). While not a specific genre, it would be interesting to see the various differences it has over radio stations that are played in other locations. Having come from Austin, it will be interesting to see what changes might arise from being in a different location. Coming from their website, it looks like pop is played at a far greater consistency than in Austin (though, the same songs tend to be played overall). They also have a "Top 25" list of their played songs from 2009, with Atlas Sound from the Logos CD being their number one song for the year:
The other albums listed are: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Embryonic, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Manners, Veckatimest, The XX, Fever Ray, Try Brother, Bromst, Two Dancers, Yo La Tango - Popular Songs, Bitte Orca, Psychic Chasms, The Crying Light, Tarot Sport, Zebra, Hospice, Girls - Album, Real Estate, La Roux, Carpet Madness, New Universe, and Slow Dance. Having not ever listened to any of the albums in question (or even artists) it will be interesting to see the changes over a larger period of time.
The other albums listed are: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Embryonic, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Manners, Veckatimest, The XX, Fever Ray, Try Brother, Bromst, Two Dancers, Yo La Tango - Popular Songs, Bitte Orca, Psychic Chasms, The Crying Light, Tarot Sport, Zebra, Hospice, Girls - Album, Real Estate, La Roux, Carpet Madness, New Universe, and Slow Dance. Having not ever listened to any of the albums in question (or even artists) it will be interesting to see the changes over a larger period of time.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Musical Cultures
While no music culture can truly say that they've been the biggest influence over me, I've had several big influences throughout my life. Throughout my childhood I was steeped in Classical Rock by artists such as Queen, Kansas, Boston, and a million people named "Eric" (Clapton, Johnson, etc.). They formed the basis for my musical tastes that lasted throughout my entire life. Things like Queen's "Seven Seas of Rhye", Kansas' "Carry out my Wayward Son", and Boston's "Peace of Mind" were big all throughout my childhood (and later, throughout my adolescence).
Classical Rock has a different feel to most of the other forms of Rock. Unlike the others, it tends to be slower (though, that isn't shown much with the artists listed) and have much more emphasis on the cords being played, rather than getting out as many notes as possible. The end result is that the songs tend to have a smooth feel despite the "heavy" instruments being played. This comes out very clearly in Kansas' "Carry on my Wayward Son":
Because Classical Rock covers all of the older forms of rock artists (and not just a specific group), I've become far more adept to listening to other forms of music. While I can't say that I'll listen to anything (The Beatles' "Number 9" will forever be bad to me), I have grown up with a far more diverse listening spectrum than might normally be had.
Classical Rock has a different feel to most of the other forms of Rock. Unlike the others, it tends to be slower (though, that isn't shown much with the artists listed) and have much more emphasis on the cords being played, rather than getting out as many notes as possible. The end result is that the songs tend to have a smooth feel despite the "heavy" instruments being played. This comes out very clearly in Kansas' "Carry on my Wayward Son":
Because Classical Rock covers all of the older forms of rock artists (and not just a specific group), I've become far more adept to listening to other forms of music. While I can't say that I'll listen to anything (The Beatles' "Number 9" will forever be bad to me), I have grown up with a far more diverse listening spectrum than might normally be had.
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