Andy's response to me
I’m intrigued by your idea that assuming both roles is outside the realms of polyphonic, experiential, and interpretive ethnographies. Based on Clifford, then, the only remaining mode of discourse is the dialogical, and this may be a valid characterization of this writing style. However, there is one big problem: all the dialogue happens within the author’s mind, and real people are not involved. Thus, if this was to become a formal method of writing ethnographies, a new mode of discourse would have to be invented to characterize writing from both the role of the insider and the outsider.
The main reason that I categorized the increased objectivity of this writing style as an advantage was because I thought that, provided it is done correctly, presenting two or more views would be less biased and colored by the ethnographer’s prior experiences than an experiential or an interpretive discourse. I did not go so far as to categorize this as deception, but it certainly could be, especially if it done incorrectly. I considered this possibility when I wrote that no one can really forget his prior biases and past.
Of course, an insider’s ethnography is no more or less informative than an outsider’s ethnography—as you wrote, they just include different elements. But I disagree that an insiders’ ethnography would be difficult for an outsider to interpret because of cultural practices and vocabulary. Sure, they are different, but unless an ethnographer was writing only for the culture he was studying (which in my opinion, is extremely unlikely), he would have to define and explain the unfamiliar prior to presenting the insider’s views. The only unfamiliarity should stem from the insiders’ different background and experiences.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Critical Review #10: Neustadt 2002
Among other analyses, Neustadt's writing contrasts two different albums released at roughly the same time: Buena Vista Social Club (BVSC) and Tremendo delirio (CH, after La Charanga Habanera, the band's name). He compares the different musical styles: son (BVSC), which as, according to Argeliers León, has already passed out of vogue, and timba (CH), which was the popular genre at the time in Cuba. The images projected by the two albums differ as well. BVSC represents "exotic holdovers" (140) from the past, while CH is a satirical representation of contemporary Cuban life. The album art for these two releases represent these differences as well. The BVSC cover uses blurred and muted colors on the front and is black and white on the back, drawing attention to vintage 1940s and 1950s American cars. This furthers the image of the pre-Revolution Cuba, frozen in time. In contrast, the CH album is brightly colored, with "props" made of neon-colored condoms. According to Neustadt, it is "clearly ironic" (148), and this augments their satire. Unsurprisingly, BVSC was marketed to (and mostly bought by) "'First World' Europeans or Anglos--not Latin Americans and certainly not Cubans" (149); it satisfied demand for exotic music in Europe and North America. In contrast, CH appeals to Cubans who live in Cuba through their lyrics concerning "shared perception and experience" (140).
Discussion Question: These two vastly different albums were released at roughly the same time. Why do you think they are still different? Also, compare the translations in the Neustadt reading and the BVSC album liner. Where are they different? What (or who) is responsible for these differences, and why do you think they are different?
Discussion Question: These two vastly different albums were released at roughly the same time. Why do you think they are still different? Also, compare the translations in the Neustadt reading and the BVSC album liner. Where are they different? What (or who) is responsible for these differences, and why do you think they are different?
Challenge Question Feedback (Julie answered my second question)
I have very similar ideas as Julie does. Specifically, I also believe that the three main critiques of Ethnomusicology are valid, and that good training, interviewing many members of the studied culture, staying for a significant time in the studied culture, and reflexivity are the main ways that the criticisms can be mitigated.
However, I do have some ideas to add. I think that in addition to addressing the two other concerns, reflexivity can also play a large role in reducing the asymmetries of power: the ethnomusicologist should recognize the impact that his ethnography may have on his career and include ways that it may have prejudiced his observations and subsequent writings in his ethnography. Additionally, though Julie writes about interviewing many people and incorporating their views, she does not mention polyphonic discourse. In my opinion, this is the best way to address the poststructuralist criticism that individual experience is fiction. Because many parties are interacting on different levels and each interprets it in a unique way, it makes sense for all (or, at the very least, many different) voices to be represented in the ethnography. This effectively makes writing about the experience a shared project, much like how the experience itself was a shared one. Of course, as the “editor” of his ethnography, the ethnomusicologist is responsible for choosing which opinions to include in his ethnography, but if he is objective and reflexive, this should not be a problem.
Overall, I thought that Julie’s response was insightful and well-written. Indeed, there may be no better way to approach the critiques of Ethnomusicology aside from consciously acknowledging the criticisms and actively planning how to overcome or, at the very least, to ameliorate these concerns.
However, I do have some ideas to add. I think that in addition to addressing the two other concerns, reflexivity can also play a large role in reducing the asymmetries of power: the ethnomusicologist should recognize the impact that his ethnography may have on his career and include ways that it may have prejudiced his observations and subsequent writings in his ethnography. Additionally, though Julie writes about interviewing many people and incorporating their views, she does not mention polyphonic discourse. In my opinion, this is the best way to address the poststructuralist criticism that individual experience is fiction. Because many parties are interacting on different levels and each interprets it in a unique way, it makes sense for all (or, at the very least, many different) voices to be represented in the ethnography. This effectively makes writing about the experience a shared project, much like how the experience itself was a shared one. Of course, as the “editor” of his ethnography, the ethnomusicologist is responsible for choosing which opinions to include in his ethnography, but if he is objective and reflexive, this should not be a problem.
Overall, I thought that Julie’s response was insightful and well-written. Indeed, there may be no better way to approach the critiques of Ethnomusicology aside from consciously acknowledging the criticisms and actively planning how to overcome or, at the very least, to ameliorate these concerns.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Challenge Question Response (Andy's First Question)
In his ethnography entitled Heartland Excursions, Nettl assumes three voices. He describes them as “an ethnomusicologist teaching at Heartland U. and writing a conventional account,” “the principal native informant […who] knows its ins and outs as well as anyone,” (Nettl 8) and an outsider. While this approach does have some advantages over a single-voiced experiential or interpretive ethnography, it does not constitute true polyphony of voices and is intrinsically limited.
Though assuming different voices is not true polyphonic discourse, this style is not without its own advantages. In fact, it may be more objective than the experiential or interpretive modes of ethnographic authority (according to Clifford), which only present the ethnographer’s point of view. But the main advantage of having one person assume the different viewpoints is that he can then present multiple analyses of the same exact fact or event. This is difficult with true polyphony. Observations of different authorities are inherently colored by their prior experiences and biases, but what each individual chooses to observe and remark on may vary as well. Furthermore, instructing diverse people to observe the same thing carries the risk that the instruction will affect their subsequent conclusions. In my opinion, these are the main advantages of one ethnographer assuming the role of both the insider and the outsider.
Borrowing the phrasing of the question, I believe that despite its advantages, this form of discourse is inherently limited. When assuming the role of the outsider, the ethnographer can claim to have eliminated his prior biases, but can one really “forget” his past? In my opinion, it is far too easy to simply address those biases, therefore missing or ignoring other important details that only true outsiders would perceive as significant. It is my understanding that the polyphonic mode of discourse is a response to the idea that it is in fact impossible for any individual, ethnographer, translator, insider, or outsider, to be unprejudiced. Consequently, it is necessary to include as many of these presumed biases as possible so that the reader can incorporate as many points of view as possible into his own interpretation of the ethnography. In short, I believe that multiple voices from a single author are not equivalent to multiple speakers.
Another fundamental problem with this approach is that it only allows for one insider and one outsider. Of course, Nettl himself is the solitary insider in his writing, but not all members of a culture sees and “translates” it for others in the same way. The same problem exists for the outsider: Nettl describes his outsider as “the legendary ‘ethnomusicologist from Mars’” (8), claiming that this ethnographer “comes to the Heartlands with no knowledge and thus experiences everything from scratch” (8). While I agree that all experiences are new for the outsider, it is impossible for anyone with no knowledge to perform an ethnography. Any outsider’s observations will naturally be in the context of his home culture or cultures that he is familiar with; thus, different outsiders could also interpret the same culture differently. Again, polyphony seeks to bring in as many voices—insiders and outsiders alike—as possible, and this is not accomplished with one author assuming two general roles.
Writing an ethnography while assuming different roles, such as the insider and the outsider, does have some advantages. Specifically, the diverse viewpoints on the same aspects of culture generated by these different perspectives can be illuminating. However, as helpful as this can be, it is not polyphonic. No matter how hard someone tries, it is impossible to truly remove all personal biases and past experiences when analyzing a part of a culture, and this does not satisfy the requirement that many different insiders and outsiders must be included for a writing to be polyphonic. Therefore, although this writing style does improve on experiential or interpretive discourses, it cannot be categorized as true polyphony.
Though assuming different voices is not true polyphonic discourse, this style is not without its own advantages. In fact, it may be more objective than the experiential or interpretive modes of ethnographic authority (according to Clifford), which only present the ethnographer’s point of view. But the main advantage of having one person assume the different viewpoints is that he can then present multiple analyses of the same exact fact or event. This is difficult with true polyphony. Observations of different authorities are inherently colored by their prior experiences and biases, but what each individual chooses to observe and remark on may vary as well. Furthermore, instructing diverse people to observe the same thing carries the risk that the instruction will affect their subsequent conclusions. In my opinion, these are the main advantages of one ethnographer assuming the role of both the insider and the outsider.
Borrowing the phrasing of the question, I believe that despite its advantages, this form of discourse is inherently limited. When assuming the role of the outsider, the ethnographer can claim to have eliminated his prior biases, but can one really “forget” his past? In my opinion, it is far too easy to simply address those biases, therefore missing or ignoring other important details that only true outsiders would perceive as significant. It is my understanding that the polyphonic mode of discourse is a response to the idea that it is in fact impossible for any individual, ethnographer, translator, insider, or outsider, to be unprejudiced. Consequently, it is necessary to include as many of these presumed biases as possible so that the reader can incorporate as many points of view as possible into his own interpretation of the ethnography. In short, I believe that multiple voices from a single author are not equivalent to multiple speakers.
Another fundamental problem with this approach is that it only allows for one insider and one outsider. Of course, Nettl himself is the solitary insider in his writing, but not all members of a culture sees and “translates” it for others in the same way. The same problem exists for the outsider: Nettl describes his outsider as “the legendary ‘ethnomusicologist from Mars’” (8), claiming that this ethnographer “comes to the Heartlands with no knowledge and thus experiences everything from scratch” (8). While I agree that all experiences are new for the outsider, it is impossible for anyone with no knowledge to perform an ethnography. Any outsider’s observations will naturally be in the context of his home culture or cultures that he is familiar with; thus, different outsiders could also interpret the same culture differently. Again, polyphony seeks to bring in as many voices—insiders and outsiders alike—as possible, and this is not accomplished with one author assuming two general roles.
Writing an ethnography while assuming different roles, such as the insider and the outsider, does have some advantages. Specifically, the diverse viewpoints on the same aspects of culture generated by these different perspectives can be illuminating. However, as helpful as this can be, it is not polyphonic. No matter how hard someone tries, it is impossible to truly remove all personal biases and past experiences when analyzing a part of a culture, and this does not satisfy the requirement that many different insiders and outsiders must be included for a writing to be polyphonic. Therefore, although this writing style does improve on experiential or interpretive discourses, it cannot be categorized as true polyphony.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Critical Review #9: Campbell 1997
Campbell writes mainly about the changes in shape-note singing in the South following the Civil War. He mentions the incorporation of gospel music and the creation of seven shaped notes, as well as attempts by Aldine S. Kieffer to spread this "new" tradition. He also describes five revisions of The Sacred Harp: William Cooper's The Sacred Harp, Revised and Improved, three revisions by J. L. White (the first in conjunction with his brother B. F. White Jr.), and Joseph James' The Original Sacred Harp. At the time, most singing conventions wanted a revision, but without corrections other than typos, without any songs in the gospel style, and with new songs at the end of the book. Campbell also goes into much detail about how James "sold" his book to both traditionalists, by emphasizing the features that kept the old traditions, and modernists, by appealing to their "obsession with numbers, output, and quantification" (182). Interestingly, James did not limit himself to the musical style found in The Original Sacred Harp: he also published two other books. One included many newer gospel tunes, and the other was "specially arranged so its compositions can be easily played on instruments" (183). Regardless, Campbell did effectively prove that the shape-not tradition was not interpreted in any unique way, and that it was evolving.
Discussion Question: Do you think that James' revision, The Original Sacred Harp, would have been as popular if he did not include notes describing the traditions his book preserved as well as elements appealing to the more progressive?
Discussion Question: Do you think that James' revision, The Original Sacred Harp, would have been as popular if he did not include notes describing the traditions his book preserved as well as elements appealing to the more progressive?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Fieldwork Notes 5
A performance!
10/22, J. Walter Wilson lobby, 3:00 (that's the agreed-upon starting time. But they actually don't start until around 3:30). They are in the little nook across from University Mail Services (by the main entrance facing Waterman St.)
Dress is casual for all. I think they just wore whatever they were wearing that day for class.
The performance is a "surprise" for most people. It has not been announced.
Before the performance starts, I ask Sarah where I should sit so I "don't look creepy." I wonder how other bystanders/passerby feel about me, as I attempt to hide in a corner.
