George chapter 1 post soul

After the civil rights movement, African Americans were given the chance to move up the ladder.
corporate African Americans emerged in the year of the disco, he called them buppies.  Bigger recording labels gain competition from smaller labels, such as Motown records. the title of the chapter is post soul,  soul is the combination of rhythm, melody and vocal arrangement. After the 70s continued, soul was pop, but it became more than pop, it was apart of the black culture. This  style of music recalled as soul,  open doors for products and brands, such as soul hair products and soul food.
What I found to be quite interesting is that soul years are referred to the years of slavery. The time of struggle and hardship. Post soul is a period when African  Americans accepted the failures and victories of past years. this period left the black culture in the spotlight, which introduced media imaging to the African Americans.
Post soul movement is not a chronological order of social movements. the idea of a collage is a better representation for the post soul movement. African Americans created a new identity for themselves through music and media broadcast.
After watching this video, soul does not actually have to be connected to the African American community. Soul is a community of individuals who are different, and are looking for a change.

The old and weird America

Anthology; the chosen music and literary works that are published in one publication. The experiences of World War 2 and the witch trails led to ethnomusicologist to wonder the origin of its lyrics. The combination of different types of music, which comes in various literary forms, seemed to be weird in the sense of combination.  Smith tries to find something similar in the aspect of the composure of music.  The anthology of American folk music became compelling in its existence.  Smith believes it’s an historical invention of his ideals. He uses his boyhood, to create his anthology; which I found that to be interesting. Smith learned the method of composure of old style music through melodies and phrases, which he then categorizes the music into three areas, ballads, social music and songs.

Folk Music revival

John Lomax a folk revivalist, has an initiated a tour with his sons across the country. He hopes to gain knowledge from interpretations of old folk music. During the trip a logbook was kept on file to ensure recordings were precisely written and preserved. Alan, John Lomax younger son, thought about the emotional power of folk music. Hearing the music for the first time, forces one find a way to preserve a style of music that pleases the sense of a listener. The Lomax family biggest question is how to recognize the sound and appearance of a folk music artist?

The music collected from their field study, had to be distinctive.  The plan was to travel to rural areas, which allow the collection of old style music. What I found pretty interesting was the idea to seek music from penitentiaries, because of the idea of them being locked away from society as a whole. Music styles of inmates were not influenced by radio or other forms of music in the penitentiary. The idea of their music being untouched, intrigues Lomax to record music from inmates.

Lornell

During the late 1800s many people in the United States were not capable to read music or printed newspapers. The role of mass media influenced the idea to get news and music, without actually reading a sheet of music or a newspaper. Mass Media also is responsible for music integration.  Musical styles like from the region of Scandinavia to the Mexican border, was broadcasted through media. Recordings and radio led to creation of different musical genres and styles.  Cowboy music originated from the prairie lands of USA, and has expanded through the world, through the internet and radio. My father was saying growing up in a Jamaica,  his daily viewing was cowboy shows. Living in the Caribbean, I would’t expect my father to know songs that originated 8000 miles away. Ministrel shows were a mockery of the African American culture. These shows were acted by white people painted in black faces. These shows dehumanized the African Americans, it allow white Anglo Americans to take advantage of the African Americans , because of the idea of African Americans was inferior to White Anglo Americans. This form of entertainment can be seen during the time of Nazi Germany. Hitler found a way  to eliminate Jews, without having any remorse.  By creating an image of  animals to be Jews.

The language and poetry of the blues.

The Blues was considered to be a form of poetry back in the early 1900s. During the Harlem renaissance, many black poets such as Langston Hughes wrote poetry in reference to his experiences with the Blues. The Idea for the blues to not follow the format of British ballads, force the genre under the category of pop music.  Blues was not classified as folk music, due to the rampart rhythm, and poetry based lyrics.  Early scholars have concluded the blues as a folk style, because it represented the culture of African Americans, by having its own distinctive language. What I found interesting about the composure of the blues is that the lyrics can be made using anything. Meaning, the lyrics can be drawn from the slang of the urban neighborhoods to the Victorian magazine. The culture integration of music from Africans and white settles, led to the creation of a genre of music that cannot be solely created by one style of music.

Wald, Escaping The delta

The emergence of  the Blues that stretch beyond the borders of the south. Motivate Blues players to travel to northern cities to express a genre of music that might seem unfamiliar to people living in the north. Blues artist such as Johnson  is  a central figure in the production of blues. Johnson music was a complete different idea in composure and style of music. A complete turnover  from the continue twisting that has always been in style. Euguine Powell testimony on Blues, captivated my attention on how creation of other genres affects his livelihood. Blues has been diminished in the delta due to financial issues. Musical artist are know looking forward to moving somewhere, where the money is much better. Music and dancing was not a " a casual pastime for residents that lived in the Delta" this caused blues to move out of the delta region.

Deep Blues

The Deep Blues originated from the southern part of the United States. It has been considered a revolutionized version of American country music. The genre of blues was non-classified during slavery, meaning it was not recognized as the blues we know today. Many African Americans saw this music as working music, music that goes along with manual labor. Blues came from the contribution of African slaves that brought their distinctive linguistic tone and style.  Africans from the Senegambia region lack the resources to create wooden instruments such as drums. So they relied on Berbers to contribute string instruments, such as the fiddle. This brought a mixture of Middle Eastern style of music.

