Response to Ivan's response

Response to Ivan

Balance is a key element when approaching a musical performance within any culture. We have to balance the notion of both viewing that performance as a neutral observer, and also as the informed musical scholar. In reading your response, Ivan, it is so clear that as music students, our views are skewed by the textbooks we read, the lectures we attend, etc… Is there any way to witness a performance and not revert to that which we have previously learned? Can we, instead, try to encompass the textbook information and the lectures into the present performance that we are witnessing in the moment?

You state, “Even those who are necessarily trying to replicate “authentic performance practice” are still searching for some kind of historical “truth,” as anyone who has been told that their Beethoven sonata needs to “sound more like Beethoven” can attest.” This statement really rings true to the question that I have grappled with while studying ethnomusicology. How can I, in my research, take what I learn from Titon, Seeger, Agawu, etc…, and apply that to performances that I witness without allowing their views to completely skew my observation of the music? You are right when you say that we need to take a step back and approach music from a more “outsider” perspective. Your example of the musicians in orchestra only furthers this notion. The musicians may not have taken as many music history courses, but as a result, they are able to approach the music that the play with fresh eyes. How can we continue to do this amidst the historical knowledge that we already have? Is there, in fact, a way to approach performance anew alongside the historical context that we have received?   

Response to Julie's Response to my question!

Response to Julie’s Comment

Julie’s comments in regard to my response provided a well-rounded view on the notion of how much historical context should be taken into account when viewing a culture’s musical performance. In reading your response, I became really interested in how an ethnographer views a performance ethnography versus an ethnography of a musical culture. Furthermore, how does historical context and background play a role in each one? Is it the job of the ethnographer to record an individual experience or the culture as a whole? I would agree with Julie that disregarding a culture’s history and background digresses focus from the culture and places more emphasis on the individual’s relationship to the performance. Ultimately, when we read an ethnography, we seek to maintain a balance between the two. As someone unfamiliar to a culture and its music, it is important to receive as much information about that culture as possible in order to truly understand the importance of the music that he/she is listening to and/or witnessing.

Your response only furthers the fact that this is an open-ended question. While no response will ever produce a precise or “correct” response, different views on what is covered in an ethnography can only add to this on-going discussion. Furthermore, I completely agree with your idea that performance ethnography deals with time-specific occurrences, while an ethnography of a musical culture focuses on events over a larger span of time. How does this shift in time effect how we will understand a culture and its musical performance? Will a specific moment versus a longer historical journey alter what we witness?

Critical Review # 10

Critical Review # 10

Titon views film and video as two modes through which an ethnographer can channel his/her perspective on a culture and its music. So often an ethnography is solely portrayed through written work. While this form of transcription is a way to see a culture and its music from the point of view of the ethnographer, according to Titon, it does not provide a more flexible depiction. Titon states, “so long as ethnographer’s assume the authority to represent other people, they control how others will appear in their texts, even if the ethnographer allows others to speak their own words.” By using film and video as a medium of ethnography, we are able to see a culture through two lenses. Not only do we get the ethnographer’s perspective through the camera, but we are also able to see the culture through our own eyes. Yes, the ethnographer “controls” what is put on film, but are able to get a visual representation of the actual culture, rather than a controlled textual interpretation. Titon furthers this notion by saying that “realism in film and video… offers up images and sounds in ways books can never do.” By visually witnessing a culture create and perform music, we can “magnify” what we literally see and interpret it however we would like to.

In reading his article, I wonder whether Titon believes that the ethnographer will always present a “biased” or limited depiction of a culture when he/she writes of it. He seems to believe that the visual approach is the more truthful and authentic way to see into a culture and its music. Does this mean that we, as students, should question what we read a little more closely versus what we see firsthand?  

Comment to Leen's Challenge Question Response

Comment to Leen’s Challenge Question

As students well-versed in our understanding of music, it is sometimes hard for us to realize that there are people outside of our scope of knowledge who don’t have as deep of an understanding of music. While this may sound elitist, it really is true and is a large part of your response. In mapping out the different ways people study music, it’s clear that there isn’t just one way to approach a piece or a genre. In recognizing each of the different modes through which we can view music through, it is really interesting to see which ones are considered more applicable to music students and scholars and those that correspond with the understanding and musical limitations of people who don’t study it. In reading your response, it becomes clear that the more “universal” approach to understanding music lies within the aural, oral, and recorded forms. Why is this? Is it because there is more room for interpretation from all types of listeners and not just the music scholars? Do the written and printed forms automatically inhibit those who are less familiar with the technicalities of music? Is it the mere sight of multiple sixteenth notes on a page that scares the average listener away?

Your argument in your conclusion really makes clear that the answers to these questions are working ones. Just as we don’t expect everyone to be able to comprehend sheet music, we, as ethnomusicologists cannot restructure our ways of approaching music to suit those whose knowledge of music is more limited. You’re right-- it is impossible to choose just one of Nettle’s points and deem it the “correct” or “right” way to approach music. Instead, it is our job as ethnomusicologists to embrace the oral, aural, written, printed, and recorded approaches and see which fits our own personal understanding of a piece of music.

