Transcript Chapter 2 - Petal School District

Chapter 2
Music as Culture
“The function of music is to enhance in some way the quality of
individual experience and human relationships.”
John Blacking
ethnomusicologist (1928-1990)
 In Mesopotamia, archaeologists have
uncovered rattles, flutes, and harp-like
instruments dating back to almost 2000 B.C.
 People from ancient time periods used music
in all aspects of life: preparing for or
celebrating victory in battle, expressing love
for another person, ceremonies for
milestones of life (birth, adulthood, marriage,
death), etc.
 Music from early periods was NOT written
down. It was passed down orally/aurally from
generation to generation.
 There are many cultures throughout the
world with unwritten musical traditions.
 We know what their music sounds like
through the research of ANTHROPOLOGISTS
and ETHNOMUSICOLOGISTS.
 Anthropologists are scholars who study the
physical and cultural characteristics and
social customs of a group of people.
 Ethnomusicologists are scholars who study
the music of different cultural groups.
 Culture is the customs, beliefs, language, arts
and institutions of a group of people that are
learned and transmitted within the group.
 Culture can also apply to a specific group
within a society
 Music culture is the performance practices,
means, traditions, uses, and beliefs about
music of a group of people, either from a
specific time or place.
 Regardless of cultural origin, almost all music
shares several common elements: melody,
rhythm, timbre, and pitch.
 Rhythm is the way the beats or pulses are
organized and subdivided
 Timbre (sounds “TAM-bur”) is the distinct
tonal quality of an instrument or voice which
is clearly identifiable by the ear.
 Words like: bright, dark, harsh, heavy, hoarse,
husky, light, mellow, melodious, nasal, rich,
rough, shrill, smooth, strained, sweet, tense, and
warm.
Classifying Instrumental
Timbres
 Aerophones – instruments that produce sound by a
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vibrating column of air
Idiophones – simple, solid instruments that produce
sound by being struck, scraped, or shaken
Membranophones – instruments that produce sound
by striking or rubbing a skin or membrane stretched
across a resonating air chamber
Chordophones – instruments that create sound by
striking, rubbing, or plucking a taut string or chord
Electrophones – instruments that generate sound
from electricity
Generally speaking, the larger the instrument,
the lower the pitch and visa versa. Similarly,
the longer the string or pipe, the lower the
pitch. Stretching a membrane raises the
pitch, while loosening the membrane lowers
it.
 Like the instruments used to make music,
music itself can be classified by genre.
 Genre is a particular type of music with a
distinctive form or sound. Ex: jazz, rock, hiphop
 Musical style is a form of expression within a
musical genre. Ex: smooth jazz is a style of
jazz, grunge rock is a style of rock
 When you listen to music, how do you
identify if it is traditional, classical, or popular
music? (performance clues)
 Who uses the music? What is it used for? How
and why is it created?
Traditional Music
 Traditional music is sometimes referred to as
“folk music.” It is informal music that
develops within and is strongly associated
with a cultural group or region. It is the oldest
and most prevalent category of music.
Traditional music is usually participatory and
is closely tied to the customs, language, and
environment of the people associated with it.
Popular Music
 Popular music is music intended for a wide
audience, often featuring prominent
melodies. Audiences may be asked to sing or
clap along. Popular music isn’t usually
restricted to a particular performance
situation. Society often identifies popular
music with the commercial aspects of music.
Classical Music
 Classical music is a style of “art” music that
stands apart from traditional or popular
music. These musicians usually have formal
training and performances tend to be more
refined and less spontaneous. At one time,
only wealthy citizens and leaders were
allowed access to this category of music.
 Classical and popular music tends to be
heavily influenced by traditional pieces.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zRIHqlycss
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSKJQ18ZoIA
 Think about their social function. Where
would you hear this music?