What I found interesting is that their is no separation between the audience and the people who are producing the music. Many village people tend to join in on the making of the music.  The idea of using their bodies to create sounds that correlate with the beat is quite fascinating.  African music seem more participative versus European music.

The five themes in caribbean music

What are the five themes that can be concluded from hearing Caribbean music? The first theme that is popular in Caribbean music is  being diverse. The Caribbean is divided among different ethnicities and languages. Caribbean islands such as  Martinique and Guadeloupe, two small islands. Characterize their music to be different, even though both countries composed the genre of calypso. The ending of colonialism led to a fragmentation in traditions and styles of the Caribbean nations.  Also what was quite interesting is that countries that are closer in proximity or even share a border are distant.
The next theme is race and ethnicity. Music from Caribbean countries, like Jamaica; Compose music, to follow the idea of racial tension. During colonial times, blacks were place in a category that is labeled as a second class citizen. living in Jamaica back in the late 1800s through the early 1900s; the idea of having lighter shade of skin and straight hair was mostly accepted in the Jamaican society. many dancehall artist praised the idea of being a BROWNING(fair skin individual) Many Jamaicans up to this day, continually bleach their skin to be put in category of acceptance. although dancehall music is an integration of styles and culture, being black is downplayed in a society that is majority African descendent.
The third theme is the Caribbean international network.  New York  city has become the prime destination for many Caribbean nationals. As you walk along church avenue in Brooklyn, the sidewalks are blasted with dialects and rhythms from the various Caribbean nations. food and music can be linked to a specific country. For example, reggae and curry chicken; Jamaica most likely.
Fourth theme is music and politics. Relative poverty and corrupted government led to the creation of music in the Caribbean. The purpose is a message to be passed along to the listeners, to aware the people of political issues.
The fifth theme is the connection between sex and sexism. The main topic of most Caribbean music is relationships. Many men and women convey their feelings and sexual desires in the lyrics of song that are composed in the Caribbean. Reggae music, specifically Dancehall, can seem raunchy and degrading to women.

Thinking about Fieldwork

What is field work? field work is a study of culture through people. Field work is special to ethnomusicologist because, it gives them insightful knowledge that cannot be researched. We are ethnomusicologist, we observe culture through stories and documentaries; outside a workplace setting. For example, a speaker comes to your local neighborhood; he talks about the Mexican-American culture in today's society. The Speaker speaks with a native accent; we immediately connect to his message. This is because we understand culture through accents and traditions.  As ethnomusicologist, the study of music through interpretation; can be developed by answering questions, that solve for the what, where, when, and how. Surveys and questionnaires can help correlate evidence to a general public. When Presenting a project about a particular field of study, please be sure to included experiences that can help exemplify the topic.

Texas-Mexican Conjunto

What is a Conjunto? Conjunto is a Mexican-American ensemble that represent the working class of the Mexican-American community.After reading the passage I noticed the blending of music is seen through the usage of an accordion; that originated from the German people. Conjunto was created in the southwestern region of the United States, Know as Texas. The people living in Texas, which are mainly Anglo Saxons. Are upset on the fact the music is being played in Texas, from people who are classified as low class. The disapproval behavior did not stop the Mexicans in enjoying the musical style of Conjunto.
Through culture expansion in the United States. The culture of European Settlers rubbed the Mexicans, by implementing styles and instruments from the European culture. like the Redowa, which is similar to the Waltz.
 The Famous musician Narciso Martinez had revolutionized  Conjunto. Narciso had changed the way of playing the accordion, by branching away from the old German style. Meaning not using the bass buttons on the accordion. The tone was known to be redefined and clear.
After analyzing the reading. I've concluded that the Mexicans wanted a formation of an identity. The struggle of working in an area where they are not culturally established, increases their motivation to create something of their own. 

Ethnic and Native American

What is the difference between ethnic and folk music? Ethnic music relates to a type of music which has an identity, through religion, culture or language. Folk music is an expression of life style, that explains the past, future and present. through mass integration. Folk music has been label as being creolized, mixing in with other cultures
Germans have migrated to America with their style of music. They have established symphonies, have changed the art of music. The Native Indians has revitalized the American folk music by providing history of their culture through songs. Native Indians had little to no instruments when journeying across the new world. Native American music were used for social and religious ceremonies.

Diversity and American Musical Life

 Musical diversity is a mixture of people supporting one common purpose;music. Americans are known to have contributed an art of music that has been culturally glorified.  The connection of American music and European music has been seen to be different in style but shares a similar aspects of composure.Music in America is divided among regions; that classifies the pertaining environment and culture of that region. The combination of old English ballads led to the discovery of pop, country and rock. The idea of American music being original, is hard to issue. With the concept of Western European music being taught in America; its hard to debate its originality.