Challenge Question

Challenge Question

While a culture’s background and history are two important elements in understanding its music, it is the live performance itself, as well as an ethnographer’s experience at that performance that lies at the heart of any ethnography. What an ethnomusicologist includes in a performance ethnography reflects the music of a given culture through the eyes of that ethnomusicologist. Because ethnomusicology is the meld between a culture and a culture’s music through the perspective of the outsider, an ethnography is a detailed account of what a certain person witnesses at that particular event. As a result, it is not the responsibility of the ethnomusicologist to present the “unseen”—historical context, background-- but rather, what that ethnomusicologist sees and hears when in the presence of live performance by that given culture.

Live performance of music can be seen through a series of layers- what instruments are used, how many performers play in the group, what songs are played, the audience size and reaction, and the performance as a whole. As a witness of a performance, an ethnographer can only focus on one aspect at a time while in the moment of watching a performance. In retrospect, however, these smaller pieces help to paint the larger picture of the performance in which each of these parts can be layered on top of one another in order to re-create the performance as a whole. What is remembered subconsciously or consciously cannot, and should not, influence what is or is not “important information;” what may be vital to a culture may not be what is witnessed at that particular moment. As a result, the observer cannot write about what he or she does not see and experience.  If a certain aspect of a performance is left out, it is because another element of that performance has remained more central in the observer’s memory; it is not because one aspect plays a larger role in the performance than another.

On a personal level, whenever I attend Opera in the Park in New York City, I become fully immersed in the music and the story that is being told onstage. While I am aware of the significance of opera and classical music in New York, and America in general, the dominant aspect of what I witness is the sound and action coming from onstage and how it affects the performers as well as the audience members. If I were to write a performance ethnography on a concert at Opera in Bryant Park, its main points of focus would be those of the performance, music, and how it affects those watching it. Because the history of opera in the United States is not included in that immediate account that I witness, I would not include it in my ethnography. Furthermore, within my ethnography of this performance, some aspects may stand out from others; I may reflect on a certain piece or scene more than another, merely because it had a greater impact on me at the time of performance. This does not stunt the performance experience as a whole or demean it, but purely satisfies the notion of ethnomusicology—to write of what is witnessed through the eyes of one individual.

Anthony Seeger’s views on ethnography focus on both the present and the past within a cultures’ musical performance. He utilizes the “who, what where, when, why, and how,” of a culture and its music, and as a result, makes the importance of a culture’s background just as significant as its present creation and performance of music. While I do not agree with the emphasis that Seeger places on background in order to convey a present musical experience, it is still important to consider his theory. Seeger’s notion makes the ethnographer aware of all aspects of a culture and its music. However, it is still important to be aware that no audience member or ethnographer will ever view a performance in the same way that someone else might. This not only creates an array of diverse accounts, but respects the notion that what is seen in live performance is the fundamental aspect in understanding a cultures’ music. 

Critical Review #9

Critical Review #9

In his article, Campbell focuses on the reactions toward “new” forms of Sacred Harp Singing versus the “old” form. Progress is the key term that acts as a “happy medium” between the two. The idea that Sacred Harp music must modernize in order to progress is one that devotees of the traditional style loathe. On the other hand, those who are in favor of the more contemporary gospel style feel that the only way to progress is to get rid of older styles and introduce newer ones. Herein lies the problem: Why must singers of Sacred Harp music give into the “out with the old, in with the new” motto? Traditionalists fear that the “intrusion of new elements…would pollute the sanctity of their tradition.” Those in favor of contemporary infusion worry that without revitalizing the traditional style, Sacred Harp singing could face “extinction.” As an outsider, I can only wonder whether or not there is a way to keep Sacred Harp music “pure” and closely embedded within its tradition, but not “pollute” it?  Why must modernization be seen as a form of “pollution?” Will the keeping of traditional styles really extinguish Sacred Harp music from the general musical scope?

Interestingly enough, Campbell states that it is the opposition between these two sides that “disguises some fundamental similarities between them.”  According to Campbell, both the modern and the traditional repertoires are easily learnable, and their music books merely seek to fuse both styles with one another, not disjoint them. Their point of contention lies within their followers, who refuse to see that this meld can, in fact, really exist. In reading Campbell’s article, I realize that contemporary revitalizations of older traditional music are not a form of exclusion, but rather, a joining of the past and present. 

Partial Interview Transcription

FINALLY!!!!

Partial Interview Transcription

Allison Schneider

Jaime: In terms of, like, how… when I went to see a rehearsal, it seemed like everyone was so enthusiastic about what they were playing. How do you think jazz music resonates with people our age? I see people in the band toe-tapping and clapping and snapping to the beat and smiling, and like, really enjoying it. What do you think?

