...Concert Review- Percussion Ensemble II Percussion is commonly referred to as "the backbone" or "the heartbeat" of a musical Ensemble. The concert at Moore’s School of Music showcased the many different sounds that can be made with percussion instruments. It was amazing how many sounds can be created by hitting something. Four of the instruments were non-pitched percussion sets. There’s your standard orchestral percussion set, containing chimes, woodblock hits, triangle, a gong and cymbal set, with various sounds for each instrument; a hand drum kit, containing conga, bongo, and of course a standard drum set, featuring bass drum, snare, and tom sets. There are different mallets, with different heads, which produce different sounds. The xylophonists and drummers sometimes switched mallets multiple times during a song. The result is an invigorating array of pings, dings, and dongs. The remaining instruments were pitched percussion. These include marimba, timpani, and a xylophone. What is so impressive is the sound the ensemble can create when they all play differently, all at once. When playing all together, they can create a sound that would not be possible if one person did not play their part. It was truly inspiring to hear. The songs performed showcased percussionists talents to have tremendous control of their instruments. Sometimes they need to hit the percussion instrument very hard and produce a long ringing sound. Sometimes they must hit...
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...Manvel High school Percussion Ensemble On December 14, 2015 I attended the Manvel High school’s Percussion Ensemble at The Clarion in Lake Jackson, Tx. I had received an email about the performance and I told my husband that it may be something we enjoy although skeptical because we generally do not attend these types of functions and it was last minute on a work night, nevertheless we agreed to go. Their was not many people in the audience so we found seats and waited for the performance to begin. While waiting I began reading the pamphlet I received when entering the auditorium, as I strummed thru it I read the students biographies and how passionate they are about music and how much they appreciate their Director Mr. Louis Boldrighini. Each of the students mention him as a big part of their drive for percussion music. To be so young and find something you are so passionate about is intriguing. As the lights dimmed I had no idea what I was in store for, but as the students started playing I could not take my eyes off of them. The way they play so effortlessly was amazing, I had seen bands perform when I was in school but nothing like this. This group of young adults played so well together and it was so fascinating how they could play multiple instruments, most people are good at a limited number and this group can play whatever was put in front of them. The true meaning of team and respect was shown with this group. The sounds all blended so well together, I was in awe...
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...Traditional Ensembles Some Traditional Ensembles in Ghana • Kete • Adowa • Kundum • Atsiagbekor • Agbadza • Gahu • Borborbor • Kolomashie • Gome • Sekyi • Takai • Adzewa • Apatampa • Gabada etc In this presentation, I will talk about only two of them. That is Apatampa and Atsiagbekor. APATAMPA Apatampa, an ensemble performed by the Fantis has the same history as Adzewa. It is believed to have been created by women of No 2 Asafo Company of Cape Coast for their recreational and entertainment needs. However, its performance now is not limited to only the women of this company. Membership is open to all, although usually daughters replace their mothers as members of local Apatampa ensembles. Although Apatampa started as an ensemble, played by only females, males joined when they were recruited to play the instruments used in the ensemble. Instrumental set up: castanet, pati, Tamalen (frame drum), Adaka (wooden box). Performance organization: Instrumentalist sit with singers standing behind the instrumentalists. Dancers dance in files. Occasions for performance: Funerals of members, durbars, festivals, etc. ATSIAGBEKOR The dance is performed mostly by the Ewe communities in Ghana. During the period of inter-tribal wars, Agbekor dance was performed to incite people for war. When inter-tribal war subsided Agbekor becomes an object of art and other dances developed out of the Agbekor dance. One of these dances is the Atsiagbekor is performed as an art...
