...The genre of music is made up of many styles and forms that have been shared throughout cultures and traditions. Many styles have caught on quickly and are loved by many whereas others have been more controversial and caused differences among people. No matter what types of music one may listen to it is usually the beat and style that suits that person during that time in his or her life or the mood he or she are in at that moment. The melody and harmony interact to create a masterpiece for one’s ears. The development of music was probably drum related instruments that someone started hitting that made beats and when different objects were hit there were different sounds made. “These simplest of simple instruments are thought to have been used in religious ceremonies as representations of animals. There was no notation or writing of this kind of "music" and its sounds can only be extrapolated from the music of (South) American Indians and African natives who still adhere to some of the ancient religious practices” (Hollis, 2012). Darwin (1871) noted that the human musical faculty “must be ranked amongst the most mysterious with which he is endowed” (Masataka, 2007, p. 35-39). Music has developed and evolved from just a few beats to being one of the most enjoyed past times of all time. Music has evolved from prehistoric music, middle ages, the Renaissance to modern day. After the Renaissance period music developed more from styles other than composers who created...
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...Music Appreciation “Our lives are constantly changing, with new avenues of the supertechnology highway opening every day. This technological resolution has a strong impact on our work and our leisure activities. It also conditions how, when, and where we listen to music” Yes, as our book immediately states, our lives have changed. We can now listen to music in almost any location on earth. The music we’ve created has evolved into a great number of genres, all with wonderful different sounds. But without the old, there would have been nothing for the new to build upon. Much, if not all music from the middle ages and before is religious. This is due to sponsorship from the churches at the time, which usually consisted of monophonic Gregorian chants. Towards the end of Romanesque era, however, began the rise of polyphony. This evolved into the motet, while secular music was coming about in France and Spain. Afterwards, we move on to the Renaissance, an era of exploration, science, and artistic awakening. Melodies made specifically for the voice began springing up, and expressive word painting became a common theme. Around this period, amateur secular music started to appear. Later, we would be in what is now known as the Baroque era. It was a turbulent time, of change in politics, science, and arts. This marks the introduction of Monody, as well as the genre of the Opera. In a way, an opera’s Librettist, who makes the main story of the work is like the author of a show, or movie...
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...culture. One cultural event that I have experienced and I have seen how humanities have changed it over the years is music. Music that is made and played has evolved as humans have evolved over the years. The first music was made during the Middle Ages. The first two types or styles of music were monophonic and polyphonic. The Renaissance period came next and changed the way music was created and perceived. The Baroque period came after the Renaissance period. During the Baroque period composers experimented with different styles and instruments. Classical music came from the Baroque period. Classical music allowed the composer to tell a story or express his or her feelings through the music. The Romantic period was next. Composers experimented with different instruments including wind instruments. The music was more dramatic than any other time period. After the Romantic period came the 20th century. Music in the 20th century allowed the composer and artist to use technology to enhance the compositions. And now in the we have different styles and types of music because of the humanistic of music. We have country, rap, rhythm & blues, soul, gospel just to name a few styles of music that is listened to today. Dance is another cultural event that I have experienced and that has been changed by humanities. Dance is the movement of the body usually to music. Dance has been used since the prehistoric days. Dance was a part of...
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...Defining the Humanities Defining the Humanities The humanities are past stories and events that help form our lives by looking back on how others lived and thought about life. The humanities are essential for understanding the past that is responsible for the creation of the present. The humanities are academic disciplines which study the human condition using methods that are largely analytic, critical, or speculative. This differs from academic disciplines which use an empirical approach in which evidence is gathered using the senses. The study of the human condition, the humanities cover areas such as art, music, architecture, philosophy, and literature. All other modes of human inquiry are about studying non-human subjects. If it does not encompass the human condition, it is not generally classified as humanities. Art Art has long been a means of expressing social or political ideas. Anselm Kiefer took art and brought it to an entirely new level by using his art to bring attention to national identity and collective memory. In the process his art began evolving to include occult symbolism, theology, and mysticism. All of his work shares a common theme of the trauma experienced by entire societies and the continual rebirth and renewal in life. Kiefer’s works are usually designed in a depressive and destructive style in large scale formats. He often uses photography in conjunction with earth and raw materials. Kiefer is known to include...