Allison: Um… Well I personally was brought up kind of on jazz. My dad is a really enthusiastic jazz fan and it was just…um…. On all the time, in the car, on road trips. It was, every Sunday morning… I’m from D.C. and there is a jazz Sunday morning on the National Public Radio Station and it’s great but it was just kind of a staple of my family life and it was something that I got excited about with my dad and I think that for people in our generation, if it came from their parents and if that enthusiasm was kind of instilled in them from a young age, then… and if they were listening to jazz then that’s kind of where it resonates with them. I think that for people who’ve never been exposed to jazz and it wasn’t something that connected them or grounded them, like in their family, or in a piece in their lives that’s very important to them, and they never shared that enthusiasm, then they’re less likely to understand jazz. And I think, especially… jazz musicians who play jazz, you have to just listen to jazz because it’s where your inspiration comes from, and imitation is part of improvisation, and so you build vocabulary of jazz phrases from listening to other people solo.

Jaime: Yeah…

Allison: So, I mean, if people are not feeling that music and not connecting with it, then they’re not going to be able to play it very well.

Jaime: So, actually, my next question leads into that. When I went to the rehearsal, it was so great to see so many people have solos in pieces. Are there a lot of opportunities for musicians in the band to have solos and does this ever interfere with the group dynamic?  Does it ever create a sense of hierarchy or competition?

Allison: Well, it’s different in jazz combo versus the big band, and I’ve played in both. In jazz combo, it’s a place where we trade eights, we trade fours, we each get to solo on every song. In jazz big band, soloing is a privilege and so I don’t think that people take it for granted, which is a good thing because then you practice and you internalize the chords and you end up working for it and earning that solo. And I don’t think that people resent it. Unless you’re a very jealous person in general, you respect your fellow musician for what they’re doing and you hope  that you’re time will come on a song and that like, um…, and that your hard work will pay off in that way.

Jaime: That’s really true. Um… is there every any sense that there’s a follower and a leader within a piece? Jazz is so improvisatory, but I know that you’re always following the music…

Allison: It’s not improvisation, except in the soloing. In free form jazz it is but when you’re doing a big band chart, it’s like you’re playing in orchestra. Rhythmically, you have to be absolutely crystal clear. And so in that way, you’re following the conductor and you follow the music. And whether you’re first alto or fourth alto, or whatever, you have to hold your part, and like, if you don’t, the quality of the piece suffers.

Jaime: Um… then… what makes being part of the jazz band, even a jazz combo… why do you do it?

Allison: Um… I mean I love playing saxophone and umm… Again for me, it goes back to that jazz has always been a part of my life, and so it’s a way for me to connect with my dad, and my relationship with my dad, through that, my relationship with jazz has grown out of that, and I love that it’s just as unique in his life. And you know, it’s just like being a part of a cast. You do it to experience the creative expression of other’s of your peers and like learn from them. I’ve learned so much from people in jazz band and combo who I’ve played with, and yeah, of course there are moments of feeling inferior and feeling challenged in like really distinct ways, and like anything you do, learning how to cope with those feelings, and work harder and rise above those challenges and still find a way to have fun and… realize that you’re bringing something to the group too even though it’s different from something that somebody who practices more might bring.

Jaime: Yeah, that’s really true. What’s the background of must of the musicians who you play with? Do they range from very little experience to intense familiarity?

Allison: Most jazz musicians at Brown are very serious musicians.

Jaime: And why do you think that ticket sales were totally sold out for  the Parents Weekend concert?

Allison: Well that’s because it was in Grant.

Jaime: Right… But I even went to the combo concert last week and that was packed with people who I never would have imagined to have gone to hear jazz. Why do you think that is?

Allison: Jazz is an incredible culture and it’s incredible musical style and so its great that there’s a lot of enthusiasm  and so many people who might not listen to jazz on their ipods, like would go and see live jazz and support their friends in that. I mean jazz is part of the American culture, too, so if you go to New York City, D.C., Chicago, LA, New Orleans. Like one thing to go out and do at night is go and listen to jazz. And that’s great and there are a lot of people who appreciate good music in all forms.

Jaime: Do you like the pieces that you guys play?

Allison: Yeah. I mean, we play a lot of free form jazz and that was something that I was less familiar with, and it’s definitely been a learning experience for me. I like more traditional forms of bee-bop and Latin jazz and even funk and blues more but there are so many different styles of jazz that it’s like, it’s great to be exposed to them all.

Jaime: Ok, that’s great. Thank you so much.

 

Challenge Questions

1. In "Heartland Excursions," Bruno Nettl looks at the way "music school society interprets the body of Western classical music with which it works." So many of our judgements and views on Western classical music are defined by what history has informed us of (ie. via textbooks, etc...). How can taking the experiential point of view of the ethnomusicologist (ie. fieldwork, live experience) challenge these preformed views? Can the "body of Western classical music" be molded to encompass the broader musical point of view of the ethnomusicologist's process of understanding and learning?