No announcing of music to be played. Brian is not there--no non-playing conductor.
One of Sarah's friends walks by, they say hi and Sarah asks him if he wants to hear the saxtet play. He asks why they're playing; she replies, "'Cuz the saxtet just wants to play before the first Wind Symphony concert" (their first "official" performance).
Marc is telling Sarah the order of songs that they will play--Scriabin first, then a Fugue, a Scherzo, and a Fugue from Marc's collection.
Micah (to me and Mike): "I hope we don't hit the resonant frequency of these bricks…The corporation will definitely kick us out of Brown if that happens." We laugh.
In general, there are interested looks from passerby, but no one stops to listen.
They retune after the first song.
A mail worker comes out to watch. The two workers behind the University Mail counter are talking and glancing over with smiles. Also [2 students--names deleted], friends of saxtet members (and me). Two construction workers pause as they exit the building.
No one claps after they finish playing.
They're trying to figure out who starts the next song: "Who starts?" "You start."
Two observers now, one reading his mail. They leave together in the middle of the song.
There is the sound of a hammer from the construction workers outside. It doesn’t distract the group, which surprises me because its "beat" is slower than the tempo for the Fugue and sometimes irregular.
The behavior is mostly similar from rehearsal behavior.
I can't see their faces. I'm sitting behind and to the left of them so I don't intrude. They are in an arc facing University Mail Services. From left to right (facing the group), it is Mike, Sarah, Micah, and Marc.
Then, they play the Scherzo. An older man comes in to watch. He's standing in front of them. When they finish playing, he asks how many Selmers (sax brand) are "over there." It's just the (Brown-owned) soprano. He says, "great" and leaves. We (collectively) wonder who he is after the performance is over.
I wonder how my presence is affecting them, because usually audience members are not behind performers.
There is applause after the Scherzo, mostly from the mail workers (no students watching). The group re-tunes again. They talk about how someone famous (didn't catch the name) played the same concert in a subway station that he did at Carnegie Hall the night before. Time-lapse photography showed that only a few people stopped to watch, though a couple did for significant periods of time.
They now start "Fugue 7." Micah is moving more than he did during reherasal. Sarah cuts them off on this piece; there is no applause.
They wonder if they should play anything else, but the group consensus is that nothing is ready, though Marc seems to want to "read" something. They decide to migrate to Faunce by the Blue Room. There is a meeting in the Peterruti Lounge at 4, and the group wants to "catch" people as they walk in.
The group packs up, and a construction worker jokes about the group leaving as they come in. The boys go to check their mail (Sarah did before the performance). On the way to the Blue Room (I'm carrying a soprano sax, it's case, and a sax stand), Mike jokes that I'm a roadie, and Sarah jokes that I'm doing participant observation.
When we get to the Blue Room, I tell the group I'm leaving because I have an advising meeting at 4, and I start to leave, but then I realize that my meeting is in University Hall, so I "sneak" back into the Blue Room to observe the "audience." I can't see the group from where I am sitting.
They tune, and almost no one reacts--one person goes to look, and mimes closing the door to the people she was sitting with. Then she closes the door. [I drew a sad face in my notes here] Soon, Sarah opens it.
They start off with the Scriabin again. That group (I think they were studying) moves closer to the windows facing the Main Green. Someone from the group (different person as before) gets up to look and see who's playing, says, "I can't close it." A different girl throws out her trash by the doorway where the group is, looks at the group curiously, and leaves.
There is silence (for a significant moment), then they play the Bach. A Blue Room worker dances for a couple seconds. The cashier steps around the door and looks at the group for a while. The studying group is moving again (I heard someone say "library"). I wonder how the saxtet's music is "worse" than the babble of voices.
Another Blue Room worker goes to investigate, then goes back to work, half-dancing and half-walking.
Again, there are no announcements for what the piece is playing, or the group name.
They start the Scherzo. A table of 3 kids tries to get everyone to start clapping on the beat, but they stop after only 3-4 claps and no one else joins in.
And I'm off to my meeting...
10/22, J. Walter Wilson lobby, 3:00 (that's the agreed-upon starting time. But they actually don't start until around 3:30). They are in the little nook across from University Mail Services (by the main entrance facing Waterman St.)
Dress is casual for all. I think they just wore whatever they were wearing that day for class.
The performance is a "surprise" for most people. It has not been announced.
Before the performance starts, I ask Sarah where I should sit so I "don't look creepy." I wonder how other bystanders/passerby feel about me, as I attempt to hide in a corner.
No announcing of music to be played. Brian is not there--no non-playing conductor.
One of Sarah's friends walks by, they say hi and Sarah asks him if he wants to hear the saxtet play. He asks why they're playing; she replies, "'Cuz the saxtet just wants to play before the first Wind Symphony concert" (their first "official" performance).
Marc is telling Sarah the order of songs that they will play--Scriabin first, then a Fugue, a Scherzo, and a Fugue from Marc's collection.
Micah (to me and Mike): "I hope we don't hit the resonant frequency of these bricks…The corporation will definitely kick us out of Brown if that happens." We laugh.
In general, there are interested looks from passerby, but no one stops to listen.
They retune after the first song.
A mail worker comes out to watch. The two workers behind the University Mail counter are talking and glancing over with smiles. Also [2 students--names deleted], friends of saxtet members (and me). Two construction workers pause as they exit the building.
No one claps after they finish playing.
They're trying to figure out who starts the next song: "Who starts?" "You start."
Two observers now, one reading his mail. They leave together in the middle of the song.
There is the sound of a hammer from the construction workers outside. It doesn’t distract the group, which surprises me because its "beat" is slower than the tempo for the Fugue and sometimes irregular.
The behavior is mostly similar from rehearsal behavior.
I can't see their faces. I'm sitting behind and to the left of them so I don't intrude. They are in an arc facing University Mail Services. From left to right (facing the group), it is Mike, Sarah, Micah, and Marc.
Then, they play the Scherzo. An older man comes in to watch. He's standing in front of them. When they finish playing, he asks how many Selmers (sax brand) are "over there." It's just the (Brown-owned) soprano. He says, "great" and leaves. We (collectively) wonder who he is after the performance is over.
I wonder how my presence is affecting them, because usually audience members are not behind performers.
There is applause after the Scherzo, mostly from the mail workers (no students watching). The group re-tunes again. They talk about how someone famous (didn't catch the name) played the same concert in a subway station that he did at Carnegie Hall the night before. Time-lapse photography showed that only a few people stopped to watch, though a couple did for significant periods of time.
They now start "Fugue 7." Micah is moving more than he did during reherasal. Sarah cuts them off on this piece; there is no applause.
They wonder if they should play anything else, but the group consensus is that nothing is ready, though Marc seems to want to "read" something. They decide to migrate to Faunce by the Blue Room. There is a meeting in the Peterruti Lounge at 4, and the group wants to "catch" people as they walk in.
The group packs up, and a construction worker jokes about the group leaving as they come in. The boys go to check their mail (Sarah did before the performance). On the way to the Blue Room (I'm carrying a soprano sax, it's case, and a sax stand), Mike jokes that I'm a roadie, and Sarah jokes that I'm doing participant observation.
When we get to the Blue Room, I tell the group I'm leaving because I have an advising meeting at 4, and I start to leave, but then I realize that my meeting is in University Hall, so I "sneak" back into the Blue Room to observe the "audience." I can't see the group from where I am sitting.
They tune, and almost no one reacts--one person goes to look, and mimes closing the door to the people she was sitting with. Then she closes the door. [I drew a sad face in my notes here] Soon, Sarah opens it.
They start off with the Scriabin again. That group (I think they were studying) moves closer to the windows facing the Main Green. Someone from the group (different person as before) gets up to look and see who's playing, says, "I can't close it." A different girl throws out her trash by the doorway where the group is, looks at the group curiously, and leaves.
There is silence (for a significant moment), then they play the Bach. A Blue Room worker dances for a couple seconds. The cashier steps around the door and looks at the group for a while. The studying group is moving again (I heard someone say "library"). I wonder how the saxtet's music is "worse" than the babble of voices.
Another Blue Room worker goes to investigate, then goes back to work, half-dancing and half-walking.
Again, there are no announcements for what the piece is playing, or the group name.
They start the Scherzo. A table of 3 kids tries to get everyone to start clapping on the beat, but they stop after only 3-4 claps and no one else joins in.
And I'm off to my meeting...
Fieldwork Notes 4
This is the first rehearsal that I've been to without Brian. According from Mike (from his interview), these rehearsals basically run the same way, just Brian isn't there. In fact, he says that they're almost more productive, because there are fewer side conversations (though they still do occur). I must not let this "prior knowledge" affect my observations today.
They talk about performing on Wednesday, but say it's probably not going to happen (weather? They wanted to play outside). But then Marc says he hasn't been to the new mail room yet and wants to check it out--could they play there? Micah asks to end rehearsal at 7:10 so he can get ready for jazz band (rehearsal) because he has to break in some new reeds. Marc says the Bach sounds like a good thing to start with (out of the Larry Teal book). Mike says they should try to get stuff ready for their "performance" on Wednesday.
Apparently the correct "standing order" is Alto 1, Alto 2, Bari, Tenor, or Alto, Bari, Soprano, Tenor. (The group got into an order and Mike said, "Isn't this how it's supposed to be?") They go for the "correct" order when Sarah plays alto, but to make "the logistics" (Micah) easier, they're not going to make her move. Sarah says this shouldn't be a big deal because she and Micah will still be in the middle, just not in the correct order. They tune. Mike has a tuner; they use that to get Marc in tune and then try to match him. Then they play an A major chord, and then Mike suggests that they go bottom up and try to make something that sounds good (one note/player at a time). Micah's ready now and tunes. Marc jokes that he was out of tune earlier because he was listening to a baroque band today and tuned to them.
Marc seems to be taking control of this rehearsal. They're talking about the slow section of this piece. Marc asks the group what they can do to make the part sound less "plodding." Micah says that's how he interpret this section, but Mike says that it says dolce in his part. Marc says he can hear the dolce. They decide to follow the rule: if the line goes up, go up, if it goes down, quiet down. Mike asks about rubato--they decide it's ok for Mike to do a little. Micah tells Mike he can stretch however much he wants, just he may have to shrink too the accompanying part lines up. They kind of converge around Mike; Marc says that he thinks that Mike has basically a solo, so play out. "It sounds good, I hear those blocks right now, rather than the whole 8 bars." They're going for separate 4 bar statements. Marc has some suggestions for Mike. One is something he says Brian tells them to do a lot--to accelerate and crescendo into the ending of the phrase for directions. Mike tries it by himself. Micah and Mike say they don't like it. Micah says they shouldn't' do too much with the tempo. They're talking about phrasing. They're skipping the repeats.
Marc's final comment: He says he feels it at a point, and not so much at other places, but they decide it's good enough for the post office. Mike says, "or gov't work." Sarah says he doesn't understand; Mike says it's kind of like "good enough for jazz" and she understands.
They're now playing a Scherzo by Rimsky-Korsakoff.
There was a problem. They stopped because someone (or more than just one) came in right. Mike asks about tonguing. Marc says they're tonguing everything, but Mike says he has slur two tongue two for groups of 4, tongue groups of 3, and tongue/slur/tongue for 6. Micah and Marc say they like tonguing everything better. Micah asks how he should interpret the eighth notes; Sarah says they're separated but not staccato, and Marc says they're almost bell tones. Marc says to think of this as a march and to build up to the fourth eighth note in each beat, to build up to four and one (it's in 6/8). He then counts it off in 6…Marc stops the group and asks Mike to play his eighth notes a bit longer and flatter, not as harshly, more like da's than ta's, but to still leave the space in.
Matt McGarrell comes in to start setting up for jazz band and they (and me) say hi. Mike's phone rings. Marc asks who it is, Mike says his parents and stops it from ringing, saying, "denied."
They start again…Micah says that the last note should be longer, almost a full beat but not quite. Mike says that they should start at 110. Sarah says it was a wind symphony cut off--the lowest note was the last one to cut off. This comment was for Matt, as it references the last note in the Holst suite that we performed last Friday. Matt replies that it is the best way to do it.
This Scherzo is not perfect note-wise, but is musical nonetheless.
Marc stops the group to address a dynamic issue--piano at 90 that "I didn't hear us do."
Mike mimics the phrasing Micah did when his part was similar earlier (or the last time they played it?). They decide it's good enough.
Now they're discussing the spelling of Scriabin, where sometimes there is a "j" because there isn't a corresponding English letter to the Cyrillic alphabet (Scrijabin?). Mike says something that I'm not going to post, but I make a face at Sarah and she makes a different one expressing the same idea (awkwardness) back.
They (finally? They’ve been out of tune—sharp—for a while now) decide to re-tune. Mike holds the tuner for Micah, and the rest join in and tune themselves when he is in tune.