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...POINTERS TO REVIEW in MUSIC III I. Philippine Music A. Ethnic Traditions B. Spanish Traditions C. American Traditions D. Original Pilipino Music II. Chinese Music A. North/South Han Chinese B. Musical Style C. Vocal Music D. Instruments III. Japanese Music - Ongaku A. Traditional Music – 2 Forms of Music B. 2 Types of Gagaku C. 3 Musical Styles of the Gagaku D. 3 Forms of Theater and Dance PHILIPPINE MUSIC Ethnic Traditions * Pre-colonial or Pre-Spanish * Common in the mountainous regions of the North and the archipelago of the South * May be instrumental or vocal * Belief of a God that provides to all their needs. Example: bountiful harvest, wedding, etc. * Instruments are made of bronze, bamboo or wood Instruments: 1. Saggeypo/Diwas 2. Tongatong 3. Bungkaka 4. Kubing 5. Gandingan 6. Dabakan 7. Kudyapi 8. Kulintang 9. Babandil Spanish Traditions * Religious influence connected to and outside the Catholic Liturgy * European type of music adapted by the Filipinos. (Opera, Troubadours, Orchestra, Rondalla, etc Examples: * Pabasa/Pasyon * Panunuluyan * Zarswela * Moro-moro * Senakulo American Traditions * American Teachers introduced the singing of Philippine songs in Western Style. * Three types of Music: Classical, Semi-classical and Popular Music Examples: * CLASSICAL MUSIC-art songs, kundiman * SEMI-CLASSICAL MUSIC-folk songs...
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...of the Maranao KOLINTANG The popular kolintang (gong melody) is played in different instrumental combinations, but the Maguindanao ensemble is said to have the most developed melodic permutation. The ensemble is composed of a set of eight gongs of graduated sizes arranged in a row (kolintang), a suspended gong with a thin sound (babendir), a drum (debakan), one or two suspended gongs (agong), and a pair of gongs with narrow rims (gandingan). The kolintang is a counterpart of the Malaysian or Indonesian gamelan, except that it is an ensemble strictly of percussion instruments. No wind or string instrument is played to accompany it. The principal eight-gong series (kolintang) is used to play a variety of meaningful compositions; the other gongs and the drum follow its beat. n Maranao the musical or poetical compositions played on the kolintang usually have dual meanings: literal and "cultural." Here are some examples: | KaseladengPalagoy kaseladeng Ka kerarab a kalasan. | DeerRun, run away, deer For the forest is burning. | TAGONGKO and KAPANIRONG Besides the kolintang, other musical ensembles popular among the Maranao are the tagongko and the kapanirong. Tagongko is parade or entourage music played by male musicians dressed in their festive fineries. It is outdoor music, while kolintang is indoor music. The instrumental ensemble consists of a number of medium-sized gongs called mamalala; a number of small, high pitched, and shallow gongs called pong; one or more tambor (snare...
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...Robert Lowry Singers (adding Blee) to specifically vocalize the musical heritage of Robert Lowry. According to Parks, there will be several selections which will be a sing along. Like mentioned, the most widely recognized hymn is ‘Shall We Gather at the River?’ Some music will be sung a capella and some will be accompanied by keyboard. The concert is par of the Taber Museum's Lecture series. “This combined the Sunday afternoon Society programs (held third Sunday of each month, 2pm, May- October) and our Thursday morning Coffee Hours (held the second Thursday at 10am, March-June,September-December).” Parks explains. This year's theme of the series is the ‘Musical Heritage of Central Pa.” So far this year the Taber Museum has hosted an ensemble from the Repasz Band (with talk about the history of the band), Van Wagner (logging and lumbering heritage songs),a talk on the hymnwriter James Black of Williamsport and a showing of the movie ‘Pajama Game’ with Doris Day. “The current Pajama Factory was inspiration for the movie’s setting.” Parks explains. All fourteen lectures had and will continue to have a historical aspect and tone/theme. Future programs include a performance by the Gesang Verein Harmonia Club and a talk about Ole Bull and his violin music. Parks believes people should attend to learn about a small part of history. “It is part of our educational mission to constantly provide educational programming for everyone we can reach. We usually have a nice blend of...