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...Classical conditioning shapes many of society's common, everyday tasks. Whether we know it or not, many actions we do numerous times a day are a direct result of classical conditioning. To better understand why we act the way we do in society, classical conditioning must be defined and described. Classical conditioning is defined as: a process by which a previously neutral stimulus acquires the capacity to elicit a response through association with a stimulus that already elicits a similar or related response. Discovered by Ivan Pavlov, classical conditioning is a form of learning. Pavlov revealed this trait when experimenting with dog's amounts of saliva in response to meat. He started noticing that after many repetitions, the dogs were salivating before the meat was even introduced. Pavlov concluded that some other stimulus that was repetitively associated with the meat was triggering the salivation. This simple concept describes how many actions are carried out in society today. Many times classical conditioning is not something that is purposefully done, but rather an incidental outcome. Conditioning may take a variable amount of time to occur. For example, humans are not born associating red with stop. As we grow, and ride in cars, we begin to consciously or subconsciously figure out that when a stoplight is red-you stop. Stop signs are red, stoplights are red, and brake lights are red. All of these things symbolize stopping. Yes, when you turn sixteen and you get your...
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...Music is always changing and has been for over thousands of years. It has influenced different cultures and civilizations. From prehistoric times to modern day, music has developed numerous times. Where did music come from? When did it start? Most importantly, how did it evolve? According to most historians, the first forms of music were grunting and moaning of early cavemen. However, there was no way to record early music. In fact, music notation was discovered centuries later by Guido D’Arezzo. Before that, music had to be memorized and passed down, but if it was not, it was gone forever. Music notation has helped many famous musicians and composers record their masterpieces on paper. Harrison Birtwistle, a British composer, once said, “I wrote music as soon as I knew notation.¨ Early music notation was only made up of bars and notes. As time passed, markings have developed such as octaves, staffs, clefs, and many others. These marks gave more detail on how to play the notes and also made it easier to read...
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...Music can mean a multitude of things which is why there isn’t a set definition that is used to define the nature of what it is. However, it is important to realize the ways in which music always seems to complement the art of dance. Since the prehistoric era, the creation of music as well as the use of musical instruments has not only played a vital role in our society, but has also played a big part in the realm of dance specifically because the beat and rhythm or even the lyrical content of a song directly encourages the style of dance. The relationship between music and dance also plays a prominent role in a country’s culture, and therefore, is a significant role of cultural expression all across the globe. Furthermore, many dancers see...
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...mean when they say, “Music is universal, but it is not a universal language”? A) Ethnomusicologist believes that music transcends many cultures differently. All societies have music or some sort whether it’s through dance, rituals, chants, or instrumental. Ethnomusicologists argue that music from a language standpoint of communication it can’t be mutually understood due to the complex music systems. 2) What are the potential problems in classifying music as “classical,” folk, “or “popular”? The potential problems of a classifying music as classical folk or popular are that the terms used carried a different set of meanings and attitude in the different eras. For example folk carries a lot of the Romantic Era and it creates problems when discussed with non-European music. Classical associates with music form Ancient Greece and Rome but at times describe the highest value of something. Popular may refer to music that is adopted on a broad base of media outlets. 3) How might an ethnomusicologist approach the study of Western classical music differently from a musicologist? An Ethnomusicologist approach would to examine and study the culture. To enhance their study, they would try to get firsthand experience in one the cultures rituals or ceremonies. A musicologist approach would to create musicals scores close to the original content from primary sources. 4) What is “fieldwork”? What is its importance to the study of world Music? Fieldwork is the...
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...Bharatnatyam vs. Kathak The Indian culture consists of a number of classical dance forms, each of which have originated from different parts of the country. Dances performed in a temple were called Agama Nartanam while dances performed in a royal court were called Carnatakam (Hindu Online). The term “classical,” shastriya in Sanskrit, was introduced by Sangeet Natak Akademi to denote the Natyashastra-based performing art styles (Hindu Online). The myth of the origin of classical dances states that Natya, the art of dance and theatre, was the creation of God Brahman, the creator of the Universe, who was asked to give mankind a fifth Veda, which unlike the four earlier four Vedas, could be understood by everyone (Dr. Miettinen). God Brahma then taught the art of Natya to the mythic sage Bharata who is said to have recorded the teachings in the Natyashashtra (Dr. Miettinen). The Natyashashtra is said to be the "world's largest and most comprehensive dance manual and still forms the foundation of classical forms of theatre and dance in India" (Dr. Miettinen). The Natyashashtra is also credited for introducing the theories of bhava and rasa which are an important part of Indian classical dances. Rasa, meaning 'essence' "refers to the sentiment that the bhava, manifested by the actor, should evoke in the audience" (Dr. Miettinen). There were originally eight rasas but a ninth one has also been added. These rasas include srngara: the erotic, hasya: the comic, karuna: the pathetic...