2. Anthony Seeger defines ethnography as a descriptive approach that goes beyond the writing down of how sounds are conceived, made, appreciated and how they influence other individuals, groups, and musical processes. How does Seeger's definition fit into Cliffords' four modes of ethnographic authority? Does it just fit into one mode, or can it apply to several modes within Cliffords' model?

Critical Review #8

Critical Review #8

Miller Introduction and Chapter 1

So much of learning a new musical technique requires years of mastery and perfecting. As a result, a newcomer may feel intimidated and less enthusiastic about taking on a new musical instrument or joining a specific musical group. However, Sacred Harp Singing seems to do quite the opposite. People are drawn to Sacred Harp Singing because of its inclusive nature and its ability to help an individual find his/her own identity within the tradition. While certain musical traditions and styles seem designated to certain age groups and musical tastes, Sacred Harp Singing has proven otherwise. Ranging from the angsty teen to a young child to a Wagner loving middle aged woman, Sacred Harp Singing has given people of different music interests a place to let go of pre-determined musical notions and has allowed them to come to this new form with wide eyes and open minds. “Generational, religious, political, and geographical differences would ordinarily prevent these people from crossing paths at all….Their ideas of just what “the tradition” is are as diverse as the singers themselves.”

Furthermore, while some must go to a class or a set function in order to take part of in a musical group, Sacred Harp Singing provides singers with the ability to form their own groups, or realize that others around them share this passion for learning the style as well. While location and lack of a common group in one’s own community may hinder the individual new to Sacred Harp, the idea that people can come to Sacred Harp Singing with the hopes of finding a new musical, and sometimes spiritual, identity eases these preconceived inhibitions. Just as Judaism and Christianity have holidays that become ritual for so many, Sacred Harp is able to do the same. The Convention, as well as other communal gatherings, act as a common musical practice that so many can take part in and share; a common musical ritual and practice ground people and give them a sense of musical belonging.

In looking at Sacred Harp Singing, I am so drawn to the notion that both the skilled singer and the novice can partake in its musical ritual. So many of us listen to new music because we are forced to, and as a result, always place assumed opinions and identities onto it. However, because Sacred Harp Singing may be something that not many are familiar with- or at least those who don’t have extensive musical background- people are less inclined and able to automatically place preconceived assumptions on it. As a result, Sacred Harp Singing come across as a balanced way to both shape an existing musical and spiritual identity, and create a new one without assumptions, judgments, or pre-determinations.

Critical Review #7

Critical Review #7

Nettl Reading

Ethnomusicology has been deemed the study of comparing our culture’s music to that of others’ and finding their differences and similarities, seeing where they overlap and dissipate.  Bruno Nettl’s discussion of students at music conservatories and their views on music is interesting to take into account when finding different perspectives on outside cultures’ music. Students who study in a music conservatory have fixed notions of music based on the education they receive, which is purely music based. Nettl says of this:

 “…the average member of music school society, asked to describe the great composers – Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Schubert… It makes sense to think of the music school, therefore, as a society ruled by deities with sacred texts, rituals, ceremonial numbers, and a priesthood.”

However, doesn’t this seem a little far removed from how the ethnomusicologist should look at music? Yes, we learn that the four composers mentioned above are the “master” composers of our history, for this is something that has been embedded within us via textbooks and lectures. However, we need to get out of this bubble of preconceived information, and allow experience and that which we witness to drive our original notions of a culture’s music. Nettl sees the music conservatory as “a melting pot,” a place where students “retain their separate identities.” As a result, this easily parallels the inability for one culture to interact with another, the enclosed student unable to see passed the textbook.

How can we, as ethnomusicologists, take that which has been taught to us in class and meld it with the live music we experience in our own cultures and in others as well?

My Fieldnotes- FINALLY!!!!

Fieldnotes

Brown Jazz Big Band

Pre Music

-       Very casual and relaxed atmosphere.

-       This indicative in the fact the rehearsal did not start on time. It was called for six pm, but did not really start until six thirty.

-       Members strolled in languidly while those who had been on time, warmed up. This gave the whole beginning a very improvisatory vibe that remained an underlying element throughout the whole rehearsal. 

-       It was someone in the band’s birthday, so members sang happy birthday to him. This only furthered the notion that there is such a strong report among the group, both socially as well as musically.

 

Rehearsal

-       Rehearsal finally started and the band’s director, Matt McGarrell took the conductor’s stand.

-       He told the band that they would continue rehearsing for the Parents Weekend concert next weekend.

-       He then asked the pianist to play several notes on which to start a group tuning.

-       The first song- I could not hear the name of it.

-       This first song was one that band members seemed to like, as they all commented on it. Further, their constant toe tapping and snapping during the song was another indicator that this one that they enjoyed playing. This was a consideration for the Parents Weekend concert opener.