They start the Scriabin. This piece is slower. Micah is conducting this one--he has the "solo" part. Sarah (at least) looks at him when there's a fermata (I think), and the entire group cuts off together. Micah cuts off the last note with a circle similar to the expressive ones he was drawing. Marc says there weren't too many dynamics, so Micah suggests that they do it again so that they can actually do them. They're talking about an earlier fermata, where Micah is the only one holding. He says it'll probably be short because he'd like to make it through a prior measure without taking a breath. He says probably one or two beats, and then he'll cue them in like he did.
They start again. Mike looks at Micah a lot. The others don't really look up from their music, but perhaps they can see him out of the corner of their eyes (Mike is the only one not next to Micah). Mike says "I don't know about you guys, but I can memorize about a phrase at a time, so we should do that and watch each other." They talk about a forte (?) that they missed, and resolve to do it. Mike asks for it one more time. Marc says, "Micah, I feel like you could really sing, add some vibrato, really sing."
They then decide to try Mediterranean from the Bagatelle. But Marc forgot his music…They then decide to try something old (a Fugue) because Sarah hasn't seen them on Soprano yet.
Talking about the Fugue, Marc says he didn't come down as fast as he should have--wasn't following Standard Fugue Procedure (again something Mike mentioned). He conduct the retard at the end with knee bends, and usually bends his knees on the beat--sometimes every two, and sometimes he sways to the left or right instead. Marc tells Mike and Sarah to "sing." Sarah cuts them off at the end with a circle drawn with the bell of her (soprano) sax, but Marc's definitely conducting the rest of the Fugue. I think he was the arranger.
There really are much fewer side stories now as compared to rehearsal with Brian.
Movement while playing, based on observations during the entire rehearsal:
I think Mike is technically responsible for conducting (as the 1st alto player), but he isn't doing too much. However, the group are excellent musicians so at least in terms of time, they don't need anything. He bends forward at the waist with the beat sometimes, but beyond that is fairly motionless.
Micah is relatively motionless in terms of keeping time, but likes to move his sax up and to his right when emphasizing things such as the last note of phrases. For slower music (Scriabin): Micah also draws circles with the bell to his left.
Marc sways to the left and right and bends his knees on the beat, but also on eighth notes, for example, for emphasis.
Sarah sways up and down like Marc, but not as much. Her left arm (top arm) is normally held out just shy of horizontal, and she moves it up to horizontal on the beat.
They talk about performing on Wednesday, but say it's probably not going to happen (weather? They wanted to play outside). But then Marc says he hasn't been to the new mail room yet and wants to check it out--could they play there? Micah asks to end rehearsal at 7:10 so he can get ready for jazz band (rehearsal) because he has to break in some new reeds. Marc says the Bach sounds like a good thing to start with (out of the Larry Teal book). Mike says they should try to get stuff ready for their "performance" on Wednesday.
Apparently the correct "standing order" is Alto 1, Alto 2, Bari, Tenor, or Alto, Bari, Soprano, Tenor. (The group got into an order and Mike said, "Isn't this how it's supposed to be?") They go for the "correct" order when Sarah plays alto, but to make "the logistics" (Micah) easier, they're not going to make her move. Sarah says this shouldn't be a big deal because she and Micah will still be in the middle, just not in the correct order. They tune. Mike has a tuner; they use that to get Marc in tune and then try to match him. Then they play an A major chord, and then Mike suggests that they go bottom up and try to make something that sounds good (one note/player at a time). Micah's ready now and tunes. Marc jokes that he was out of tune earlier because he was listening to a baroque band today and tuned to them.
Marc seems to be taking control of this rehearsal. They're talking about the slow section of this piece. Marc asks the group what they can do to make the part sound less "plodding." Micah says that's how he interpret this section, but Mike says that it says dolce in his part. Marc says he can hear the dolce. They decide to follow the rule: if the line goes up, go up, if it goes down, quiet down. Mike asks about rubato--they decide it's ok for Mike to do a little. Micah tells Mike he can stretch however much he wants, just he may have to shrink too the accompanying part lines up. They kind of converge around Mike; Marc says that he thinks that Mike has basically a solo, so play out. "It sounds good, I hear those blocks right now, rather than the whole 8 bars." They're going for separate 4 bar statements. Marc has some suggestions for Mike. One is something he says Brian tells them to do a lot--to accelerate and crescendo into the ending of the phrase for directions. Mike tries it by himself. Micah and Mike say they don't like it. Micah says they shouldn't' do too much with the tempo. They're talking about phrasing. They're skipping the repeats.
Marc's final comment: He says he feels it at a point, and not so much at other places, but they decide it's good enough for the post office. Mike says, "or gov't work." Sarah says he doesn't understand; Mike says it's kind of like "good enough for jazz" and she understands.
They're now playing a Scherzo by Rimsky-Korsakoff.
There was a problem. They stopped because someone (or more than just one) came in right. Mike asks about tonguing. Marc says they're tonguing everything, but Mike says he has slur two tongue two for groups of 4, tongue groups of 3, and tongue/slur/tongue for 6. Micah and Marc say they like tonguing everything better. Micah asks how he should interpret the eighth notes; Sarah says they're separated but not staccato, and Marc says they're almost bell tones. Marc says to think of this as a march and to build up to the fourth eighth note in each beat, to build up to four and one (it's in 6/8). He then counts it off in 6…Marc stops the group and asks Mike to play his eighth notes a bit longer and flatter, not as harshly, more like da's than ta's, but to still leave the space in.
Matt McGarrell comes in to start setting up for jazz band and they (and me) say hi. Mike's phone rings. Marc asks who it is, Mike says his parents and stops it from ringing, saying, "denied."
They start again…Micah says that the last note should be longer, almost a full beat but not quite. Mike says that they should start at 110. Sarah says it was a wind symphony cut off--the lowest note was the last one to cut off. This comment was for Matt, as it references the last note in the Holst suite that we performed last Friday. Matt replies that it is the best way to do it.
This Scherzo is not perfect note-wise, but is musical nonetheless.
Marc stops the group to address a dynamic issue--piano at 90 that "I didn't hear us do."
Mike mimics the phrasing Micah did when his part was similar earlier (or the last time they played it?). They decide it's good enough.
Now they're discussing the spelling of Scriabin, where sometimes there is a "j" because there isn't a corresponding English letter to the Cyrillic alphabet (Scrijabin?). Mike says something that I'm not going to post, but I make a face at Sarah and she makes a different one expressing the same idea (awkwardness) back.
They (finally? They’ve been out of tune—sharp—for a while now) decide to re-tune. Mike holds the tuner for Micah, and the rest join in and tune themselves when he is in tune.
They start the Scriabin. This piece is slower. Micah is conducting this one--he has the "solo" part. Sarah (at least) looks at him when there's a fermata (I think), and the entire group cuts off together. Micah cuts off the last note with a circle similar to the expressive ones he was drawing. Marc says there weren't too many dynamics, so Micah suggests that they do it again so that they can actually do them. They're talking about an earlier fermata, where Micah is the only one holding. He says it'll probably be short because he'd like to make it through a prior measure without taking a breath. He says probably one or two beats, and then he'll cue them in like he did.
They start again. Mike looks at Micah a lot. The others don't really look up from their music, but perhaps they can see him out of the corner of their eyes (Mike is the only one not next to Micah). Mike says "I don't know about you guys, but I can memorize about a phrase at a time, so we should do that and watch each other." They talk about a forte (?) that they missed, and resolve to do it. Mike asks for it one more time. Marc says, "Micah, I feel like you could really sing, add some vibrato, really sing."
They then decide to try Mediterranean from the Bagatelle. But Marc forgot his music…They then decide to try something old (a Fugue) because Sarah hasn't seen them on Soprano yet.
Talking about the Fugue, Marc says he didn't come down as fast as he should have--wasn't following Standard Fugue Procedure (again something Mike mentioned). He conduct the retard at the end with knee bends, and usually bends his knees on the beat--sometimes every two, and sometimes he sways to the left or right instead. Marc tells Mike and Sarah to "sing." Sarah cuts them off at the end with a circle drawn with the bell of her (soprano) sax, but Marc's definitely conducting the rest of the Fugue. I think he was the arranger.
There really are much fewer side stories now as compared to rehearsal with Brian.
Movement while playing, based on observations during the entire rehearsal:
I think Mike is technically responsible for conducting (as the 1st alto player), but he isn't doing too much. However, the group are excellent musicians so at least in terms of time, they don't need anything. He bends forward at the waist with the beat sometimes, but beyond that is fairly motionless.
Micah is relatively motionless in terms of keeping time, but likes to move his sax up and to his right when emphasizing things such as the last note of phrases. For slower music (Scriabin): Micah also draws circles with the bell to his left.
Marc sways to the left and right and bends his knees on the beat, but also on eighth notes, for example, for emphasis.
Sarah sways up and down like Marc, but not as much. Her left arm (top arm) is normally held out just shy of horizontal, and she moves it up to horizontal on the beat.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Critical Review #8: Miller 2008
Questions for Kiri:
1. Do you see the fact that "rhetoical celebrations of Sacred Harp singers' diversity only get down to details on the matter of geographic origin" (37) as a positive or negative thing? How strong is the element of racism (or, more specifically, regionalism) during conventions?
2. Can you compare your Sacred Harp group (the one I presume you lead on campus) to the conventions or even smaller, local groups? Please comment on diversity of the attendees, singing/rehearsal practice and goals, and any opinions of the singers on carrying on or altering a tradition.
Discussion Question:
How do you view the "acquired Southern accent" of some Sacred Harp singers? Can you find parallels in other musical or cultural groups where similar behavior occurs?
1. Do you see the fact that "rhetoical celebrations of Sacred Harp singers' diversity only get down to details on the matter of geographic origin" (37) as a positive or negative thing? How strong is the element of racism (or, more specifically, regionalism) during conventions?
2. Can you compare your Sacred Harp group (the one I presume you lead on campus) to the conventions or even smaller, local groups? Please comment on diversity of the attendees, singing/rehearsal practice and goals, and any opinions of the singers on carrying on or altering a tradition.
Discussion Question:
How do you view the "acquired Southern accent" of some Sacred Harp singers? Can you find parallels in other musical or cultural groups where similar behavior occurs?
Challenge Questions
1. Currently, one of the areas that academia has been focusing on is interdisciplinary research. Indeed, in the Shelemay 2001 reading (due for 10/23), Shelemay writes about overlapping disciplinary boundaries between anthropology, ethnomusicology, and musicology. In what ways can ethnomusicology be interdisciplinary, what other fields can it "combine" with, what difficulties may be encountered, and how would all parties benefit?
2. On pages 36 and 37 of Shadows in the Field, Titon mentions three criticisms of ethnomusicology. How can these be addressed? For example, what would remedy the critique that fieldwork-based enterprises rest on asymmetries of power? Alternatively, if you believe that these criticisms cannot be remedied, please explain why.
2. On pages 36 and 37 of Shadows in the Field, Titon mentions three criticisms of ethnomusicology. How can these be addressed? For example, what would remedy the critique that fieldwork-based enterprises rest on asymmetries of power? Alternatively, if you believe that these criticisms cannot be remedied, please explain why.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Critical Review #7: Shelemay 2001
Shelemay's essay claimed to focus on the potential benefits and problems of doing ethnomusicologies of "Western music" through her ethnography (with associates) of Early Music in Boston. However, it most of the essay contained an ethnography of those groups as a whole. Still, she did include this information at the end. Benefits of a study on "Western music" include the fact that it can help readers (and researchers) "'re-envision' the past differently" (23), that they help music historians, that some (many?) ethical concerns are irrelevant, and that such ethnographies are extremely reflexive. On the other hand, the main problem with this project is that there is often no distinct line between ethnographer and research associate, especially if one is doing "ethnomusicology at home," and fieldwork activities become difficult to separate from everyday life. For example, an interview can "lapse" into a conversation or debate, and vice-versa. Additionally, it can be difficult to maintain ethnographic neutrality because research associates may ask for, expect, or even demand criticism from the ethnomusicologist whom they perceive as an expert. Difficulties associated with more traditional ethnographies also apply to ethnographies of "Western music," such as the difficulty of drawing boundaries, and the balance of social, cultural, and musical issues.
Discussion Question: One page 23, Shelemay writes, "For ethnomusicologists, ethnographies of "Western music" provide a lively field in which power relations are largely symmetrical, putting to rest ethical issues of longstanding concern." Do you agree? In what ways are ethnographies of "Western music" more or less ethical than ethnographies of "world music"?