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...It has often been said that music is what makes humans human. Although this theory has a deep psychological meaning with all of us, music has indeed shaped our history and the way we interact with one another. Together with this, music also holds a cultural significance as artists from all around the world have worked hard in order to predict how music will evolve in the years to come. Just like the types of movies we enjoy watching, the type of music that we listen to can also give out a hint of our personality and the way we see the world through our own eyes. As music has been created and listened to for over 37000 years, it is safe to say that it has greatly shaped our culture and society as well. There are however different genres of music which have appeared and faded away over time. Together with this, the world has witnessed hundreds of genres being born to which millions of people have listened to. Out of this staggering amount of music genres, pop and rock are two famous ones which are enjoyed by many people all around the world. As different as they may seem when a person thinks about comparing the two, it turns out that pop and rock have their differences, but also similarities. Both genres have a deep cultural and artistic significance which has remained the same after many years. This may come out as surprising, but pop music is actually a genre of something known as popular music which has appeared in the form that it is known for today in the 1950s. What...
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...from the baroque era of classical music; whose works spanned over 1000 musical pieces and influenced entire generations of western music schools of thought (J.S. Bach). Bach’s importance to western music development wouldn’t have been noticed by his contemporaries, who mostly favored the preclassical styles of homophony which were harmonically simpler in tone and structure (Mellers). His sphere of influence had affected many important composers whose names include: Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven; who themselves made major contributions to the preeminence and development of western music. In terms of originality and complexity, Bach’s compositions represent some of the most sophisticated and ambitious classical pieces to date, which through his rigorous use of counterpoint, tonal control and attention to single moods (called affects) had helped refine western music from a folk-based expressive form to a highly complex and evolved form of musical expression (Tonality). But in order to understand Bach and his well noted contributions, one must also understand his life in the context of the changing musical forms of the era and his personal musical influences which helped define his unique compositional platform. Born on 21 March, 1685, in Eisenach, Thuringen (in modern day Germany), he was the eighth child in a family that produced at least 53 well respected city and court musicians in over seven generations of time. Johann Sebastian Bach was...
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...life’s toughest and most enjoyable moments, there is usually music involved. Whether it is Reggae, Hip Hop, Rap, R&B, Rock, Latin, Jazz, or Classical music has a way of reflecting what’s on persons mind. Just like in prehistoric times, when music was just being born by early societies, in its many ways it was and is still used today to express oneself. Music is our feelings and emotions laid out for us to hear, using rhythm, pitch and melody. The rhythm of the rain and cricket, the melody of the songbird and our own voices became music that has been with us through the ages and has evolved with us as communication, ritual and entertainment. We listen to music because of the feeling of connection it creates within ourselves and with other people. Within a person, because ones mood can determine the genre of music they want to listen to in order to feel satisfaction. Also, because of the shared interest and feelings of music. Very rarely is there bad music, or good music. Music is either effective or ineffective; it’s all based on the listener’s unique opinion. The important thing about modern music specifically, is that the degree of modernism depends on the experience and taste of those whom are listening. This means that each and every person can have vastly different views on which artist and what styles are considered modern, because the critique of all art is a reflection of the individual’s experience. Music is in many ways woven into the fabric of our lives and can define...
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...changes in music, art, science, and literature. There was a dark side to this time period such as bootlegging, racism and violence in the workplace, but fashion, jazz, and Women’s Suffrage brought progress to the nation. A lot of today’s growth is due to the 1920s and we don’t even know it. The 1920s brought a new mentality into the world, especially for women. On August 18, 1920 women won the right to vote and in this same time period the number of working women increased by 25%. Women became teachers, nurses, social workers and librarians. “The women of this generation grew up when the advertising industry was rapidly...
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...A choreographer, by definition, is someone who composes a sequence of movements for a performance of dance. Petra Inglis believes that a choreographer is much more, they are artists, architects, painters and motivators. They have a gift to personally touch viewers through movement at any caliber and transfer numerous types of emotion. Choreographers have a gift of sharing; they tell stories or even entertain any magnitude of audiences globally. Dance is something that everyone can connect to on some level, it is an outlet that brings so many together. Petra Inglis is a professional choreographer for studios in the Stanislaus region of California. Mrs. Inglis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from California State University Long Beach graduating back in 2000. While she lived in Los Angeles she spent a period of her time training in tap under one of her greatest influences, Benji Shwimmer. Today...
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...opportunities that Barnard offers to prepare me for the real world. I looked through the Barnard View-book and my eyes struck at the phrase, “At Barnard, there is nothing Barnard Women can’t do.” I thought about this phrase, and thought...
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