-       A few bars into the piece, Matt thought the tempo was too slow and asked for other members input. They agreed and fixed the tempo to match the faster pace of the song.

-       As traditionally done, the trumpet players collectively stand when playing, while other instruments don’t. This added an interesting visual dynamic to the group as they played.

-       After the band went through the piece this one time, Matt thought the drums needed another, more prominent sound, so he asked the drummer to change what mallets he used.

-       This second time around, the piece had a more powerful feel to it.

-       The second song- I also couldn’t hear the name of this one!

-       It was much louder and had a more “big band” feel throughout.

-       In this piece different musicians took solos- 2 saxophone solos which then morphed into a call and response between the two.

-       Midway through the song, Matt stopped conducting and let the group take over itself. This only furthered the fact that because the group dynamic is so strong, the musicians were able to stay in sync with each other.

-       However, midway rough his solo, a tenor saxophone player got lost.

-       On slower and more exposed parts of the piece, players seemed a bit out of synch musically and didn’t all blend together as they had before.

-       The 3^rd song- Quiet Night, Quiet Stars.

-       This song used a vocalist and had a much more bossa nova feel.

-       The singer stood facing the band, using a handheld microphone.

-       The 4^th song- Little Rootie Tutti.

-       This song was a very lively and upbeat one.

-       A member of the group suggests opening the concert with this piece.

-       The band plays through the piece once.

-       When they finish, Matt states that he’s not too happy with the shape of the piece and says that everyone needs to go home and practice it more.

-       He specifically states that the trombones need to play out in the piece.

-       Instead of working on the piece some more, he moves on, saying he hopes people will practice and that it will come together at their Monday night rehearsal.

-       The 5^th Song- Round Midnight

-       This song was much more slower paced than the previous one and used a vocalist.

-       Unlike in the other pieces, the piano is the dominant instrument throughout the piece and really stands out.

-       Matt decides to go back to the beginning of the piece after the band plays through it once. He wants to fix the balance in the middle of the song and work on the “swelling” effect that takes place throughout.

-       The 6^th song- Again, I couldn’t hear what this one was called!

-       This song was much more swing paced.

-       The 7^th song- Ahhh! Couldn’t hear the name!

-       The song sounded to be in a six-eight meter.

-       The band began to play the song when Matt stopped them less than halfway through the beginning and goes back to try it again.

-       In the middle of the piece, the instruments cut out and clap the rhythm under  a saxophone solo. This adds more layers to the piece and gives a stronger dynamic.

-       At the end of the piece, a band member’s cell phone goes off. Matt jokes about keeping that in the piece

 

-       At the end of the piece, everyone sings and plays happy birthday to the same band member as before.

 

-       Matt also talks about the concert and adds some more logistical details, saying he doesn’t think it should be too long.

 

-        

 

 

Critical Review #6

Critical Review #6

In reading Back’s views, I was most interested in how he presents a cultural trend as a means to reflect a collective force-or entity- but still allows individuals the opportunity to maintain their own identities. Skinheadism is not only defined by music, but by its followers and how they react to their music. Whether through outward reaction (ie dress, dance style) or inward reaction (ie how they relate to the rest of the world and vice versa), “skin heads” are a part of a collective whole.  However, I come to question whether or not the individual sense of self runs the risk of being stifled by this overpowering collective force. In speaking of Skinheadism in its relation to fascism, Back states, “They provided a way for state authority to be embodied and a means by which individual conscience could be dissolved in the volkish reverie of mass art.” The notion of “mass art” is really interesting, for in just these two words, the individual becomes the subordinate element, thus submitting itself to the overall mass.

However, I feel as if this collective force only exists within the Skin Head culture and is less inviting to those who are on the outside of it. For example, in each of the personal accounts recorded in Back’s narrative, very specific language is used to describe the Skin Head “experience.” Back presents this inclusion among Skin Heads as “the complexities and ambiguities in the culture.” You have to be “in” in order for these “complexities” to be transformed into “normality’s.”  So, this leaves me wondering whether or not I am distancing myself from Skinheadism by deeming it reclusive from the rest of the world. Do you have to be a part of it to “get it?”

Critical Review #5

Critical Review #5

Richard Alan Waterman’s views on African music in relation to the music of Western culture point at the importance of location when considering a cultures’ music. Where a culture is located in relation to the West- or “The America’s,” presents similarities as well as disparities within each cultures’ music. However, Waterman’s views on where a culture is located provide, at times, a skewed opinion of how that culture creates its music as well as how it utilizes different musical aspects.