Discussion Question: One page 23, Shelemay writes, "For ethnomusicologists, ethnographies of "Western music" provide a lively field in which power relations are largely symmetrical, putting to rest ethical issues of longstanding concern." Do you agree? In what ways are ethnographies of "Western music" more or less ethical than ethnographies of "world music"?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Critical Review #6: Nettl 1995
Nettl attempts "ethnomusicology of home" (Western classical music) through the abstracted Heartland U. music school through four perspectives: a religious system, a society of opposing forces, a venue for the meeting of all musics, and they way that the society interprets the body of Western classical music. In chapter one, "In the Service of the Masters," Nettl compares classical music to a religious system, drawing multiple comparisons between classical composers and ancient pantheons of gods. The section I found most significant (and personally relevant) was the one titled "A Roundtable of Deities." In this section, Nettl states, "musical life is built on a group of widely articulated beliefs, mainly about composers, and these have something (but not necessarily much) to do with historical reality" (19). Particularly, I have definitely heard the "unique personalities" of the composers and have frequently heard them compared in the terms Nettl presents. Also, like he says, I have been entreated to think about a composer's personality and life (such as Haydn's modesty and obedience), and to attempt to incorporate it in my playing (with simple phrasings and a delicate tone quality, for example). Thus, like Nettl writes, "The labels continue to play a role in musical thinking and writing" (21). Of course, the idea of a group where each member has a specific personality and, perhaps, responsibilities is characteristic in ancient pantheons of gods.
Discussion question: Chapter One compares the composers to deities. Are there ways this comparison is not appropriate? On a different topic, on page 19 Nettl writes, "a tendency to delete the names [of composers engraved on buildings] (as on the outside of Boston's Symphony Hall) has arisen in the last few decades." Why might this have occurred?
Discussion question: Chapter One compares the composers to deities. Are there ways this comparison is not appropriate? On a different topic, on page 19 Nettl writes, "a tendency to delete the names [of composers engraved on buildings] (as on the outside of Boston's Symphony Hall) has arisen in the last few decades." Why might this have occurred?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Interview Transcript
Bryan: So, I guess, first off, what motivates you to rehearse and perform?
Mike: It’s just a lot of fun to play with a group; it’s, it’s pretty well the best group of musicians I’ve ever played with, like, you know, better than, better than all-county, better than anything like that.
Bryan: So in terms of musical…
Mike: Yeah, yeah, they’re an amazing group of musicians. It’s so much fun to be playing with them.
Bryan: And you’re a CS major, correct?
Mike: Yes.
Bryan: So is there any relation between music and CS for you, or…?
Mike: CS specifically, no, but I’ve always been very much into video games, and I guess I pay attention to the music in video games more than most people, and I kind of think that it, it feels to me like that’s where classical music has gone. It’s one of the few places that people can write new classical music for is, like, the background of a video game, so…
Bryan: So, um, is it something that you do casually, like on the side, basically, I guess, are you a music major and have you taken a lot of music classes at Brown?
Mike: Ah, no. I’ve taken, I took, Computers and Music, which was, ah, interesting, but not something I’d want to do again. Do you, do you know that class; should I explain that class?
Bryan: Yeah, could you?
Mike: Yeah, it’s basically how to use MIDI, how to create sounds out of, um, other sounds.
Bryan: OK.
Mike: How to…like we really only had two assignemnets in that class. One was to create some sort of piece using MIDI synthesizing and ostanato, the other was to create a piece with no discernable rhythm. So…um, it was an interesting class, but mostly last year, I took Music 55-56 with Sarah, so, that’s most of my music classes at Brown.
Bryan: Cool. So how do you compare the saxtet to the other musical groups you’re in, like the Wind Symphony and the Brown Band?
Mike: Um…well, I’ll start with the Wind Symphony. People take saxtet much more seriously than Wind Symphony. Um, I will, we will all occasionally go home and actually sit with our saxophones and practice the music. That doesn’t happen with very many people in Wind Symphony. Um, another thing is how long we take to tune: um, like the saxtet will take, you know, a good 5 minutes and we’ll all be listening and make sure every single person is exactly in tune, or as close as we can get, whereas the Wind Symphony will just, will just play a note and we’ll be pretty close after a try or two, but. Um…the music we play is much, much more difficult in the saxtet; you’re playing with four people as opposed to, what’s it, 40 or 50,
Bryan: Yeah, something like that.
Mike: You’re much more exposed, um, when you...Basically everything, even if you’re just playing half notes, it’s still almost a soloistic kind of, kind of playing and you have, like there’s no room for error, there’s much less room for error, I guess.
Bryan: Yeah, much less.
Mike: It’s just a lot of fun to play with a group; it’s, it’s pretty well the best group of musicians I’ve ever played with, like, you know, better than, better than all-county, better than anything like that.
Bryan: So in terms of musical…
Mike: Yeah, yeah, they’re an amazing group of musicians. It’s so much fun to be playing with them.
Bryan: And you’re a CS major, correct?
Mike: Yes.
Bryan: So is there any relation between music and CS for you, or…?
Mike: CS specifically, no, but I’ve always been very much into video games, and I guess I pay attention to the music in video games more than most people, and I kind of think that it, it feels to me like that’s where classical music has gone. It’s one of the few places that people can write new classical music for is, like, the background of a video game, so…
Bryan: So, um, is it something that you do casually, like on the side, basically, I guess, are you a music major and have you taken a lot of music classes at Brown?
Mike: Ah, no. I’ve taken, I took, Computers and Music, which was, ah, interesting, but not something I’d want to do again. Do you, do you know that class; should I explain that class?
Bryan: Yeah, could you?
Mike: Yeah, it’s basically how to use MIDI, how to create sounds out of, um, other sounds.
Bryan: OK.
Mike: How to…like we really only had two assignemnets in that class. One was to create some sort of piece using MIDI synthesizing and ostanato, the other was to create a piece with no discernable rhythm. So…um, it was an interesting class, but mostly last year, I took Music 55-56 with Sarah, so, that’s most of my music classes at Brown.
Bryan: Cool. So how do you compare the saxtet to the other musical groups you’re in, like the Wind Symphony and the Brown Band?
Mike: Um…well, I’ll start with the Wind Symphony. People take saxtet much more seriously than Wind Symphony. Um, I will, we will all occasionally go home and actually sit with our saxophones and practice the music. That doesn’t happen with very many people in Wind Symphony. Um, another thing is how long we take to tune: um, like the saxtet will take, you know, a good 5 minutes and we’ll all be listening and make sure every single person is exactly in tune, or as close as we can get, whereas the Wind Symphony will just, will just play a note and we’ll be pretty close after a try or two, but. Um…the music we play is much, much more difficult in the saxtet; you’re playing with four people as opposed to, what’s it, 40 or 50,
Bryan: Yeah, something like that.
Mike: You’re much more exposed, um, when you...Basically everything, even if you’re just playing half notes, it’s still almost a soloistic kind of, kind of playing and you have, like there’s no room for error, there’s much less room for error, I guess.
Bryan: Yeah, much less.
Fieldwork Notes 3
(This is in the same italics/normal format as before. See Fieldwork Notes 2 for an explanation)
4:00, Fulton Rehearsal Hall
The Larry Teal book that Brian referred to last time is a compilation by Teal of excerpts/movements of various classical pieces, mainly string quartets, from classical composers. It features Bach, Beethoven, Boccherini, Haydn, Kuhlau, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky.
There's a short lull between rehearsals as the large group leaves and the quartet begins.
Some side conversations interspersed with trying to decide what time to have rehearsal next week (Brown Band trip interferes with the Sunday rehearsal).
Standing order L to R, looking at them: Mike, Micah, Sarah, Marc. It's interesting, how there isn't a progression of range.
Shepherd's Hey (Grainger, arr. Paul Cohen)
This is actually written for a sax quintet (2 altos). Marc and Micah are reading off the score together (missing parts). Brian has the soprano part and is playing it (Sarah's on Alto for this one, but not playing the same part as Mike). "This seems nice, but it's really short" (Micah). Marc says it'll make for a good opener. All the players are doing something in time with the beat. Marc and Sarah bend their knees, Micah taps his foot,
Marc notices a "weird rhythm" in measure 60 that they keep missing the second time around because of the page turn. Brian sings the rhythm, Marc says he thinks it's like a Ragtime offbeat, but the problem isn't the rhythm--he can't figure out where it fits in. Brian's playing some really high notes, says "what was he thinking?" (in reference to the composer), and demonstrates how crazy it is. He's trying to figure it out. Marc wants to bring out the melody at 73 (Micah has it). Brian compliments Micah on how good he sounds on it, and Micah says it's the worst bari (apparently there are a couple Wind Symphony(?)-owned ones).
I get enlisted to turn pages. Sarah (who took this class last year) tells me (with a laugh) that it's participant observation. Brian tells Sarah that she has the feel down, and she says she's played it before. Sarah and Brian discuss Grainger's music, how some are paired. Brian is impressed that Sarah knows that, says it's old. Somehow Breakfast at Tiffany's is brought up (forgot how), but they can't come up with the male lead. Mike says that they group needs an iPhone so that they can look stuff up, which turns into a discussion (disapproval) of people with iPhones who use them during class/rehearsal for non-academic uses.
Now they're talking about a piece called Frenchy, which none of them have. They also don't have Line Drawings, but there's doubt to whether or not they're actually going to play it. Brian asks them if they have the Scriabin etudes, which Marc says are really pretty. Marc has the music, everyone else is looking through their music to try and find it. Now Micah is explaining a log scale for needing to go to the bathroom…you put 1 over the amount of hours you can last. A story about how Zach (former member) ran around in Portugal yelling, "I'm a 60!" General laughter. Brian points out that I'm typing furiously, and I say (laughing) that I'm getting it. Sarah says she knows how I feel (she took this class last year), and says that she's read my posted fieldnotes.
This is the first time I've been actively acknowledged. On a completely unrelated note, I like how they can joke around one minute and be completely serious and musically focused the next.
Scriabin Etudes (transcribed and arr. George Wolfe)
Brian says that he believes that these were originally written for piano, so they have to be more intimate. He stops them and asks them if they have to tap their feet. Marc says no, Brian says it's [the piece is] easy, so there's no reason to. He notes that the group sounds much better as soon as he tells them to stop--they start thinking/playing more horizontally as opposed to vertically. He tells them to "go with the force." They're discussing rhythm; Sarah has the most complex one at one point, and she wants to know if they will retard there. Marc and Micah look at her part and note that it's impossible for her if they do, so they decide not to. Brian points out that Micah is the only one that has a rubato at the beginning of the rehearsal, so he's effectively the soloist and the rest should follow him. He tells Micah to be soloistic and expressive. Brian starts conducting the rubato (a bit oxymoronic, but Micah almost seems to be following Brian. Or is it the other way around? I can't tell, but either way, they're matching up). In response to Marc asking Brian if he should play the quarter note in a "tugging" manner, and Brian comes up with an analogy of (and acts out) a girl on a balcony, clutching her heart and swooning. Ends with "and that's as far as we get." Micah says something to Mike and they erupt in laughter.
When they start at 29, Micah brings them in. He makes eye contact with Sarah (or Marc?) and gestures with his bari. They're all breaking at 5 because of the Wind Symphony concert.
4:00, Fulton Rehearsal Hall
The Larry Teal book that Brian referred to last time is a compilation by Teal of excerpts/movements of various classical pieces, mainly string quartets, from classical composers. It features Bach, Beethoven, Boccherini, Haydn, Kuhlau, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov, Schumann, and Tchaikovsky.
There's a short lull between rehearsals as the large group leaves and the quartet begins.
Some side conversations interspersed with trying to decide what time to have rehearsal next week (Brown Band trip interferes with the Sunday rehearsal).
Standing order L to R, looking at them: Mike, Micah, Sarah, Marc. It's interesting, how there isn't a progression of range.
Shepherd's Hey (Grainger, arr. Paul Cohen)
This is actually written for a sax quintet (2 altos). Marc and Micah are reading off the score together (missing parts). Brian has the soprano part and is playing it (Sarah's on Alto for this one, but not playing the same part as Mike). "This seems nice, but it's really short" (Micah). Marc says it'll make for a good opener. All the players are doing something in time with the beat. Marc and Sarah bend their knees, Micah taps his foot,
Marc notices a "weird rhythm" in measure 60 that they keep missing the second time around because of the page turn. Brian sings the rhythm, Marc says he thinks it's like a Ragtime offbeat, but the problem isn't the rhythm--he can't figure out where it fits in. Brian's playing some really high notes, says "what was he thinking?" (in reference to the composer), and demonstrates how crazy it is. He's trying to figure it out. Marc wants to bring out the melody at 73 (Micah has it). Brian compliments Micah on how good he sounds on it, and Micah says it's the worst bari (apparently there are a couple Wind Symphony(?)-owned ones).
I get enlisted to turn pages. Sarah (who took this class last year) tells me (with a laugh) that it's participant observation. Brian tells Sarah that she has the feel down, and she says she's played it before. Sarah and Brian discuss Grainger's music, how some are paired. Brian is impressed that Sarah knows that, says it's old. Somehow Breakfast at Tiffany's is brought up (forgot how), but they can't come up with the male lead. Mike says that they group needs an iPhone so that they can look stuff up, which turns into a discussion (disapproval) of people with iPhones who use them during class/rehearsal for non-academic uses.
