...Aidan Naughton CWR4B M Baptiste MWF 2-3p Native American Music: A Root of Contemporary Music Yet Explored What is Native American Music? As our class brainstormed ideas for research, I already knew what topic I wanted to explore. Having been a musician, closely involved with music my entire life, I directed my focus toward Native American music. Before I began to develop any sort of directed, narrowed research questions, I asked myself first, “What is Native American music?” Regarding various definitions of the so-called “genre,” I discovered that Native American music shouldn’t be typified into any genre or defined style of music. It was the perspective toward music that was unique to Native peoples, and this perspective is key in understanding the Native American influence on later creations of music. Definition and Philosophy Native peoples tend to view their music in a distinctly different way from Euro-Americans. To Natives, music is thought; music appeared to be particularly inclusive into Native Americans’ way of life, and is unique in its origin, meaning, and efficacy. To ask “what is Native American music?” would be a question foreign to Native Americans, especially during the time that Native American music was first discovered. One aspect of music specific to indigenous peoples is its place in daily life. In fact, “its place in human affairs are much more significant to Indians than its mode of construction or technical character.” (Native American Music...
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...Gauguin and Tahitian Inspiration and Spirituality The artwork that I chose to write about the form, content, and function is Day of the God (Mahana no Atua), created in 1894 by Paul Gauguin in Paris after Gauguin had returned from Tahiti. It is oil on canvas, 26 7/8 x 36 inches. This piece of artwork depicts a group of women in an island setting. In the upper right portion of the painting, there are two women carrying a large tray above their heads. They are both dressed in white, ankle length strapless dresses. Both women have long, black hair and the women closer to the center of the painting seems to have her hair in a low ponytail. They are standing on a grassy embankment of green. In front of them is a pink embankment. There is a thin strip of yellow sandy beach that leads to the ocean behind them. In the background there is a wave with a white crest and a group of palm trees. The sky above the two ladies is partly cloudy with a vibrant blue peeking out from behind the white and grey cloud. In the upper center portion of the painting, there is a large figure standing on top of a brown platform surrounded by a group of rocks. The ocean looms behind the figure and the pink and purple embankment is in front of the figure. This figure has brownish grey skin and is wearing a blue codpiece with brown trim on the top. There is a blue skirt attached to the back portion of the codpiece, from hip to hip. This skirt seems to extend longer...
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...was his responsibility to bring Christianity to the Irish. St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in America in 1737, organized by the Irish Society of Boston, including a feast and religious service. This first celebration of the holiday in the colonies was largely to honour and celebrate the Irish culture that so many colonists had been separated from. St. Patrick's Day parades started in New York in 1762 by a group of Irish soldiers in the British military who marched down Broadway. This began the tradition of a military theme in the parade. Parades and wearing green have always been a traditional part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Believe it or not, the color of St. Patrick was not actually green, but blue! In the 19th century, however, green became used as a symbol for Ireland. In Ireland, there is plentiful rain and mist, so the 'Emerald Isle' really is green all year-round. The beautiful green landscape was probably the inspiration for the national color. Wearing the color green is considered an act of paying tribute to Ireland. It is said that it also brings good luck, especially...
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...Japonism From the 1860’s uklyo-e Japenese wood block prints, became a source of inspiration for many European impressionists painters in france and elsewhere. Artists were especially affected by the lack of perspective and shadow, the flat areas of strong colour, the compositional freedom in placing the subject off-center, with mostly a low diagonal axis to the background. Unlike other varieties of orientalism, Japonism mostly involved Western artists using elements of Eastern styles in work showing their own culture; if only because of the difficulty of travel, there were relatively few artists attempting Eastern scenes in a Western style. Much of the Japanese art, which found it's way across the seas to Europe and America was of the ukiyo-e. At first this consisted mainly of prints produced by the artists of the time, but as Western appreciation for the art form increased, the work of the Edo Period masters became increasingly sought after by collectors. To western observers the work of the Edo Period epitomized the Japanese tradition, unlike modern prints, which were already showing the influence of Western art. The man who can be seen as the first true champion of Japonism was the French impressionist painter and etcher Félix Bracquemond . Around 1856 Bracquemond discovered a set of Hokusai's manga sketches in Paris and was soon extolling their virtues to his circle of friends and acquaintances. Through his efforts artists such as Manet, Pierre Bonnard, Henri de...
