Module 6

1. Title of piece: "Fanga Alafia" (Although I've found similar versions that are titled "Funga Alafia")
2. Performer(s): Drum for Joy Orchestra
3. Culture of Origin: Ghana, Africa
4. Instrumentation: Djembes, voice, idiophone 

With a concert just a few weeks away, I've been searching for some videos to share with my students of songs that we will be performing. I came across this drumming group performing a version of "Fanga Alafia" which is something I'm doing with my 3rd grade students. The topic of this week is to discuss the socialization that music play offers. I feel like I see this all the time in the elementary setting. Students who might be new to having me as a music teacher or are just new to school are often nervous to participate and share in the music making process. However, I always notice that after a few weeks the participation level increases tremendously. I was impressed to hear so many students participate in the singing in this video. But I think it's a great example of how music can really bring people together. 

A personal experience that relates to the video above happen just a few weeks ago at one of my elementary buildings. A string quartet from the Flint Symphony Orchestra came to our school to not only share the gift of music, but they also incorporated a story about working together. I noticed in the beginning, the students were hesitant to participate. However, as the musicians continued to play and at the end of the assembly when the musicians were looking for student musicians to play along with them, the students were all jumping out of their seats to be a part of the music. I saw students, who are normally so shy and quiet in my class, stand up and dance with a few other friends. Music really does bring out a social aspect that can't always be seen in a traditional classroom. 

Module 5

Title: Magnificat
Performers: King's College Choir
Culture of Origin: Estonia
Instrumentation: SATB a capella choir with solo female drone

While this could obviously be argued that it is not considered world music, I beg to differ. The composer, Arvo Part, is from Estonia. After reading the Campbell this week, I was immediately drawn to a piece from my past, this Magnificat by Part. One of the suggestions that Campbell offers is to do an activity with a drone. I personally feel that the soprano solo that comes in and out of the composition is a drone in itself. At the elementary level this would be a listening activity. I would draw the attention to the drone sound of the soprano. I think this would be a nice segue into creating our own vocal drones within the class. Obviously using a simple tune and something that the students are familiar with.

Module 4

1. Title of piece: Matarile (however, I know this song as "Ambos a Dos")
2. Performer(s): Unknown
3. Culture of Origin: Puerto Rico
4. Instrumentation: Vocals, drum, shaker

For this week's blog entry I wanted to focus on a song that I have taught to my students. I typed in "Ambos a Dos" into youtube and the top hits were all from Western cultures performing the song that I am familiar with. However, I wanted to find something that was a little more authentic, so I kept searching. Finally, I found this video with a different title, but the melody is almost the same. I noticed that this song was very similar to "Ambos a Dos" one major difference was the lyrics. While it was somewhat hard to hear, the lyrics were obviously different than what I'm used to teaching. The lyrics provided in the text that I use says, "Ambos a dos, matarile rile rile. Ambos a dos, matarile rile ron" Then it goes into the verse. Overall, I felt that finding an authentic video helped to prove that the song I'm teaching is fairly authentic to what the children learn in Puerto Rico. The lyrics are fairly similar and so is the melody. I'd be interested to find out if the song is performed with more instruments (ex. violin) like the recording I have of if it's normally just simple percussion. 

Module 3

Title: Meditation/Chant
Performers: Tibetan Monks
Culture of origin: Nepal
Instrumentation: Male chant/throat singing, membranophones, idiophones, aerophones

With each new week I find myself exploring cultures I'd never thought to explore! This week our task was to discuss culture in musical structure. While this is a religious chant, I think this video really demonstrates the inter-ensemble interaction. Before any music begins you can see the monks taking their places and looking at one person (I'm assuming this is one of the ensemble leaders). The music then begins. I noticed that anytime the chanting would begin the monks would stop playing and watch the chanter - I believe there were two, one on the right and one on the left. They seemed to be looking at the chanter for cues on when to play again and when to stop. Since this is obviously a religious prayer I noticed that the monks, at times, would bow repeatedly in prayer.

Module 2

1. Title of piece Musical Priest
2. Performer(s) The Dubliners
3. Culture of Origin Ireland
4. Instrumentation Acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, flute/whistle, mandolin
5. A one paragraph reaction to the piece that makes connections to course readings/discussion; the theme for this week is in what ways are classification systems useful?  Use an example of time or instruments in your answer.

In the spirit of St. Patrick's day I always play a solo-fiddle version of this for my students. I use this as a movement activity for kindergarten and first grade - they love it! I've actually never heard a version of this piece played by any other instrument than solo fiddle. So, for fun, I just typed the title into youtube and there were a ton of hits! While I enjoyed this version, I still prefer the solo fiddle version better. Perhaps it's because I've been listening to it for the last couple of years.

Anyway, in regards to the readings this week I think classification systems are so useful. When we're reading about all of these instruments from different cultures, sometimes I feel overwhelmed at the information that is being presented to me because I'm trying to picture the instrument in my mind. Having a classification system allows us the ability to visualize these instruments without actually having seen them. In this arrangement of "Musical Priest" I heard something that sounded very similar to a flue. I could tell it was in the aerophone family because someone was using air to produce the sound. Looking at all of the aerophones listed in figure 2.5 (pg. 42-43) in the text, I was surprised at how many aerophones were classified. I ended up doing some further research and discovered what I was most likely hearing was a whistle (which is common for music of Irish origin).

Module 1

Title: Spring Dreams
Performers: Chanticleer
Composer: Chen Yi
Culture: Chinese
Orchestration: A capella voices

I chose this piece because it was one of the first songs I sang that really made me do some research into the culture (it was also one of the most challenging things I've ever sung). Dr. Chen Yi is a Chinese composer who often fuses music of her Chinese culture with Western culture. While it's been a long time, this composition really shed light on the sounds in China. I thought this was an appropriate example to share this week since many of our readings focused on how culture and music are interrelated. The first time I heard this piece I thought, "What in the world am I listening to?" and then we, as an ensemble, started to do our own research into the culture. Ethnomusicology really allows people of other cultures to live in their culture, if only for a short performance.