Now they're talking about a piece called Frenchy, which none of them have. They also don't have Line Drawings, but there's doubt to whether or not they're actually going to play it. Brian asks them if they have the Scriabin etudes, which Marc says are really pretty. Marc has the music, everyone else is looking through their music to try and find it. Now Micah is explaining a log scale for needing to go to the bathroom…you put 1 over the amount of hours you can last. A story about how Zach (former member) ran around in Portugal yelling, "I'm a 60!" General laughter. Brian points out that I'm typing furiously, and I say (laughing) that I'm getting it. Sarah says she knows how I feel (she took this class last year), and says that she's read my posted fieldnotes.
This is the first time I've been actively acknowledged. On a completely unrelated note, I like how they can joke around one minute and be completely serious and musically focused the next.
Scriabin Etudes (transcribed and arr. George Wolfe)
Brian says that he believes that these were originally written for piano, so they have to be more intimate. He stops them and asks them if they have to tap their feet. Marc says no, Brian says it's [the piece is] easy, so there's no reason to. He notes that the group sounds much better as soon as he tells them to stop--they start thinking/playing more horizontally as opposed to vertically. He tells them to "go with the force." They're discussing rhythm; Sarah has the most complex one at one point, and she wants to know if they will retard there. Marc and Micah look at her part and note that it's impossible for her if they do, so they decide not to. Brian points out that Micah is the only one that has a rubato at the beginning of the rehearsal, so he's effectively the soloist and the rest should follow him. He tells Micah to be soloistic and expressive. Brian starts conducting the rubato (a bit oxymoronic, but Micah almost seems to be following Brian. Or is it the other way around? I can't tell, but either way, they're matching up). In response to Marc asking Brian if he should play the quarter note in a "tugging" manner, and Brian comes up with an analogy of (and acts out) a girl on a balcony, clutching her heart and swooning. Ends with "and that's as far as we get." Micah says something to Mike and they erupt in laughter.
When they start at 29, Micah brings them in. He makes eye contact with Sarah (or Marc?) and gestures with his bari. They're all breaking at 5 because of the Wind Symphony concert.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Fieldwork Notes 2
10/8 Rehearsal, 4:00 pm in T.F. Green.
Because the blog doesn’t have the same organizational capabilities that the program that I take notes in does, observations will be in normal type (like this), and my thoughts will be in italics (like this), with my *questions preceded and followed by asterisks.*
I brought my alto because Mike told me the day before that he might not make it because he's sick, but it turns out he was there. I didn't point out that I had it, but it's obvious that I have the ability, at least, to play today.
Sarah is "learning" how to play soprano. She says she likes Tenor as well though, and apparently last Friday was really good on it. It's the Wind Symphony/Jazz Bands.
Marc is late again, but no one is commenting on it
They're standing in a close arc, Tenor, Bari, Soprano, Alto, with Mike facing Marc. *Is this the "standard" standing arrangement for a sax quartet?*
They're talking about different brands of saxophones. Apparently the old Selmer Mark VI's were made from unused ammunition shells.
I chat with Sarah about the project--she took Ethno last year and did her fieldwork on a church choir that she now sings in. She asks me if I feel "creepy." I say no because I know half the members (Mike and Sarah) really well.
New Music: Deer Head Sketches (Phil Woods)
They look over the music, Micah notes that he has a segue to movement 3 but also plays on beat 1 of that movement. Sarah notes that she has an improv. section, and apparently she "can't" do it because Micah tells her that she has to learn, but then says that they can rearrange the parts if need be. He's singing his song on "doo ba doo" syllables.
They wanted to do something before the Wind Symphony concert, but they don't have enough time to get anything to "sound good." They're discussing bringing something back, but don't want to. Mike says to wait…Brian compliments Sarah on her soprano playing, but she deflects the criticism, saying that she just started.
Elixir of Love is being performed by the Opera in the spring. Brian has transcribed the trio (?) for a saxophone ensemble. They're talking about being an on-stage band in the opera (the band is on stage in the opera?), or at least wearing the costumes too?
Brian wants them to warm up into the Phil Woods piece. Mike has a question about a note. Brian: "That's a great question." but decides that it has to be a G natural. Micah looks at it too. Brian looks at the score; says the soprano part is the same way. They conclude that it has to be a G natural. They're talking about the chord structure, how it could be a chord or a cluster. They're going through it part by part, note by note, but decide that it's a G#. But now they're putting it into context by playing the entire measure slowly and decide it's a G natural. Brian comments that it's interesting (the sound/chord).
They're going to sight read it slowly. Someone suggests that they can do it in 4, but Micah says that they should still think about it in 2, but Brian's conducting in 4. Brian occasionally sings along to the harder passages. When the music is "easy" he conducts dynamics, which the band members do, but it's not clear that they do it because they see him or if it's written in their parts. Mike comments that the music is really high. Brian occasionally shouts out measure numbers and dynamics--when sight reading, they're going for more than just the notes. Brian asks if it sounds like "the kitchen" (that’s the movement name) when they finish, but Mike and Marc say things like "not mine."
Sarah has a big solo break, but she says she can't solo and apologizes. Micah is really getting into it while giving Sarah directions: “You can play C over C# minor,” etc. He's saying all the chord names for Sarah, which isn't really helpful, in my opinion. Brian says that Sarah can play the bari part and Micah can solo…is he joking? Most of them have a long solo at some point. Marc offers to take Sarah's solo at 50 (they can just read each other's parts). Micah and Marc decide to have Marc do all the solos today and figure out the rest later. They switch places so that the arrangement is now Sarah, Marc, Micah, Mike--Brian says it sounds weird because they switched places. Marc solos on a blues scale. He seems confident about his playing, gets complimented by Brian. "I didn't know you could do that sort of thing." Marc says, "It was mas or menos." Marc suggests that he and Sarah trade fours to get back into the "correct" parts.
Mike's solo doesn't have as much of a line as Marc's did. I know Micah plays 1st alto in the Brown Jazz Band, so I guess Sarah's the only non-jazz musician here. Sarah doesn't even try to solo…she is the youngest and newest member, and the only girl. *Does that have anything to do with it?* Marc spells out a chord for her, then they try again and Sarah gets a "good job" from Brian. Brian talks about a "feminine ending" when the 3rd is doubled at the end. Brian asks them if that sounded like "The Bandstand," which was the name of the movement. They're now wondering if the next movement will sound like a "Front Porch." Micah says it's a bar (being described room by room in the Suite), but then decides it's a country club or hunting club. They decide they don't really like this piece. Marc says that he thinks it's not really supposed to be melodic, just some sound effect: "It doesn’t grab me." Micah doesn't like the ending. Brian says he wanted to try it at least as a contrast to the other group (I think he means the larger ensemble).
Apparently "edgy" is the word for "atonal." It’s used a lot during the preceding piece, and also the previous rehearsal that I attended.
Mike and Sarah aren't as good sight readers as the others. I think they may be out of tune with each other, but they don't tune or make adjustments…yet.
Dynamic is really casual. Most of Brian's requests (such as, "play out") are accompanied by compliments (like "you sound really good").
Brian stands in front of the arc but is close (and not on a podium). The piano is gone today.
I wonder if it's bad for me to play because I'll mess up the "quartet" thing. Also I didn't audition...
Brian is conducting, but I'm not sure if anyone is watching him while they're playing. When resting, Marc looks up every once in a while, but as they play they focus on their music--may change when they learn it. *Does Brian conduct their performances?*
Marc asks for something tonal and picks up the music he brought. Brian asks for something out of the "Brian Teal book." Sarah needs an alto now (2 alto parts instead of one alto and one soprano), but they decide to do something else in the interest of time: Six Bagatelles by Dexter Morrill. Brian realizes he has a "C score." The movements have names like "riffs" and "scales," but also "Blues Interlude." It's not really tonal either. "It's still not quite tonal, but it's a lot closer" (Marc), and Micah definitely agrees. Mvmt. 4, Mediterranean, is compared to Greek music by Brian. It's in complex meter: 7/8 4/4? Some multiple of the 4/4. Micah says that you "kind of have to not think about it much," referring to the meter. Micah tells Marc to exaggerate the 7ths, but to air on the side of short so it doesn't just turn into 4/4. Micah's tapping his foot on this, which amuses me because for the "3" he slows his foot down, so he’s effectively tapping quarter notes with a dotted quarter mixed in.
They're talking about Palin and the debate (started when Sarah winked at Micah and said something like, "oops, I swore that off when Palin did it 3 times in the debate"). They're talking about bad dreams related to politics--Marc dreamed that Palin became president, Micah forgot to vote, etc. They talk about the SNL skits with Tina Fey. I fight the urge to join in their conversation, reminding myself to observe and not interfere with anything.
Of the members, Micah seems to be "in charge." At the very least, he's the most vocal.
They confer about continuing rehearsal, and no one minds because they all have Wind Symphony at 6 (me included).
It seems like the members don't really notice me. At least they don't actively acknowledge me, though they may be subconsciously.
They continue with "Scales." Brian asks them what scale it was, Marc and Micah say C, but it's C pentatonic. Brian says they still get an A though. Brian sometimes sings along on "ba's and da's." Marc says he isn't following the part somewhere. Micah says it's because he's not really following the himeola. They're working on Marc's rhythm, and Micah and Brian come up with different ways to think about it. Ultimately, Marc just wants to try it again. They do, Micah critiques him and suggests subdividing, which Marc says works, and Brian says, "The light is on!" But they stop again because it still sounds wrong. Micah says "Do it again and I'll watch." The rest of the group plays, Micah follows along on Marc’s part. Brian tells Micah to play Marc's part with him even if it's off a fourth. Brian compliments Mike on his playing, even if Marc's getting all the attention right now for his rhythm. Sarah decides/is suggested to play along with Marc because it sounds cool when there's the parallel fourths and the octave. They're sight reading below tempo so that they can include dynamics. Brian: "It's not just classical and not just jazz, kind of a cross-over." Micah's not a huge fan of the lack (relatively) of melody/lines. He compares it to New York Suite (They played it last year), which had similarly tough rhythms but also really good melodic lines. Sarah says that she likes Mike's giggle. Mike says, "ignore me."
Brian does not see Micah's suggestions and such as interference or a “challenge” to his authority of any sort.
Brian had the library (Orwig, probably) order a bunch of music.
On Friday, they have rehearsal in Fulton. They're "caught up" now, and want to switch rehearsal to Sundays at noon (without Brian?).
They're wrapping out rehearsal at 5:27, talking about awkward schedules. Micah invites everyone to the Funk jam session at the Underground. Not sure what his affiliation with it is.
Brian asks them if they like the pieces they did today, and the members answer. After a short discussion, Micah says something to the effect of, "We have at least one to keep." It seems like they sight read a variety of music and pick the ones they like to keep playing. *I’ll investigate this further, perhaps in an interview?*
Because the blog doesn’t have the same organizational capabilities that the program that I take notes in does, observations will be in normal type (like this), and my thoughts will be in italics (like this), with my *questions preceded and followed by asterisks.*
I brought my alto because Mike told me the day before that he might not make it because he's sick, but it turns out he was there. I didn't point out that I had it, but it's obvious that I have the ability, at least, to play today.
Sarah is "learning" how to play soprano. She says she likes Tenor as well though, and apparently last Friday was really good on it. It's the Wind Symphony/Jazz Bands.
Marc is late again, but no one is commenting on it
They're standing in a close arc, Tenor, Bari, Soprano, Alto, with Mike facing Marc. *Is this the "standard" standing arrangement for a sax quartet?*
They're talking about different brands of saxophones. Apparently the old Selmer Mark VI's were made from unused ammunition shells.
I chat with Sarah about the project--she took Ethno last year and did her fieldwork on a church choir that she now sings in. She asks me if I feel "creepy." I say no because I know half the members (Mike and Sarah) really well.
New Music: Deer Head Sketches (Phil Woods)
They look over the music, Micah notes that he has a segue to movement 3 but also plays on beat 1 of that movement. Sarah notes that she has an improv. section, and apparently she "can't" do it because Micah tells her that she has to learn, but then says that they can rearrange the parts if need be. He's singing his song on "doo ba doo" syllables.
They wanted to do something before the Wind Symphony concert, but they don't have enough time to get anything to "sound good." They're discussing bringing something back, but don't want to. Mike says to wait…Brian compliments Sarah on her soprano playing, but she deflects the criticism, saying that she just started.
Elixir of Love is being performed by the Opera in the spring. Brian has transcribed the trio (?) for a saxophone ensemble. They're talking about being an on-stage band in the opera (the band is on stage in the opera?), or at least wearing the costumes too?
Brian wants them to warm up into the Phil Woods piece. Mike has a question about a note. Brian: "That's a great question." but decides that it has to be a G natural. Micah looks at it too. Brian looks at the score; says the soprano part is the same way. They conclude that it has to be a G natural. They're talking about the chord structure, how it could be a chord or a cluster. They're going through it part by part, note by note, but decide that it's a G#. But now they're putting it into context by playing the entire measure slowly and decide it's a G natural. Brian comments that it's interesting (the sound/chord).