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...John Doe MU 010 Blues and Hip Hop Essay Comparing the Blues and Hip Hop To the inexperienced listener, the blues and hip hop might appear to be worlds apart musically and culturally. While these two genres are almost a century apart in their formation, they actually share numerous qualities in terms of musicality, culture, and purpose. The blues is a predecessor to hip hop and is one of the biggest influences on what hip hop became. Both genres inherited many musical elements from traditional African music, both genres are very referential to songs and artists who came before them, and both serve as outlets of expression for disenfranchised African Americans. While both genres have expanded and diversified as they’ve matured, both began with a minimalist sound. This means there was not an overabundance of instruments being played. The blues could simply be a single performer with an acoustic guitar, but often included a band consisting of a drummer and bass player as well. Hip hop could simply be a rapper performing with a prerecorded backing track, but often included a drummer, bass player, guitarist, and/or disc jockey. Unlike big bands or large ensembles, both genres’ emphasis was usually on a single performer while the other musicians were simply a backing band. In class we watched an interview with Eric Clapton where he said the blues appealed to him because it seemed like “one man against the world.” For the blues is was usually the singer/guitar who grabbed the...
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...Claudia Acuna Unit Summary – Module 6 The Twentieth Century 15 points Please complete each question as thoroughly as possible and submit to your professor by the due date. This summary will function as a one of the study guides for the final exam; it is very important that the information is complete and correct. 1. What are the sources of inspiration for 20th century music? (.7 point) Composers of the 20th century drew inspiration from an enormous variety of sources, including folk and popular music; music of Asia, Africa, and Latin America; and European art music from the Middle Ages through the 19th century. Many composers reacted to the influences of Post-Romantic and Impressionist styles and wrote works from it. 2. Name and describe the characteristics of twentieth-century music before 1945; for full credit include information on tone color, harmony, alternatives to the traditional tonal system, rhythm, and melody. (2 points) Tone color became a crucial element creating variety, continuity, and mood. New sounds on old instruments and uncommon playing techniques became the norm. Percussion instruments became prominent and numerous, reflecting the interest in unusual rhythms and tone colors. Harmony brought changes to in the way chords were treated. The traditional relationship between consonance and dissonance was challenged. New chord structures were created such as the polychord, the fourth chord, and the tone...
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...Notable Creator Even though time has moved forward, Elvis Pressley remains the greatest entertainer of all-time because of his award winning talent and the good looks sensuality, charisma, good humor, humility, respect, and kindness that endeared him to millions of his fans. Life and Times Elvis Presley was born to very humble beginnings in, Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. “The Presley family was very religious and regularly attended an Assembly of God church where Elvis sang gospel music in his youth,” (Petersen, 2005). At the tender age of 10, he won second prize at a fair in a singing competition that was backed by a neighborhood radio station. At 11 he received his first guitar and taught himself to play. Throughout his high school years he performed in talent shows, which inspired his career choice in the music industry. During the summer of 1953 Elvis made his first recording at Memphis Recording Service as a gift for his mother. When the owner heard his songs, he helped Elvis start a band and record another record that sold 6,000 copies within a week. One year later Elvis released his first nationwide hit. In August 1955, Elvis hired a manager “Colonel” Tom Parker, who helped him sign with RCA records. In one year’s time sold 300,000 copies of his hit release “Heartbreak Hotel,” along with five other number one hit songs and would maintain a place at the top of the charts for the next two years until he was drafted into the Army. Over the next 20 years...
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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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...introducing “to the world his unique blend of voodoo mysticism, funk, rhythm and blues, psychedelic rock and creole roots”( ). His career highlights consist of albums “In the right place”...
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...very well-known country artist in the south. He was famous for being the first to combine rock with country. Also, trying to combine blues with country. But, most of his fame came from his father. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1949. The son of Hank Williams. Hank Jr. was just three when his father died. Five years later, he was performing Hank Sr.'s songs on stage and by age 14 he had recorded his first record. Throughout his teens, Hank Jr. performed to sold-out crowds and on national television, carrying on his father's legacy through music. By the early 1970s, though, Hank Jr. learned to create his own musical identity that combined country with Southern rock and blues. The resulting sound debuted in the 1975 album Hank Williams Jr. and Friends. That year, Williams was severely injured in a mountain-climbing accident in Montana. He had fallen five hundred feet off the side of the cliff. While in the hospital he had celebrities from the rock and country industry comes to reach out to him during his recovery. It had taken two years and nine major surgeries to reconstruct his face. The accident resulted in Williams' new trademark look, which included a full beard, cowboy hat and dark glasses. During the 1980s, Hank Jr. catapulted to stardom with several multi-platinum albums and dozens of chart-topping singles, including "Family Tradition," "Texas Women" and "Born to Boogie." He won the Country Music Association's (ACM) Entertainer of the Year award in 1987 and 1988...