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...Have you ever thought about being a rock star? What about a drummer for a touring band? Well go no more, because I know a guy who is both and his name is Joshua Fassbender. Josh has been a friend of mine since 8th grade and I met him through marching band. He later on in life developed a true passion for drumming and is now a drummer for a pop punk/grunge band called Radioactive Red. I recently interview Josh to see how it is being on tour. Here we are right before a gig on night to make the scene more band like. His throne of drums where already set up and he was warmed up. Josh was ready for the night to start but they had a band playing before them. He could not help himself but to tap on his legs and I asked, "Why do drummer always tap on their legs and or just randomly hit objects?' His response was very calm lowering how hard he was hitting his legs, "A drummer keeps the rhythm going by always keeping tempo. I do this to make sure I can still stay on beat." I was shocked because I always assumed it was ADHD or something drummers did to get their mind off of the show. Before their gig started, I need to ask more questions on what it is like to be a drummer on tour. Family matters came first because I found it the most interesting. The younger you are, the more you want to get out. The older you are, the more you want to say at home. "It feels much better to be away from my family," said Josh, "and I'm not as homesick as a normal person would be. Less stress with the family...
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...The University of Redlands Wind Ensemble, directed by Eddie R. Smith, put on a show at the Memorial Chapel on Tuesday, November 16th. Walking into the monumental Chapel I was unsure of what to expect. As I walked in I saw the amazing artwork around, the high ceilings, and a wide variety of instruments scattered on different levels of the stage. On the first level there were many small hand held instruments such as flutes and clarinets, on the second there were a wide variety of brass instruments, and finally in the last row were the percussion instruments. Knowing that it was a wind ensemble and not a traditional orchestra like the ones we have been made familiar with during this course, I was unsure of what to expect. I thought that it would be long and drawn out but I thought that I would not hate it and be able to at least respect the quality of music even if its not exactly my favorite genre. Much to my surprise, it was relatively short (only about 45 minutes) and was relatively interesting. I found myself tapping my foot to the music and enjoying the sounds very much. I was very impressed by the talent that these young men and women had, especially after hearing that they had prepared for this show in only three weeks. The first song that was played was Henry Fillmore’s “The Crosley March”. Right when I had walked in the show started and I could immediately tell the song being played was the first of the night. The song had a very festive feel to it and was short...
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...Wind Ensemble The Wind Ensemble at the Frauenthal Theater Center, Muskegon took place on Monday April 9th, 2018, at 7:30 pm, featuring the Muskegon Community College Wind Ensemble, and the conductor, Daniel M. Meyers. The group consisted of 16 different instruments, all wind except for the piano and percussion. The group performed four short pieces, including; “Somewhere” by Leonard Bernstein, “America” by Leonard Bernstein, “Loch Lomond” by Frank Ticheli, and “Children’s March” by Percy Grainger. The first performances were both compositions from West Side Story, a 1957 Broadway musical. “Somewhere” starts slowly, with a melancholy air. It builds up to a more triumphant sound towards the end of the middle section, recognized by the change in volume and speed of the playing. Then dying back down again for the ending. The slow, fast, slow progression leaves an impression of sorrow, building hope, then a strong aura of longing. I looked up the lyrics for the song, and found that they were quite lonesome. The theme of finding time to just exist...
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...Music lovers all across the world can express themselves through their favorite type of music. Regardless of the type of music you love, I bet there has been a time when you have done so. Whether you found yourself happy, depressed, or even angry, music can help you pull through. The musical preference that I turn to is usually rock or metal for my anger, rap for when I am happy and country for the sadder days. Motionless in White and Korn are two of my favorite bands that help me to have a sense of control and fulfillment as a major musical lover. These bands have various similarities in their genres, lifestyles, and personal connections that they create with their fans, yet both are very distinct! Both of the bands Motionless in White and Korn are a form of the genre, metal. The band Motionless in White is classified as metalcore, which is also known as screamo; the band Korn is classified as nu-metal, in reference to the term new-age-metal. The instruments involved in making this type of music include many of your basics; electric guitars, drums, etc. Though both bands have these instruments, Motionless in White’s main instrument is the singer’s voices. With the way they scream, most people would not understand them, but to their fans it is amazing that one person could sound like a type of machine had distorted the voice and made it the way it sounds, and to make it presentable to the audience so that it is understandable is an art of its own! Korn on the other hand has...