They're going to sight read it slowly. Someone suggests that they can do it in 4, but Micah says that they should still think about it in 2, but Brian's conducting in 4. Brian occasionally sings along to the harder passages. When the music is "easy" he conducts dynamics, which the band members do, but it's not clear that they do it because they see him or if it's written in their parts. Mike comments that the music is really high. Brian occasionally shouts out measure numbers and dynamics--when sight reading, they're going for more than just the notes. Brian asks if it sounds like "the kitchen" (that’s the movement name) when they finish, but Mike and Marc say things like "not mine."
Sarah has a big solo break, but she says she can't solo and apologizes. Micah is really getting into it while giving Sarah directions: “You can play C over C# minor,” etc. He's saying all the chord names for Sarah, which isn't really helpful, in my opinion. Brian says that Sarah can play the bari part and Micah can solo…is he joking? Most of them have a long solo at some point. Marc offers to take Sarah's solo at 50 (they can just read each other's parts). Micah and Marc decide to have Marc do all the solos today and figure out the rest later. They switch places so that the arrangement is now Sarah, Marc, Micah, Mike--Brian says it sounds weird because they switched places. Marc solos on a blues scale. He seems confident about his playing, gets complimented by Brian. "I didn't know you could do that sort of thing." Marc says, "It was mas or menos." Marc suggests that he and Sarah trade fours to get back into the "correct" parts.
Mike's solo doesn't have as much of a line as Marc's did. I know Micah plays 1st alto in the Brown Jazz Band, so I guess Sarah's the only non-jazz musician here. Sarah doesn't even try to solo…she is the youngest and newest member, and the only girl. *Does that have anything to do with it?* Marc spells out a chord for her, then they try again and Sarah gets a "good job" from Brian. Brian talks about a "feminine ending" when the 3rd is doubled at the end. Brian asks them if that sounded like "The Bandstand," which was the name of the movement. They're now wondering if the next movement will sound like a "Front Porch." Micah says it's a bar (being described room by room in the Suite), but then decides it's a country club or hunting club. They decide they don't really like this piece. Marc says that he thinks it's not really supposed to be melodic, just some sound effect: "It doesn’t grab me." Micah doesn't like the ending. Brian says he wanted to try it at least as a contrast to the other group (I think he means the larger ensemble).
Apparently "edgy" is the word for "atonal." It’s used a lot during the preceding piece, and also the previous rehearsal that I attended.
Mike and Sarah aren't as good sight readers as the others. I think they may be out of tune with each other, but they don't tune or make adjustments…yet.
Dynamic is really casual. Most of Brian's requests (such as, "play out") are accompanied by compliments (like "you sound really good").
Brian stands in front of the arc but is close (and not on a podium). The piano is gone today.
I wonder if it's bad for me to play because I'll mess up the "quartet" thing. Also I didn't audition...
Brian is conducting, but I'm not sure if anyone is watching him while they're playing. When resting, Marc looks up every once in a while, but as they play they focus on their music--may change when they learn it. *Does Brian conduct their performances?*
Marc asks for something tonal and picks up the music he brought. Brian asks for something out of the "Brian Teal book." Sarah needs an alto now (2 alto parts instead of one alto and one soprano), but they decide to do something else in the interest of time: Six Bagatelles by Dexter Morrill. Brian realizes he has a "C score." The movements have names like "riffs" and "scales," but also "Blues Interlude." It's not really tonal either. "It's still not quite tonal, but it's a lot closer" (Marc), and Micah definitely agrees. Mvmt. 4, Mediterranean, is compared to Greek music by Brian. It's in complex meter: 7/8 4/4? Some multiple of the 4/4. Micah says that you "kind of have to not think about it much," referring to the meter. Micah tells Marc to exaggerate the 7ths, but to air on the side of short so it doesn't just turn into 4/4. Micah's tapping his foot on this, which amuses me because for the "3" he slows his foot down, so he’s effectively tapping quarter notes with a dotted quarter mixed in.
They're talking about Palin and the debate (started when Sarah winked at Micah and said something like, "oops, I swore that off when Palin did it 3 times in the debate"). They're talking about bad dreams related to politics--Marc dreamed that Palin became president, Micah forgot to vote, etc. They talk about the SNL skits with Tina Fey. I fight the urge to join in their conversation, reminding myself to observe and not interfere with anything.
Of the members, Micah seems to be "in charge." At the very least, he's the most vocal.
They confer about continuing rehearsal, and no one minds because they all have Wind Symphony at 6 (me included).
It seems like the members don't really notice me. At least they don't actively acknowledge me, though they may be subconsciously.
They continue with "Scales." Brian asks them what scale it was, Marc and Micah say C, but it's C pentatonic. Brian says they still get an A though. Brian sometimes sings along on "ba's and da's." Marc says he isn't following the part somewhere. Micah says it's because he's not really following the himeola. They're working on Marc's rhythm, and Micah and Brian come up with different ways to think about it. Ultimately, Marc just wants to try it again. They do, Micah critiques him and suggests subdividing, which Marc says works, and Brian says, "The light is on!" But they stop again because it still sounds wrong. Micah says "Do it again and I'll watch." The rest of the group plays, Micah follows along on Marc’s part. Brian tells Micah to play Marc's part with him even if it's off a fourth. Brian compliments Mike on his playing, even if Marc's getting all the attention right now for his rhythm. Sarah decides/is suggested to play along with Marc because it sounds cool when there's the parallel fourths and the octave. They're sight reading below tempo so that they can include dynamics. Brian: "It's not just classical and not just jazz, kind of a cross-over." Micah's not a huge fan of the lack (relatively) of melody/lines. He compares it to New York Suite (They played it last year), which had similarly tough rhythms but also really good melodic lines. Sarah says that she likes Mike's giggle. Mike says, "ignore me."
Brian does not see Micah's suggestions and such as interference or a “challenge” to his authority of any sort.
Brian had the library (Orwig, probably) order a bunch of music.
On Friday, they have rehearsal in Fulton. They're "caught up" now, and want to switch rehearsal to Sundays at noon (without Brian?).
They're wrapping out rehearsal at 5:27, talking about awkward schedules. Micah invites everyone to the Funk jam session at the Underground. Not sure what his affiliation with it is.
Brian asks them if they like the pieces they did today, and the members answer. After a short discussion, Micah says something to the effect of, "We have at least one to keep." It seems like they sight read a variety of music and pick the ones they like to keep playing. *I’ll investigate this further, perhaps in an interview?*
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Critical Review #5: Barz (Barz & Cooley Ch. 13)
The main point of this essay is that ethnography is not a linear approach where Field Research leads to Fieldnotes which lead to Ethnography. Instead, the fieldnote includes both experience ("field research") and interpretation ("ethnography"). After all, the fieldnote projects forward: what a fieldworker records and how he/she includes it is related to what he/she intends to study. Early fieldnotes can redirect research as the researcher finds out more about his/her subjects. There are also interactions between even the act of taking fieldnotes and the group being studied: does holding a notebook and pen (or in my case, a laptop) influence how the subjects interact with each other? Additionally, though the act of writing something down changes the situation--writing becomes part of the experience--it also helps one interpret and understand the situation. Finally, rereading fieldnotes inevitably helps one re-experience and re-evaluate the situations recording, affording new interpretations and insights. Overall, Barz writes that fieldnotes are an indispensible part of the ethnographic process that interacts with both the experience itself and the ethnography about it.
Discussion Question: On page 206, Barz writes that "Notes written in the field affect perception, memory, and interpretation." Because of this bias, should we wait to record our experiences and thoughts until after the event we are observing ends? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
Discussion Question: On page 206, Barz writes that "Notes written in the field affect perception, memory, and interpretation." Because of this bias, should we wait to record our experiences and thoughts until after the event we are observing ends? What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Fieldwork Notes 1
Because I didn’t ask them if I could use their names on the blog, I’m referring to the quartet members by instrument, and the director as “Leader.”
This is from a rehearsal on Wednesday, 10/1, at 4:00 in T.F. Green. I decided to record as much information (dialog, actions, etc.) as possible and then sort through it later.
There are 2 groups now: this quartet and another larger group (that includes the quartet members).
1 hour rehearsal (planned, but then they realize that they can rehearse until 5:30 and proceed to do so). The quartet is really close, making fun of Tenor for not arriving on time. Bari arrives first, then Alto (but thought it was in Steinart--came with me though), and Tenor.
Before rehearsal: talking to the leader about a new baritone sax mouthpiece. Apparently Selmer mouthpieces are longer, so you run into problems when you use them on non-Selmer saxes. He recommended a Yamaha 4?
They need to bring their own stands. Leader making fun of Alto for not having a stand. Says something to the effect of “There’s this thing called the Internet. It delivers really cool stuff to you.”
New music! Bari: "We can finally do quartet stuff!"
1. The Goldrush Suite (Jack W. Marshall)
2. Line Drawings after Mark Tobey (Samuel Adler)--Alto: "This has notes outside my range!" (high G#)
3. Trois Chansons (Debussy, arr. Leader)
They have played at a nursing home before. A joke about playing a certain song there (apparently nontonal).
Tenor brought some music he “collected.” Some are brass quartet stuff, others from his saxophone director from HS.
Leader: "Line Drawings" will be a good piece for the nursing home.
Alto: "Good joke."
Line Drawings apparently is not tonal.
Playing (sight reading) begins!
Leader counts off the first song (written for a choral group): Trois Chansons for saxophone quartet, by Debussy. He arranged it, but kept it in its original key (it's in concert B major, which is pretty awkward for saxes). He's "conducting" with his soprano sax when he doesn't have a free hand. Bari sways the most. This is not an easy song. There's 2 vs. 3.
Tenor: "I feel like we can read that again and get most of the notes."
Leader is talking about 2 vs. 3, phrasing, a Medieval chant quality of it.
During a break: side conversation about skydiving/rock climbing because Bari is adjusting his sax strap (Tenor compared it to one).
Leader talks about parallel chord movement in the piece.
They start again. Tenor bends his knees on each beat, Alto taps his foot occasionally.
Song has a Sus. Chord at the end (Bari: “I ended on the 5th”). Leader: “Do I need to arrange Chansons #2 because it resolves there? Or is it just unresolved?”
Moving on to Line Drawings:
Leader asks what they are, who did them. Members come up with Picasso, M.C. Asher. Leader: maybe Pollock? Probably not. Too much splashes.
Talk about the beginning of the piece. Tenor starts. Leader asks if Tenor wants him to conduct or just "go with it." Bari asks about Tenor's first rhythm. They start.
Leader conducts only a little when he's not playing.
They stop playing in the middle and start talking about what went wrong. Bari has 2 ideas: he and Leader jumped ahead, or Alto and Tenor fell behind. They decide it was the latter, Leader tells Alto to put some feeling into his playing, and they start before that section.
Bari raises his eyebrow near the end…he says it was a chord that sounded funny. Tenor: “that minor second is probably intentional.” Discussion in theory terms about this chord. Bari asks about another chord after they play again.
Tenor asks about measure 9. He and Bari discuss it. Leader takes out the score, but they start at 9 without him and apparently get it right (no stopping). "That's it!" says Leader.
Bari asks for the second movement in a slow 6. It's has lots of notes, is really syncopated, even if you do it 6. Alto asks for a "slower 6." Bari is helping Alto with his rhythm (earlier, helped Tenor).
They decide to hold onto it, try it again on Friday.
Goldrush:
Some meter changes, but MUCH more tonal.
Leader calls out rehearsal numbers, even though most do not seem lost.
Bari: this has a 50's kind of feel. It's not jazz or classical.
Tenor asks for 1 before B again, but Alto and Bari say no immediately. Leader(?) says that Tenor is being too professional. Alto: this is sight reading! Bari: you can look at it on your own after.
Leader stops them for slowing down. At this point, he's more concerned about tempo than notes. He says that they will accelerate at D and play lots of wrong notes, but to keep the momentum going.
Leader says "accelerando" like "accelerate." no "ch" sound.
They stopped because Bari thought Leader was ahead by a half a bar, whether he was right or not, but Leader disagrees.
Tenor is early at the end each of the 3 times they try it. Bari says that he thinks they should have written that rest as a dotted quarter.
There are lots of movements (at least 7). Leader makes a joke about the 6th movement being based on a "lousy (loosey?) minor chord." I missed the punch line, but apparently it was a very bad joke.
They're entering the Scottish section again, and Leader says this in a Scottish accent.
Leader: "Not everything has to end loud. It sounds kind of a like music for a silent movie."
Bari: That's what I was thinking too.
Leader suggests finding a movie to play to as a fundraiser--can raise lots of money.
Alto is timid about playing wrong notes, so he plays softly. Leader explains about "Air. You blow through the horn and it comes out the other end." Alto shows Bari his (complicated?) part, but Bari just tells him to play it out.
Leader asks if they want stuff from "Old stock" or if they want some Phil Woods stuff. Bari wants Woods, but they're playing some Italian band stuff?