Harmony is the main element that Waterman speaks of when looking at African music. He states, “Africans, except those who have been in contact with European music, use harmony only as the accidental result of polyphonic overlapping of leader and chorus phrases.” I feel as if Waterman comes at this notion from a preconceived standpoint. However, he subsequently notes that this statement has “stemmed from certain preconceptions.” I agree with Waterman when he says of, these preconceptions, “Africans had not developed enough culturally to be expected to have harmony.” Who are we, as Westerners, to say whether or not a culture’s music is “developed enough?” Waterman’s piece points at the notion that location can be binding. As ethnomusicologists, we must get out of our own preconceived “locations,” both literally and musically if we went to be open to all forms of music. This includes the questioning of a culture’s musical origin, how and when it chooses to use harmony, or if it chooses to use harmony at all. 

Critical Review #4

Critical Review #4

Throughout Agawu’s outlook on African music, it is important to take into consideration the choices of words he uses in relation to an emic/etic perspective. As Americans looking into another culture- but not specifically a part of it- we tend to use words that stem from pre-conceived notions, and thus tend to be ones that distance us from that culture. In looking at how rhythm is seen as the dominant force of native African music, Agawu cites sources that use language such as “noisy demonstration,” “irregular rhythms,” “wild music,” and “incoherence.” The historians who use these phrases to describe African music are ones from Western society who are describing their outer- or etic- perspective on African music. However, I cannot help but wonder: if African music is considered “wild” and “irregular” from a Western perspective, how are we, as Westerners, perceived by African musicians? Is our music conversely deemed “quiet,” “civilized,” and “regular?”

Agawu’s usage of language stems from the ultimate idea that music does not have to be based on notes written on a page. Rather, rhythm is embedded within African daily life and culture, so it cannot help but be a part of its musical fabric; if anything, we can say that art imitates life. In Western society, notes written out in front of us are considered the dominant element in our music-making. African culture, on the other hand, takes the rhythm of daily walking, hunting, and talking and turns that into music.

Even though I am an outsider to African musical traditions, it is clear that in order break away from preconceived musical expectations, we must find a balance between the emic perspective and the etic one. Usage of language and understanding of what lies at the basis of a cultures’ music-making are two elements that can help bridge the gap between a distanced point of view and an immersed one.

Fieldnotes

Because I have had difficulty coordinating with the head of the Jazz Band in terms of finding a time to sit in on a rehearsal, I was not able to conduct my research this week. However, with Kiri's approval, I have decided to, instead, post new thoughts, insights, and ideas on my topic.

Kiri's comments on my previous post on my topic were especially helpful in crafting further thoughts as to what I should focus on. My questions, which mainly included the more technical aspects of the Jazz Band (ie. repertoire, how many performances they have, etc...), can be expanded to encompass the larger questions of why does the Jazz Band perform the pieces that they do? Is there a sense of "leader and follower" in their performances of pieces? Or, does the group perform as a collective unit, allowing the improvisatory nature of their music to guide them? In terms of the different musicians in the Band, what are each of their relationships to the music that they play? What is the general background of the musicians? Have they had little experience playing jazz or a lot? How could experience play into how they approach the music? Is this apparent in the utlimate performance?

On a larger scale, why does jazz music resonate so soundly with musicians? Is it its free form nature? Its all-inclusive nature?

I will be interested to see how the smaller "why" questions that pertain solely to the Brown Jazz Band become integrated with the larger scale questions that I have posed. How do these larger questions apply to the Brown Jazz Band?

Critical Review # 3

Critical Review #3

Chapter 13- Barz and Cooley

 

In Chapter 13, Barz introduces the notion of fieldnotes as an element integral in the relationship between observer and performance. Fieldnotes are the linking factor between an ethnomusicologists’ initial observation of a performance and his/her afterthoughts and reflections on it. In emphasizing the importance of taking fieldnotes, Barz makes clear that it is an ethnomusicologists process in observing a performance that is most crucial to fully experiencing and understanding the music that he/she is studying. Without evidence of an ethnomusicologist’s process, there will exist a gapping hole in the study of a culture and its music. Furthermore, fieldnotes put us in the ethnomusicologists’s mind at the time of the performance; what were his/her instinctive reactions? Were they positive or negative? How did these fieldnotes direct the ethnomusicologist’s reactions and opinions throughout the rest of the performance?

In reading Barz’s commentary on fieldnotes, I could not help but both view the process of taking notes as well as the act of re-reading them as another form of “setting the scene.” Just as a dramatic text sets the tone, scene, and language of a play, fieldnotes put the ethnomusicologist back in a specific musical experience. Every time we re-read a play or a novel, something new comes to surface. Barz states, “Once the fieldnote is written…we enter a new process of interpretation. This process… is one that changes perspectives and relationships to experiences.” (208) Previously hidden elements become more vivid, minor characters step out from the shadows.  The act of taking fieldnotes puts an ethnomusicologist in the mindset of surrounding music, and is able to do so time and time again when they are re-read. It is the act of both taking and re-reading fieldnotes that allows the ethnomusicologist to re-live and trigger the past performance. In re-living a performance an ethnomusicologist can “[refocus]” his/her relationship to any performance, and as a result, test any preconceived notions from that initial experience. Barz states it perfectly: fieldnotes call “into question the very notion of “original” experience.” (208)

Barz’s ideas make me wonder whether or not any experience is a permanent one. Can one initial opinion remain embedded within our minds? Can an experience continue to take form and live on even after it has ended? How does this ever-lasting, continual experience form our own opinion and relationship to it?