Americans learn to accept cultures based on the ethics of being American. A country that opens it arms to anyone that migrates to America. The establishment of a common style of music as in Europe is hardly taken in account, with being a melting pot. The source of diversity is a struggle to realize that people of various culture has played a part in developing the music in America.
 Egalitarianism is main staple in Americans beliefs, the idea of  "all men are created to be Equal", me personally, American idea of equality has some limitations, by representation alone.  Through media, America has shifted in the idea of being more accepted to immigration. Are founding fathers has established a country built on  equality. Through these past years the acceptance of Mexicans and Muslim immigrants has run astray from American culture and ideology. Which blocks the rich culture and ideology that's come's along with the acceptance of their culture.

The Earlest Form of collecting

Sharp earliest recordings were performed by  rehearsed singers, who he found to be stiffed and boring. The struggle of allowing local instruments to be used while performing was restricted by Densmore.  Sharp preferred spontaneous music versus rehearsed. The idea of live performances grabs the attention of the listeners. With the creation of the radio, Records is limited to only to rural areas. Recording companies loose money because the radio is a broadband device that allow a vast audience. The people in the rural areas enjoyed the music because it give them a sense of value.
 Toward the turn of the 20th century, the production of vinyals, creates a industry that is competitive. Native folks have  issues with preserving the music from the late 18th century. The respected individual that recorded the song had mandated rights to protect the song.
Folk music became international music with the inclusion of Aboriginal and African artists. Each part of world brought their own distinctive way of singing traditional songs. The circulation of old songs became readily available to urban and rural families.
 while listening to the song "Old Paint", the perspective meaning was unclear at first. After listening for a few times. The image of an old donkey walking, barely living.

Slobin Chapter 2 " song, Strums and ceremonies

Chapter two introduces the Afghan natives, known to be ethnic Tajiks. The Tajiks uses  local instruments when making music to explain past wars and current issues, such as coupes, invasions and warfare. Stories are told through their music, in which a parallel can be drawn to western Romeo and Juliet. Adinabeg a poetic vocalist who uses these struggles to characterize his music. The reason for music varies between different societies and cultures. Force migration due to political, or financial reasons, led people to leave music, art, and ideas behind.  English ballads were found to be well preserved along the countryside, which question the idea of collective versus single recollection
Scottish and Irish music are similar based on the fact that Irish were more likely to be mixed with Scottish decedents.
 
Rituals are classified as something traditional, like weddings for example. Many cultures have various steps before getting married. The Varzuga tradition of having a bride join a local ganga, which is a body of women who sings expressionless. The ganga women tradition is to attend a bath house, in which bathing and braiding of the hair occurs, this is known to be vital when preparing for a wedding. Which I thought was pretty interesting to hear about. The role of music, from grooms and brides singing initially before marriage, through church bells and hymnals during the ceremony was conclusive to ensure a healthy marriage. The idea of music controlling the matter of marriage, and that any interference of the musical flow during the process,  may lead to an unhealthy marriage. I found that to be a bit strange to me at first. My idea of having a healthy marriage, is not see the bride before the wedding. Which was invalid in their culture, because during various ceremonies the bride and groom have multiple interactions.

Lornell 210-230

Native Americans tribes are distinctive groups of people who have migrated to North America across the Bering Strait. They have adapted to local environments and have been manipulated by western civilization. Music is their culture  in reference to ceremonies and spiritual gatherings. Alice Fletcher a train anthropologist has transcribed Indian music and wrote about the music in the spiritual aspect.

The Pan Indian movement led to widespread Pow Wows, in which that term is widely used today. Pow Wow is a huge celebration surrounded with music and huge crowds. Ceremonies in our society have a similar role in a way music is played as role of action. Like birthday parties having happy birthday song, meaning a birthday cake is being cut. Or here comes the bride at a wedding, which an image of a bride walking down an aisle comes to mind. Drums and rattles are significant instruments that have a correlation with Native American music. Native American music has vocables which is an utterance. Vocables are in reference to nonsense syllables. Nonsense syllables can be wa, ni or hi, which means words without a meaning.

 Ethnic diversities among the tribes are characterized by the types of music. For example the east coast seems to favor music that is relaxed versus the northwest which likes the music to be more complex. That brings in relation to music played in various areas in America. For example country music versus pop music, regions play a huge role in how music is composed.

 

lornell chapter 1

The connection of Africans and Europeans brought a distinct art of folk music. The common instrument of a fiddle and the talent of Africans brought a localized style of folk music. Music in Africa was played during special occasions and was the founding of  African genre of music. Drums were essential instruments in the villages of Africa.  The rhythmic role of hands against the face of drum help invest the control of their culture.

Sloben Chapter 1 sound and setting

Folk music in the United States is a mixture of old songs and stories. Folk music is a musical language in which different parts of the world have they're own way of expressing their particular idea of Folk music. Today mostly the jingles and ring tones that are played through our computers or cell phones are folklorized in someway.  The trending combination of pitch which is the scale of a note and melody constructs the frame of folk music. The duration of pitch and volume can mark a shift in the mood. The purpose of reading about the sound and setting of folk music  is most important when hearing the music for the very first time. By having a brief understanding of folk music; appreciation is more recognized.