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...I shall introduce the origins of fused glass art, detailing where and when Toots Zynsky and Klaus Moje appear in relation to the movement. I shall also introduce their contemporaries and discover how the artists have influenced (and been influenced by) their peers. Towards the end of the dissertation I intend to see what the future holds for the artists, their work and the artistic movement as a whole. My conclusions shall be based on what I have learned from this dissertation and how the artists have affected me on my journey. Fused Glass Origins There is some debate as to the true origins of fused glass art. According to the ancient-Roman historian Pliny in his book Historia Naturalis the process was invented accidentally around 5000 BC by Phoenician (Syrian) sailors: Once a ship belonging to some traders in natural soda put in here and... scattered along the shore to prepare a meal. Since, however, no stones suitable for supporting their cauldrons were forthcoming, they rested them on lumps of soda from their cargo. When these became heated and were completely mingled with the sand on the beach a strange translucent liquid flowed forth in the streams; and this, it is said, was the origin of glass. However, my belief is that although this a trustworthy recorded source, it was plainly an accident and not a contrived attempt to make art. With this in mind I would suggest that the true origins of producing glass as an art form began not with the Syrians but with the Egyptians...
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...refugee camps in Algeria near Bordj Badji Mokhtar in the desert around the southern city of Tamanrasset, where he got his first acoustic guitar from a local arab man. As he got older and started to travel he started meeting other musicians that, like him, enjoyed exploring radical protest music or moroccan groups, western pop, and western rock and roll. While the group was in its early stages of development, even though they did not have a name people from all over stater referring to them as “Kel Tinariwen” which is the Tamashek language translated as “The People of The Deserts” or “ The Desert Boys.” Even though they drew inspiration from alot of west european bands, their sound is alittle more Grass root, and has more of traditional sound. Their sound comes from West African music the “Great Bend” region along the nile river. The use of their old traditions have solidified their longevity through music. Along with the discovery of Tinariwen, I stumbled upon some similar artist such as Amadou & Mariam as well as some other african rooted bands. The many instruments the band Tinariwen used were endless, but most were traditional pieces such as the Guitar, One String Fiddle, Shepherd's Flute, or a Tinde Drum. The specific genre they are listed as is “Tichumaren” which is a style of music from...
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...Virginia. Appalachian Quilts For this assignment I have decided to focus on quilts and their cultural and historic importance. One in particular caught my eye, which is a multi-colored antique quilt that I discovered while researching the Appalachian people of rural West Virginia. While there are many different cultural artifacts that are a part of the history of the Appalachian people, this is one that has deep roots in that often times quilts get passed down from generation to generation. It is a patchwork quilt that was first started by the grandmother of a coal miner, Leanne Thomas in 1890 who left the quilt unfinished in order for her children to add patches to it and then continue the tradition. The colors featured are cream and red. The prints used also feature yellow, blue, orange, purple, green, black, tan, and brown. It is hand-sewn with triangle pieces that are attached together with pieces of yarn. The quilt has an abstract geometric pattern that is made by altering the direction and placement of both blocks and rows. Each particular patch was said to signify an important event such as a birth or death that occurred, as well as to represent a member of the family. This specific quilt is unique because it was said to be one of the original quilts created with both synthetic dyes and natural coloring, and dates back to the early eighteenth century. This quilt, and many other antique Appalachian quilts are on display at museums such as the Heritage Farm Museum of...
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...cultures surround us. From art and music to architecture and literature, from philosophy and religion to laws and economics, we live among cultural artifacts that have deep roots. (American Intercontinental University, 2013). An artifact is an item of culture that represents deep traditions and customs. The single artifact that I believe represents the culture that I live in today is the United States Flag. The US flag consists of 13 horizontal stripes which represent the original 13 colonies. The stripes are alternating red and white stripes: 7 red and 6 white stripes. The stars on the flag are symbolic of the 50 states of the union. The colors on the flag are also significant. The color red represents hardiness and valor. The color white represents purity and innocence. The color blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice. All of the colors represent the US struggle to fight for independence, justice, and equality for all people. (USA Flag Site, 2012) The United States flag relates to the values and beliefs of the US culture because it represents unity. The US flag in itself is symbolic of the unity of the 50 states. The United States flag is a source of pride and inspiration to many US citizens because of the bearing on the historical roots. For many the United States is also a symbol that represents equality and justice for all. The United States did not always have these values. As with many countries, the leaders of the United States executed unjust...
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...This article was downloaded by: [148.85.1.113] On: 16 March 2015, At: 06:02 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Interventions: International Journal of Postcolonial Studies Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/riij20 Contemporary Bhakti Recastings Laetitia Zecchini a a CNRS, France Published online: 03 Jun 2013. Click for updates To cite this article: Laetitia Zecchini (2014) Contemporary Bhakti Recastings, Interventions: International Journal of Postcolonial Studies, 16:2, 257-276, DOI: 10.1080/1369801X.2013.798128 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369801X.2013.798128 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be...
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