Critical Review #2

Critical Review #2

Chapter 6- Barz and Cooley

 

I had never truly considered the Internet, or “virtual fieldwork,” to be as legitimate as traditional, personal, immersion within a culture’s music. However, Cooley, Meizel, and Syed’s accounts of virtual fieldwork as a primary source opened my eyes to something that I had previously been less informed of.  Virtual fieldwork does what traditional transcription does; it turns the past into a present reality.  Looking at YouTube videos and listening to old recordings allows us to witness “performing musicians when they are not present in person.” (91) As a result, we need not purely rely on music that is being conceived right in front of our eyes, but rather can allow this other mode of transmission (ie, the internet, old recordings, etc.) to bring the past to us; a movie or sound clip can be re-lived just by pressing the play button. If anything, a re-lived performance takes that “musical community” and makes it ever-present. 

Katharine Meizel’s experience in research American Idol is particularly intriguing in connecting it to the notion of virtual fieldwork.  As a television show that relies heavily on audience reaction and involvement, American Idol has taken the notion of making the past present one step further. Now, we see what music is performed on television and we therefore become the controllers of whether or not that music is something that we will continue to listen to. If anything, we, the viewers, can take what we see in the present and preserve it to be a part of our normal, day-to-day musical enjoyment. Furthermore, American Idol becomes a collective decision, something that communities can enjoy and decide on together. This only furthers the notion that music does not solely rely on notes on a page or mastery of performance, but also how that music becomes a part of a community. As a result, the acts of watching, listening to, and voting on these musical performances allow music to shape and become a part of a community identity.  

Critical Review #1

Critical Review

Jeff Titon Reading, Chapter 2

 

In Jeff Titon’s chapter, “Knowing Fieldwork,” it is interesting to consider how the processes of understanding and explanation both alter and transform how we view, analyze, and listen to, music.  According to Titon, “understanding” is “directed towards people” and allows for interpretation. (27) “Explanation,” on the other hand, is purely analysis-based and provides ethnomusicologists with information that “enables prediction and control.” (27) In pairing these two modes of musical analysis with Titon’s example of interviewing Lazy Bill Lucas, I find it interesting to note which mode best fits his interview; that of explanation or understanding?

Titon shows up to the interview with a set list of questions for Lucas. This is where his explanatory tendency is made evident. However, Lucas drifts into a stream of consciousness that takes Titon through his musical career. Here is where the understanding mode of fieldwork comes into play. Rather than allow his pre-determined questions to guide the interview, Titon allows Lucas’ seemingly tangential reverie to become the source of his fieldwork. Titon realizes that story, rather than dictated facts, will drive his fieldwork and give him a greater knowledge, and yes, understanding, of jazz music. 

Titon’s interview (and lack of “formalized” interview) sets in place just how greatly the modes of fieldwork and research are shifting and advancing. If anything, Titon’s improvisatory form of fieldwork mirrors the improvisation that occurs in actual musical performance.  Just as some of the most interesting music is produced when musicians improvise within the confinements of notes on a page, Titon’s interview proves that this, too, is true when conducting fieldwork. Furthermore, Titon’s experience was so interesting and engaging because he did not just list cold, hard facts through specific questions, but rather, allowed Lucas to go where he naturally felt his story should. As a result, Titon’s fieldwork brought me closer to jazz music and helped me understand it in a more experience-based manor.  

Question for 9/24- I can't find where to post it!

Question:

In Deborah Wong's chapter, "Moving," she writes of an ethnomusicologists own musical opinions in relation to the music and culture that he/she is studying. As ethnomusicologists, we we have to let go of all preconceived ideas and pre-formed opinion s and just look at the music we study as it purely is? Is it possible to fully do this? When is it appropriate/ok to infuse a part of ourselves/our opinions with our fieldwork?

Fieldwork Topic

For my fieldwork topic, I hope to follow the Brown Jazz Band. In researching the Jazz Band, I plan to attend several rehearsals in order to uncover the following:

- How does the jazz band create a varied collection of performance pieces?

- Does the band integrate older "standards"with newer jazz works?

- How often does the band have performances?

- What type of audience does the band garner?

- Is there a meld between classical music and jazz music?

- Where and when are improvisatory techniques used throughout the different pieces?

- How much of the music is pre-planned versus determines by purely improvisation?

As an opera singer, I hope to expand my musical horizons and find both the similarities and differences between classical music and jazz. Both have their moments of improvisation as well as pre-determined musical forms. I am excited to see how they correlate and relate to one another. 