BADINAGE Bluette. (L. Montagne)
It's the size of flip folders, Alto says he has the mellophone part (sings offbeats). I laugh, and he laughs too. Bari gets a tuba part; Leader starts to explain how to transpose, but Bari says he knows and Leader agrees. Bari was rearranging his folder, Alto asks him, "What the hell are you doing?" Bari realizes his music is in Bb (when comparing to Tenor). Tenor says, "Let's play Phil Woods!" But Leader finds a part in C. Alto is lost, but they don't stop right away. He is confused because he has repeats where the rest of them do not. Bari gives Alto directions but Alto gets a new part. It was written for a marching band, so they all have different parts. I think Leader is playing a cornet part, Alto has an alto sax part (now). Lots of parts are missing (instrumentation-wise, not part-wise), so they decide it might be better for the larger group, but keep playing anyway. Bari says it would be a good idea to transcribe/transpose it so everyone can have their own part (in the right key too): parts are currently 4 different ones on a page. Hard to find the place to start: Tenor couldn't find the key change they were looking for; Bari and Leader decide it was "hiding." Leader says he got it in a huge box of music some old lady gave him. Tenor says it'll be really cool in the large ensemble, Bari agrees, Leader says that it's his goal. Bari says he thought the switch from major to minor was cool.
Five Scriabin Etudes (arr.?)
Russian Music: Scriabin. Leader says it's not really typical Russian music, asks if anyone knows about Scriabin.
Tenor says he's played some of his piano music. Leader compares him to Debussy, Ravel. Tenor says it's more "notey" than Debussy and heavier. When pressed, he says that he thinks it's between Liszt and Rachmaninov. Leader talks about Scriabin's ideas for a music/light combination show--a light show. Tenor says Scriabin's life was quite the tumultuous time to live through in Russia. Now, Leader is talking in a really bad Russian accent, then relapses into "normal" English. Leader sings bari part for a little (where Bari messed up a little).
Bari: "finally resolves." (at the end, after they all cut off). Bari: "it's killing me because it's not resolving the entire time, until the end." Tenor: starts the next phrase without resolving. Bari says he likes it anyways.
Leader tells story about his Russian experience. Only knew the word for "what's happening," but apparently he had a good accent because they always responded. Says you just need to include some "Russian gestures, but that's profiling, isn't it?" Alto: "isn't that what we've been doing the entire day?" Tenor(?): "That's ethnic studies." Leader: "where's Other Alto?" Bari: "No, she's gender and sexuality."
Trying to figure out a title, which is in French, for some reason. Leaf/Album/Place? Bari says he has to look it up, Leader asks him to please report back. Leader (after they play and stop again): "oh, that's odd. It seems like he just listened to George Gershwin or something." Leader: "I have high G's in here." Bari says he has lots of duples, but Leader says that half of them do.
Rehearsal Ends
Leader ends rehearsal at 5:37, talks about what they're playing, what they will be working on, like Second Chansons, perhaps.
I'm invited to play! (Leader says something to the effect of: if the guy with the computer wants to bring his horn also, I can get more parts)
Bari: says they're looking to do stuff for 8 saxes, but can't find all of the parts.
Tenor proposes music.
Leader says they'll do more jazzy stuff on Friday, like Phil Woods.
There's also a video game theme that "Andrew" transcribed (Alto mentioned a med student on our way to T.F. Green).
Tenor says he's working on arranging Clara Schumann stuff. Leader says that she was one of the best pianists of her day.
[I leave to get my clarinet before Wind Symphony rehearsal; the rest stay a bit longer]
This is from a rehearsal on Wednesday, 10/1, at 4:00 in T.F. Green. I decided to record as much information (dialog, actions, etc.) as possible and then sort through it later.
There are 2 groups now: this quartet and another larger group (that includes the quartet members).
1 hour rehearsal (planned, but then they realize that they can rehearse until 5:30 and proceed to do so). The quartet is really close, making fun of Tenor for not arriving on time. Bari arrives first, then Alto (but thought it was in Steinart--came with me though), and Tenor.
Before rehearsal: talking to the leader about a new baritone sax mouthpiece. Apparently Selmer mouthpieces are longer, so you run into problems when you use them on non-Selmer saxes. He recommended a Yamaha 4?
They need to bring their own stands. Leader making fun of Alto for not having a stand. Says something to the effect of “There’s this thing called the Internet. It delivers really cool stuff to you.”
New music! Bari: "We can finally do quartet stuff!"
1. The Goldrush Suite (Jack W. Marshall)
2. Line Drawings after Mark Tobey (Samuel Adler)--Alto: "This has notes outside my range!" (high G#)
3. Trois Chansons (Debussy, arr. Leader)
They have played at a nursing home before. A joke about playing a certain song there (apparently nontonal).
Tenor brought some music he “collected.” Some are brass quartet stuff, others from his saxophone director from HS.
Leader: "Line Drawings" will be a good piece for the nursing home.
Alto: "Good joke."
Line Drawings apparently is not tonal.
Playing (sight reading) begins!
Leader counts off the first song (written for a choral group): Trois Chansons for saxophone quartet, by Debussy. He arranged it, but kept it in its original key (it's in concert B major, which is pretty awkward for saxes). He's "conducting" with his soprano sax when he doesn't have a free hand. Bari sways the most. This is not an easy song. There's 2 vs. 3.
Tenor: "I feel like we can read that again and get most of the notes."
Leader is talking about 2 vs. 3, phrasing, a Medieval chant quality of it.
During a break: side conversation about skydiving/rock climbing because Bari is adjusting his sax strap (Tenor compared it to one).
Leader talks about parallel chord movement in the piece.
They start again. Tenor bends his knees on each beat, Alto taps his foot occasionally.
Song has a Sus. Chord at the end (Bari: “I ended on the 5th”). Leader: “Do I need to arrange Chansons #2 because it resolves there? Or is it just unresolved?”
Moving on to Line Drawings:
Leader asks what they are, who did them. Members come up with Picasso, M.C. Asher. Leader: maybe Pollock? Probably not. Too much splashes.
Talk about the beginning of the piece. Tenor starts. Leader asks if Tenor wants him to conduct or just "go with it." Bari asks about Tenor's first rhythm. They start.
Leader conducts only a little when he's not playing.
They stop playing in the middle and start talking about what went wrong. Bari has 2 ideas: he and Leader jumped ahead, or Alto and Tenor fell behind. They decide it was the latter, Leader tells Alto to put some feeling into his playing, and they start before that section.
Bari raises his eyebrow near the end…he says it was a chord that sounded funny. Tenor: “that minor second is probably intentional.” Discussion in theory terms about this chord. Bari asks about another chord after they play again.
Tenor asks about measure 9. He and Bari discuss it. Leader takes out the score, but they start at 9 without him and apparently get it right (no stopping). "That's it!" says Leader.
Bari asks for the second movement in a slow 6. It's has lots of notes, is really syncopated, even if you do it 6. Alto asks for a "slower 6." Bari is helping Alto with his rhythm (earlier, helped Tenor).
They decide to hold onto it, try it again on Friday.
Goldrush:
Some meter changes, but MUCH more tonal.
Leader calls out rehearsal numbers, even though most do not seem lost.
Bari: this has a 50's kind of feel. It's not jazz or classical.
Tenor asks for 1 before B again, but Alto and Bari say no immediately. Leader(?) says that Tenor is being too professional. Alto: this is sight reading! Bari: you can look at it on your own after.
Leader stops them for slowing down. At this point, he's more concerned about tempo than notes. He says that they will accelerate at D and play lots of wrong notes, but to keep the momentum going.
Leader says "accelerando" like "accelerate." no "ch" sound.
They stopped because Bari thought Leader was ahead by a half a bar, whether he was right or not, but Leader disagrees.
Tenor is early at the end each of the 3 times they try it. Bari says that he thinks they should have written that rest as a dotted quarter.
There are lots of movements (at least 7). Leader makes a joke about the 6th movement being based on a "lousy (loosey?) minor chord." I missed the punch line, but apparently it was a very bad joke.
They're entering the Scottish section again, and Leader says this in a Scottish accent.
Leader: "Not everything has to end loud. It sounds kind of a like music for a silent movie."
Bari: That's what I was thinking too.
Leader suggests finding a movie to play to as a fundraiser--can raise lots of money.
Alto is timid about playing wrong notes, so he plays softly. Leader explains about "Air. You blow through the horn and it comes out the other end." Alto shows Bari his (complicated?) part, but Bari just tells him to play it out.
Leader asks if they want stuff from "Old stock" or if they want some Phil Woods stuff. Bari wants Woods, but they're playing some Italian band stuff?
BADINAGE Bluette. (L. Montagne)
It's the size of flip folders, Alto says he has the mellophone part (sings offbeats). I laugh, and he laughs too. Bari gets a tuba part; Leader starts to explain how to transpose, but Bari says he knows and Leader agrees. Bari was rearranging his folder, Alto asks him, "What the hell are you doing?" Bari realizes his music is in Bb (when comparing to Tenor). Tenor says, "Let's play Phil Woods!" But Leader finds a part in C. Alto is lost, but they don't stop right away. He is confused because he has repeats where the rest of them do not. Bari gives Alto directions but Alto gets a new part. It was written for a marching band, so they all have different parts. I think Leader is playing a cornet part, Alto has an alto sax part (now). Lots of parts are missing (instrumentation-wise, not part-wise), so they decide it might be better for the larger group, but keep playing anyway. Bari says it would be a good idea to transcribe/transpose it so everyone can have their own part (in the right key too): parts are currently 4 different ones on a page. Hard to find the place to start: Tenor couldn't find the key change they were looking for; Bari and Leader decide it was "hiding." Leader says he got it in a huge box of music some old lady gave him. Tenor says it'll be really cool in the large ensemble, Bari agrees, Leader says that it's his goal. Bari says he thought the switch from major to minor was cool.
Five Scriabin Etudes (arr.?)
Russian Music: Scriabin. Leader says it's not really typical Russian music, asks if anyone knows about Scriabin.
Tenor says he's played some of his piano music. Leader compares him to Debussy, Ravel. Tenor says it's more "notey" than Debussy and heavier. When pressed, he says that he thinks it's between Liszt and Rachmaninov. Leader talks about Scriabin's ideas for a music/light combination show--a light show. Tenor says Scriabin's life was quite the tumultuous time to live through in Russia. Now, Leader is talking in a really bad Russian accent, then relapses into "normal" English. Leader sings bari part for a little (where Bari messed up a little).
Bari: "finally resolves." (at the end, after they all cut off). Bari: "it's killing me because it's not resolving the entire time, until the end." Tenor: starts the next phrase without resolving. Bari says he likes it anyways.
Leader tells story about his Russian experience. Only knew the word for "what's happening," but apparently he had a good accent because they always responded. Says you just need to include some "Russian gestures, but that's profiling, isn't it?" Alto: "isn't that what we've been doing the entire day?" Tenor(?): "That's ethnic studies." Leader: "where's Other Alto?" Bari: "No, she's gender and sexuality."
Trying to figure out a title, which is in French, for some reason. Leaf/Album/Place? Bari says he has to look it up, Leader asks him to please report back. Leader (after they play and stop again): "oh, that's odd. It seems like he just listened to George Gershwin or something." Leader: "I have high G's in here." Bari says he has lots of duples, but Leader says that half of them do.
Rehearsal Ends
Leader ends rehearsal at 5:37, talks about what they're playing, what they will be working on, like Second Chansons, perhaps.
I'm invited to play! (Leader says something to the effect of: if the guy with the computer wants to bring his horn also, I can get more parts)
Bari: says they're looking to do stuff for 8 saxes, but can't find all of the parts.
Tenor proposes music.
Leader says they'll do more jazzy stuff on Friday, like Phil Woods.
There's also a video game theme that "Andrew" transcribed (Alto mentioned a med student on our way to T.F. Green).
Tenor says he's working on arranging Clara Schumann stuff. Leader says that she was one of the best pianists of her day.
[I leave to get my clarinet before Wind Symphony rehearsal; the rest stay a bit longer]
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Critical Review #4: Agawu 2003
Initially, I was surprised that there has been an extremely limited discussion of ethics in the field of ethnomusicology, but after reading this chapter, I am not surprised at all because of its complexity. Besides the "normal" ethical issues familiar to everyone, such as whether a code of ethics inhibits or promotes intellectual freedom and who we should be concerned about when addressing this issue: the researcher or the researched, there are additional difficulties in Ethnomusicology. Not only were there the more "expected" musical ethical questions such as discriminatory lyrics, copyright issues, and whether ascribing the relations in music theory as universal is ethical, but also much more "unexpected" ones. Agawu writes about many thought-provoking questions. For example, traditional African music is always communal, and it must be done with others. Then, are staged performances with a non-participating audience ethical? Is breaking verbal agreements with your research subjects considered unethical or a necessity of fieldwork? Is lying to protect someone in your party ethical? Finally, your own reflexive views can be read differently by people from different cultures, and what details are you "allowed" to leave out?
Discussion Question: What is your view on "fictional ethnographies"? Do you think Agawu's book African Rhythm: A Northern Ewe Perspective is ethically "better" or "worse" because it incorporates elements of both truth and fiction?