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...The boy I am giving this speech on is not simply a friend. He's not even just a boy- he is a boy amongst men. He is a ninja amongst regular people. He is a ginger amongst...everyone else. He is... the ginga ninja. Caleb has impacted me by leading the front ensemble through work, fun, and breaking stuff. Caleb knew how to make lazy kids such as myself actually work. When I came to MOC as a freshman, I was a terrible percussionist. I couldn’t play timpani, piano, or mallet instruments, so I was placed on auxiliary, which basically meant I just played the cymbals. The front ensemble as a whole was awful, and we knew it. The pit was kind of a joke section to the rest of the band. We messed around a lot and didn’t get much done. The next year, Caleb took over as section leader. He helped push everyone in the pit to become better, which helped inspire me to work harder and learn to play mallet instruments. The all-male pit, nicknamed the FEGS, or Front Ensemble Guys, by Mr. Mangold, soared above and beyond what we thought we could achieve, mostly thanks to Caleb’s leadership....
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...The musical roles in an ensemble are similar to other types of cultural organizations or roles outside of music. An ensemble is a team. Each member in an ensemble performs his/her own function just like what a team member does. I want to make a comparison between an orchestra and a soccer team. The conductor is like the coach. Both of them work as team leaders. The conductor control the whole team from the preparing part to the actual performance. And the coach is responsible for training and tactical guide in the real competition. They grasp the current situation and also guide the future path. The playlists in an orchestra, such as violinist, cellist, and drummer, are like goalkeepers, defenders, forwards and midfielders in a soccer team....
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...music vocabulary. The good news is that I knew some of the vocabulary they were using, thanks to you, Professor; the bad news was that I didn’t know what to expect from this concert. Because it was a charity concert with world music, I bought a ticket and went in. The music hall was antique, with many pictures of classical singers on the wall. Inside the hall was large chandeliers. The seating arrangement was poor, with very little leg space. Everyone in the hall was so serious—I was telling them in my thoughts, “Smile, for God’s sake. It’s a concert, after all.” The presenter came out and talked a bit about Garrison Institute, before calling out the first performer: the Pomerium Vocal Ensemble. I was very excited since I liked [Sylvie] so much, which is a cappella. This a cappella ensemble consisted of fourteen people: Director Alexander Blanchly, sopranos Elizabeth Baber, Martha Cluver, Melissa Fogarty, and Dominique Surh, mezzo soprano Luthien Bracket, countertenor Robert Isaacs, tenors Thom Baker, Neil Farrell, and Michael Steinberger, baritones Jeffrey Johnson and Thomas McCargeras, and basses Kurt-Owen Richards and Peter Stewart. All the singers were dressed in black. The first song they played was “O vos omnes.” I was impressed by...
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...Mason University Pep Band’s performance. Dubbed ‘Green Machine’ the ensemble led by director Doctor Michael Nickens who referred to as simply Doc Nix. The band was ranked as the top college pep band in the nation and after my experience with the bank I can clearly understand the justification behind this lofty honor. I have the privilege or living with the bassist for Green Machine who brought me along for the second half of the basketball game so I could fully experience the pep bands culture from inside the Green Machine. Not only is the musical abilities of the performers incredible but their dedication to excellence and school spirit is also beyond reproach. While the game had its ups and downs, Green Machine stayed positive and cheered a variety of cheers in support of George Mason. While their attitude might be resented by visiting teams and fans, it certainly adds to the atmosphere that is a George Mason University basketball game. On a musical note, the bands talent is humbling. The band excels in all areas from the more obvious aspects of tempo and volume to the most technical aspects of articulation and balance. What I appreciate most about Green Machine is their effect on the outside culture and their image. Most people put down college students as immature kids who think they know more than they do and cannot appreciate the finer things in life. I believe Green Machine is not just a musical ensemble, they are a cultural movement that shows that college aged students...
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...The Alaska School Activities Association maintains the high school body interscholastic activities in Alaska. It was founded in 1957 by the board of education and it serves over hundred and ninety schools, with combined enrollment of thirty-five thousand students. The Alaska School Activities Association also conducts music festivals All-State and Solo and Ensemble. The music festival can range from choir, orchestra, and band. A scholastic choir is the embodiment group of singers. A student taking the class can increase their musical abilities and learn how to work in a group. The choral group prepares themselves since the first day of class for the Alaska School Activities Association. A person joining choir must sing to the director, that...
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