SEM History Findings

SEM History Findings

In researching the journal, Ethnomusicology, I was most intrigued by the connections made between issues from the 1950’s and those published more recently in 2003. Before reading earlier issues, I had made assumptions that information in the 1950’s would have been limited and that research would be more singly focused on Western music and culture rather than non-Western cultures. However, in reading the earlier articles in relation to the more current ones, I was interestingly surprised to find just how eager researchers were to expand their ethnological horizons.

In the 1954 Ethnomusicology newsletter, researchers and ethnomusicologists showed their eagerness in wanting to keep the study of non-Western cultures, and ethnomusicology in general, alive. Ethnomusicologists write of their different studies of the music from China, Rome, Spain, and Germany. I was interested to see just how this defied my original belief that ethnomusicologists in the United States would be reluctant to take their fieldwork to music of other cultures. In relating how articles in the 1950’s wrote of non-Western cultures in relation to what more recent articles present, it is interesting to note that issues from 2001 and 2003 include numerous articles that delve into the music of specific cultures, while articles from the 1950’s write of them in a less detailed manner. For example, an article written in a 2003 issue is titled “Jose Maceda and the Paradoxes of Modern Composition in Southeast Asia.” Clearly, this is only one of many articles that goes into great detail on the music in non-Western cultures.

Furthermore, I also noticed the comment made by Jaap Kunst, noting, “I am sorry to say that in Holland only a very few persons are working in this field… The financial position of the Institute seems to be such that it cannot afford more expenses for its ethno-musicological section…” If anything, this comment makes evident that ethnomusicology has always been a desirable area of study, and its popularity has grown over decades.

The article, “Training and Research Methods in Ethnomusicology,” gives another view of how ethnomusicologist’s views on fieldwork have shifted. While this article was written only three years later than the previous, it takes up where the 1954 issue left off. Unlike the previous article, it provides a definition of ethnomusicology as a “field of knowledge, having as its object the investigation of the art of music as a physical, psychological, aesthetic, and cultural phenomenon.” Author, Mantle Hood acknowledges that the definition of ethnomusicology, at the time, is limited by “traditionally narrow requirements.” However, he knows that this definition is malleable and sees possibility in expanding it in years to come.

In articles written in 2001 and 2003, it is evident that the study of ethnomusicology has advanced. In today’s fieldwork, ethnomusicologists are able to delve further into their research of other cultures due to advancements in technology. In the 1900’s, ethnomusicologists conducted fieldwork using (what we would call) primitive methods. Today, ethnomusicologists base their fieldwork using digital processing techniques and synthesizers. The numerical process that was used in 1955 to calculate the exact expression of relative consonance-dissonance, acts as a precursor to the advanced technologies used today to monitor sound structure, psychoacoustics, and the synthesis of tone. Today, we are able to use graphs and charts to visually capture and understand the layers within sound. As a result, this has given current day ethnomusicologists the ability to not only witness live performances within any culture, but to also preserve them by using the advanced forms of technology mentioned above.

24 Hour Log

Sunday- September 14

10:20 am Hardcore metal at East Side Mini-mart

10:30-12pm  Gym (various pop songs on my workout playlist)

12:30- 1:45pm Songs coming from my roommates room (John Mayer, Beatles, some other unidentifiable artist)

      John Mayer- "Say"

    Beatles- "Help," "Yellow Submarine"

1:45-:146pm- Roommates cellphone rings

  Ringtone- "Do the Locamotion"

2:00-2:05pm-  Walking to the Sci Li- Unidentifiable rap coming from a passing car.

2:05-3:15pm- Faint undertones of jazz coming from someone's ipod at the Sci Li.

3:30- 4:30pm- Whole Foods 

   "No One," "American Boy," Unidentifiable New Age music.

5:00-6:00pm- Practicing Voice in Orwig

    Various Vocalises

    Sang through "Deh Vieni Non Tardar" (Marriage of Figaro- Mozart),  

"O Mio Babbino Caro"(Gianni Schichi- Puccini), "Bester Jugling" (Der Schauspieldirektor- Mozart), "V'adoro Pupille" (Giulio Cesare- Handel), "See What I Wanna See" (See What I Wanna See- Michael John LaChiusa

7:00-8:00pm- Dinner and work at ABP

     Frank Sinatra playing overhead

    "Our Love is Here to Stay," "Baby it's Cold Outside"

8:00-8:30pm- Work at Tealux

     Billy Joel playing overhead

     "Big Shot," I can't remember the rest!

8:30-10:00pm- Rehearsal for "Funnyhouse of Negro"- mainstage production

       Unidentifiable funk music that opens the show

10:00- 11:00pm- James Taylor coming from my roommates room

8:15-9:15 am- Gym- Various songs from my workout playlist

9:30-11 am- Mozart coming from one roommate's room and unidentifiable rock/pop coming from the other's room.