Discussion Question: What is your view on "fictional ethnographies"? Do you think Agawu's book African Rhythm: A Northern Ewe Perspective is ethically "better" or "worse" because it incorporates elements of both truth and fiction?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Critical Review #3: Barz and Cooley Ch. 2
In this chapter, among other things, Titon explores the areas of gathering information as it pertains to ethnomusicology. He notes that fieldwork has replaced transcription as the main constituent of the discipline, that it is no longer enough to merely observe and collect information, that we must also experience and understand. Along those lines, we must understand, not just explain. To me, the distinction between the question "what?" and the question "why?" is huge. Exploring why things happen centers around two activities: Phenomenology, which refers to the immediate, concrete sensory "lifeworld," a lived experience, and Hermeneutics, which states that any meaningful action can be read as a text. However, Titon does wonder if a text is the best analogy, proposing instead a musical performance, which leads into my discussion question.
Discussion Question: In your opinion, which is the better analogy for interpretive acts--is the world a text to be read or a musical performance to be experienced?
Discussion Question: In your opinion, which is the better analogy for interpretive acts--is the world a text to be read or a musical performance to be experienced?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
SEM History Post
The first few issues of Ethno-musicology are called newsletters, not journals as they are today. Numbers 1-5 (December 1953 to September 1955), the first five issues, are unsurprisingly very different in both layout and content from their 2006 counterparts. A representative issue of the early “newsletter” style issues is Newsletter No. 5, from September 1955. Most notably, some sections are primarily concerned with the identity and definition of ethnomusicology—several ideas are included in this issue—and its relationship with anthropology and musicology.
The introduction announces a meeting in Boston where the goal will be to form an ethno-musicological society at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association. From this, it can be inferred that an “official” separation from anthropology has not yet occurred, but enough people have realized how significant the differences are that they are clamoring for a separate society.
The Notes and News section mostly contains paragraphs describing the work of various ethnomusicologists. Notably, some paragraphs are in foreign languages: two are in French and one is in German. Also, Mr. John Blacking, “an internationally known British anthropologist and musicologist” (2) admits in his paragraph that his work is more musicological than ethnomusicological, though this did not prevent the editor from printing the letter despite the fact that far more letters were received than were reprinted, as seen from the “Letters also received from” section at the end of the Notes and News.
A letter from Henrietta Yurchenco, who wrote from Rome, shows exactly how “new” of a field that ethnomusicology is. She is happy to read that people are trying to “remove ethnomusicological research from its isolation and take its place in the study of culture as a whole” (6), and that people are trying to make it more comprehensive and inclusive. She writes that investigating “music as an emotional expression” must go beyond musicology, beyond just collecting, classifying, and analyzing music from a technical point of view. She states, in accordance with modern ethnomusicological theory, that though field recordings are indispensible, the ethnomusicologist needs to fill in the blanks and also be an excellent observer of human beings.
The Recordings section lists a set of records about theories of different types of music, such as “Indian Music Theory and Acoustics.” Notably, all are musicological: none address the relationship between music and culture. Also, a reprinting, in French, of the Musée de l’Homme ethnic music catalog is included.
The Exchange section makes its final appearance in Vol. 1 No. 11 (Sept. 1957). It is basically a forum for the community: some offer recordings for exchange or purchase, such as Toshi and Peter Seeger, who are making videos of various American folk instrumental techniques. They believe that a sort of “central depository” of film similar to theirs should be made, though they write that it is for comparative studies. I found Seeger’s “second communication” amusing: “I and several others…have planned a campaign to introduce [the steel drum] and the methods of making it to U.S. teenagers with with whom, we feel, it should be very popular since it is a percussion instrument perfectly suited to many popular folk tunes[…]cheap to make, and loud!” (17) Clearly, stereotypes of American teenagers have not changed much.
Writings which today would be considered anthropology and musicology are included alongside letters that could find its way into current issues of this journal. The content of this early issue of Ethnomusicology shows just how recently the field was defined.
The introduction announces a meeting in Boston where the goal will be to form an ethno-musicological society at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association. From this, it can be inferred that an “official” separation from anthropology has not yet occurred, but enough people have realized how significant the differences are that they are clamoring for a separate society.
The Notes and News section mostly contains paragraphs describing the work of various ethnomusicologists. Notably, some paragraphs are in foreign languages: two are in French and one is in German. Also, Mr. John Blacking, “an internationally known British anthropologist and musicologist” (2) admits in his paragraph that his work is more musicological than ethnomusicological, though this did not prevent the editor from printing the letter despite the fact that far more letters were received than were reprinted, as seen from the “Letters also received from” section at the end of the Notes and News.
A letter from Henrietta Yurchenco, who wrote from Rome, shows exactly how “new” of a field that ethnomusicology is. She is happy to read that people are trying to “remove ethnomusicological research from its isolation and take its place in the study of culture as a whole” (6), and that people are trying to make it more comprehensive and inclusive. She writes that investigating “music as an emotional expression” must go beyond musicology, beyond just collecting, classifying, and analyzing music from a technical point of view. She states, in accordance with modern ethnomusicological theory, that though field recordings are indispensible, the ethnomusicologist needs to fill in the blanks and also be an excellent observer of human beings.
The Recordings section lists a set of records about theories of different types of music, such as “Indian Music Theory and Acoustics.” Notably, all are musicological: none address the relationship between music and culture. Also, a reprinting, in French, of the Musée de l’Homme ethnic music catalog is included.
The Exchange section makes its final appearance in Vol. 1 No. 11 (Sept. 1957). It is basically a forum for the community: some offer recordings for exchange or purchase, such as Toshi and Peter Seeger, who are making videos of various American folk instrumental techniques. They believe that a sort of “central depository” of film similar to theirs should be made, though they write that it is for comparative studies. I found Seeger’s “second communication” amusing: “I and several others…have planned a campaign to introduce [the steel drum] and the methods of making it to U.S. teenagers with with whom, we feel, it should be very popular since it is a percussion instrument perfectly suited to many popular folk tunes[…]cheap to make, and loud!” (17) Clearly, stereotypes of American teenagers have not changed much.
Writings which today would be considered anthropology and musicology are included alongside letters that could find its way into current issues of this journal. The content of this early issue of Ethnomusicology shows just how recently the field was defined.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Fieldwork Topic
I am planning to do my fieldwork on The Smokin' Reed Saxtet, a group of Brown saxophonists. Though two of my friends are members of this group, I currently do not know as much about it as I should. I believe that they are simply a student group, unaffiliated with the Brown Music Department. They play a variety of music, ranging from transcriptions/arrangements of Bach to music recently written specifically for saxtets.
Some possible research questions, at least to start, are:
1. What motivates the members of the saxtet to rehearse and perform? All (or, at least, the majority) are also members of other Brown music groups; what does the saxtet bring that the others do not?
2. As a relatively "unknown" group (as opposed to the Brown Orchestra, Wind Symphony, A Capella groups, etc.), how do you publicize your concerts? Do you hope to expand and become a "large" attraction, or are you content with your current audience?
3. Who is your current audience? Is it different from the audience of other Brown music groups?
Some possible research questions, at least to start, are:
1. What motivates the members of the saxtet to rehearse and perform? All (or, at least, the majority) are also members of other Brown music groups; what does the saxtet bring that the others do not?
2. As a relatively "unknown" group (as opposed to the Brown Orchestra, Wind Symphony, A Capella groups, etc.), how do you publicize your concerts? Do you hope to expand and become a "large" attraction, or are you content with your current audience?
3. Who is your current audience? Is it different from the audience of other Brown music groups?
Critical Review #2: Clifford 1988
The second half of this reading deals primarily about the difficulties in translating ethnographic fieldwork into writing. Experiences in the field, especially dialogue with representatives of the culture being studied, have to be "translated" into "narratives, meaningful occurrences, or examples" (39), which alters the material from being said by one to being said by the culture. Additionally, this tends to hide the fact that these conversations with individuals are as important, if not more, as observations in understanding a culture. Furthermore, it is tedious to separate different people's opinions and contributions to the ethnographer's view--as Clifford writes, an "ethnography composed entirely of quotations...[is] seldom attempted" (47), and even works with multiple authors, such as Birds of My Kalam Country still cannot completely capture this concept. Finally, the diverse audience for modern ethnography compounds this issue: now there will be multiple interpretations of each ethnographic writing.
Discussion questions: Should the ethnographer seek to interpret a culture, or simply present his/her observations and leave the interpretation to the reader? Also, because different audiences will interpret the ethnographer's writings differently because of different cultural backgrounds, who should the ethnographer write for: the culture being studied, the ethnographer's "home" culture, or a third "outside" observer? Does this depend on the ethnographer's goals?
Discussion questions: Should the ethnographer seek to interpret a culture, or simply present his/her observations and leave the interpretation to the reader? Also, because different audiences will interpret the ethnographer's writings differently because of different cultural backgrounds, who should the ethnographer write for: the culture being studied, the ethnographer's "home" culture, or a third "outside" observer? Does this depend on the ethnographer's goals?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Critical Review #1: Barz and Cooley Ch. 9
In my opinion, the main idea of this chapter was that ethnographers directly affect the people that they study. In other words, it is impossible to be a completely neutral observer with no effect on those observed. Shelemay offers examples from her work with Jews of Syrian descent who live in Brooklyn, New York, such as writing to the US Immigration Service to help a visiting cantor from Israel remain in the United States on a permanent basis. Shelemay knew that the cantor's influence carried a "different stream of Sephardic tradition" (146) and would thus alter the "distinctive Aleppo musical tradition sustained in Brooklyn" (146), but helped him immigrate anyways. Presumably, this action (by an ethnomusicologist) has affected the music of the Brooklyn Jews (the culture being studied). Through their work, ethnomusicologists also preserve the musics (and associated cultural traditions) of the groups they study, help memorialize those who perform the music, and mediate the transmission of the music, to both outsiders relative to that culture and also those within the culture.
Discussion question: Should ethnomusicologists be concerned that they may be preserving a tradition that, without them, may have "died off"? In other words, should they be worried about the possibility of altering the very traditions that they are studying?
Discussion question: Should ethnomusicologists be concerned that they may be preserving a tradition that, without them, may have "died off"? In other words, should they be worried about the possibility of altering the very traditions that they are studying?
Monday, September 15, 2008
24-hour log
From 9:30 pm, 9/14 to 9:30 pm, 9/15
9/14
9:30 pm: Walking by Antonio's: "Vehicle" by The Ides of March
10:30 pm: Headphones (on my laptop) (until 11):
"Rhapsody in Blue" by Gershwin (unknown performer)
Random songs on Pandora while doing homework (I didn't pay attention to specific songs)
9/15
12:55 pm: Taste of the World line at the Ratty: some generic Asian music
2:05 pm: Rock music from car driving by on Thayer St.
2:25 pm: Music in a friend's room (computer speakers, via iTunes Genius)
"Ocean Breathes Salty" by Modest Mouse
"Somebody to Love" by Queen
"Don't Panic" by Coldplay
"Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night
"How's it Going to Be" byThird Eye Blind
5:50 pm: Wind Symphony warming up
6:00 pm: Wind Symphony rehearsal (until 7:20):
"October" by Eric Whitacre
"Bartok Folk Rhapsody" by Anne McGinty
"Four Pieces for Band" by Bela Bartok, arr. Benjamin Suchoff
"First Suite in Eb for Military Band" by Holst
7:30 pm: Practicing piano in Morrison-Gerard (until 8:30): Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky
8:50 pm: Acapella group practicing across the Barbour courtyard. I wasn't really paying attention, but I did notice that the songs consisted of only syllables, not words. One of my suitemates said it might be the Madrigal Singers.
9/14
9:30 pm: Walking by Antonio's: "Vehicle" by The Ides of March
10:30 pm: Headphones (on my laptop) (until 11):
"Rhapsody in Blue" by Gershwin (unknown performer)
Random songs on Pandora while doing homework (I didn't pay attention to specific songs)
9/15
12:55 pm: Taste of the World line at the Ratty: some generic Asian music
2:05 pm: Rock music from car driving by on Thayer St.
2:25 pm: Music in a friend's room (computer speakers, via iTunes Genius)
"Ocean Breathes Salty" by Modest Mouse
"Somebody to Love" by Queen
"Don't Panic" by Coldplay
"Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night
"How's it Going to Be" byThird Eye Blind
5:50 pm: Wind Symphony warming up
6:00 pm: Wind Symphony rehearsal (until 7:20):
"October" by Eric Whitacre
"Bartok Folk Rhapsody" by Anne McGinty
"Four Pieces for Band" by Bela Bartok, arr. Benjamin Suchoff
"First Suite in Eb for Military Band" by Holst
7:30 pm: Practicing piano in Morrison-Gerard (until 8:30): Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky
8:50 pm: Acapella group practicing across the Barbour courtyard. I wasn't really paying attention, but I did notice that the songs consisted of only syllables, not words. One of my suitemates said it might be the Madrigal Singers.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
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