Traditional Music Cultures - Mexico
 For many centuries, music has played a
central part in the lives of the Mexican
people. The Spaniards introduced a rich
musical heritage, including a variety of music
and instruments. Enslaved Africans and
Caribbean immigrants also influenced
Mexican music. The blending of native
cultures in Mexico produces a rich MESTIZO,
or mixed, culture.
Traditional Music Cultures - Mexico
 Typically, music from the state of Veracruz is
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performed on 4 instruments:
36 string arpa
4 string guitar – requinto jarocho
Thin guitar – jarana
6 string guitar
Traditional songs are called sones jarochos.
Traditional Music Culture - Bali
 Bali is located in Indonesia. Indonesia
stretches more than 3000 miles. 1000 of
Indonesia’s 13,000 islands are home to 180
million people. Bali is 90 miles long and 60
miles wide and has a population of 3 million
people.
Traditional Music Culture - Bali
Traditional Music Culture - Bali
 Nearly everyone in Balinese culture is an
artist – a sculptor, painter, musician, dancer.
 After working the day in the rice field, men
gather to practice gamelan music. Gamelan
is a Balinese music ensemble or performing
group. The term is generally applied to gongchime orchestras throughout the island.
 The dances and music often relate stories
from religion
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11wYyDf
qURY
Popular Music Culture - Motown
 Nickname for Detroit, Michigan
 Started by Barry Gordy, Jr for $800
 Signed artists like The Supremes, Smokey
Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations,
Gladys Knight and the Pips, and the Jackson 5
 Made music by black artists popular
throughout the country during the Civil
Rights Movement
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPBkiBbO4_4
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlzY6cWpoMQ
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7eTOnNBwYU&list=
TLVg3EDZ15fKs
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v78-ftcqpNw
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-aSjHnbw18
Hitsville, USA
 Quality control meetings with producers and
writers at Motown helped make decisions
about which songs should be marketed.
 “Let’s say you’ve got a dollar and you’re
hungry. Would you buy a sandwich or would
you buy this record?”
 If people in the meeting said they would buy
the sandwich, the song was put on the shelf
and not released. 3 out of 4 songs released
were hits.
Why was this song a hit?
 “Dancing in the Street” by Martha and the
Vandellas from 1965
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGpgkCE41x8
 Why would this song have been preferred over the
sandwich?
 What message could be read into the lyrics of the song?
Covers
 Covers refer to one musician’s playing or
recording of a song made famous by another
artist. For some people this has negative
connotations, but for others “imitation is the
greatest form of flattery.”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWvwP72FuVg
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7dGdrP3pms
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93S_l0qZrXA
Do You Love Me?
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vTEstU1
MRk – written by Barry Gordy himself, first
released by The Contours in 1962 (rose to #2),
released in 1964 by the Dave Clark Five (#11),
The Contours’ version was re-released in 1988
(#11)
Classical Music Culture
 Many cultures have their own “classical”
period in music, but the most common time
and place associated with “classical music” is
Europe between 1750 and 1830. This
produced such composers as Franz Joseph
Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Classical Music Culture
 Composers of the classical period depended
upon patronage from kings, members of
nobility, and sometimes wealthy church
students. The typical dress of audiences from
this time were waistcoats and powdered
wigs.
Classical Music Culture
 As the classical period advanced, more
people made more money. They wanted to
partake in some of the cultural
entertainments of the elite class including
music, theater, and literature. Composers
wrote music specifically for amateur
musicians.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mVW8tgGY_w
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIKKDXCP2_M
 Chamber music is music written during the
classical period for small ensembles. Many of
these concerts took place in private homes
for social gatherings and at parties. The
music provided entertainment for nobility,
clergy, and the emerging middle class.
 A popular form from the classical music
period was theme and variation.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 His name given at baptism was
Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus
Theophilus Mozart
 He is considered a child prodigy –
composing his first symphony at 8,
first opera at 11, but performing at a
much earlier age
 He lived in poverty and died at the age
of 35 from a sudden mysterious illness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIzhAKtEzY0