Category: Music

Abstract

Music has always played an essential role for humanity. Since the early times, people tried to derive sounds of anything possible, and create music, that had sacred meaning, helped to relax, accompanied people during their work etc. Sufi music, and the sounds of Ney in the Islamic cultures were regarded as the signs of Gods love to the human. These sounds also represent the link with previous generations, with the cultural and religious roots, that are essential for the Muslim cultures. Zeynep Atik, the Ney, player, explained, that in spite of the western influence, the traditional music still stays rather popular, and it is regarded noble to be able to play Nay. The current paper is aimed to research the roots of the Nay Sufi music, and explain the significance of this music for the Turkish culture.

Introduction

The significance of music for any culture is was very high in any times. Originally, music had sacral and holy meaning, and the magic of deriving melodic sounds seemed was available only to those, who are closer to God than others. Those, who play this music, state, that they feel immense relaxation: this is like meditation for me,  states Zeynep Atik, the Ney player. The language of music is the universal tool of expressing feelings, impressions, and thoughts. The Ney sounds sound very melodic and relaxing, and every Muslim knows, that the origins of these sounds are in the love of Allah to the humans. It is argued, that the manner and the style of playing the Ney stayed the same, and was not subjected to changes for the centuries.

Literature Review

First of all, it is necessary to define what Sufism is, and how music is related to religious beliefs in the contemporary world. National Geographic (2008) gives the following information on this matter:

Sufism is the mystical and ancient branch of Islam that emphasizes the seekers path toward ecstatic unity with God. This path is opulently embroidered with many means to remembering God, or dhikr, including chanting the names of God, prayer, meditation, poetry, Quranic recitation, praise and music. While orthodox Islam looks down on music, many Sufi traditions seek to utilize its emotive and communal power towards the goal of dhikr. Frequently, a spiritual leader or sheikh (called a pir in certain languages) will lead disciples in these practices in communal rites of remembrance. One central form of group dhikr is called sama. While sama literally means listening, it has the connotation of a spiritual concert of sacred music, often with dance.

The music of the path seeker is widely spread all over the world, as almost any culture has the concept of the life path, and the necessity to find it. Mostly, it may be found after the enlightenment, that may be achieved through constant studies, prays and particular was of life. In Sufism, this enlightenment may be achieved also with the help of music, that helps to realize the origin of Gods love, and his wisdom, that created this world.

Originally, the bamboo Ney has the unique history of creation, and this history is closely connected with the philosophical cognition of the Allahs wisdom. Zeynep Atik narrated that It is not an ordinary bamboo (reed hut); nay is the flame of love in a man of Sufis it is the love of the creator. They say that Saint David was passing by a field one day, with the wind the bamboos begun to make a sound. David stopped, and mentioned, that the sound was rather pleasant, relaxing, and sounded holy. He took one of them and started blowing. Later, he played aiming to reveal his love to God, worship His wisdom, and showing the gratitude for this pleasant sounding present. In Sufi culture, Ney represents the one who is in love of God and dedicated to God. The 7 holes that Ney has, represent the 7 holes in the human head such as ear, mouth, nose and eyes. It is also regarded as a symbol of maturity.

Hammarlund, Olsson and Özdalga (1999, p.11) argue that Music in Sufism is the means to draw the soul much close to God, consequently, its role in Sufi life is of great significance. Nevertheless, it is objected by many sharia-bound Muslims. It is known, that since the VIII century, the Sufis gathered in Baghdad in small groups. They relaxed after days and nights of extensive religious exercises. It was the way of relax that allowed them to taste the attraction of love.

Those who supported the orthodox views objected to this practice, as worldly love songs were recited which spoke of human love relations instead of concentrating upon the Divine Grandeur and Majesty as taught through the words of the Koran. (Hammarlund, Olsson and Özdalga, 1999, p.13). Moreover, it often happened, that some listeners could whirl their axes, being in a state of rapture. This contradicted the holy principles of praying and worship, as the Muslims have to sit still, and touch the floor with the forehead while praying.

Avery (2004), states, that music was not only the religious tool, however, soon, the Ney sounds became the mean of entertaining the guests; however it still stayed the mean of achieving the altered state of the spirit (soul). These aural stimulations, such as chanting, playing music, poetry got its spread by the third and fourth centuries of the Islamic epoch (XIX  X centuries AD). Actually, such techniques were not limited to the intoxicated Sufis but seem to have been widespread. For the conventional Islam, nevertheless, and mainly for those who condemned of the Sufis, such actions and experience were frowned upon and viewed as intolerable innovations from the path laid down by the Prophet.

These practices were aimed to achieve the altering of the spiritual awareness that culminated in different ways of ecstasy changes in psyche and physical conditions and behavior. The influence of chanting on the psychical and psychological impact of chanting, Ney playing and recitation, was much more effective than the semantic power of the words. J. Spencer Trimingham reminds us that music, chant and recitation not only has mystical power to draw out the deepest emotions, but also, when co-ordinated with symbolic words and rhythmical movements, has power over mans will (Avery, 2004, p.4)

The participants of the 2001 festival of world sacred music showed their experience and skills in playing various instruments, however, it is necessary to mention that Ney players were the least numerous, however, the impression of their playing was the largest. The fact is that, if someone plays Ney, he devotes his whole life to it. The skills and experiences are often transmitted from generation to generation. One of the participators of the festival, Abida Parveen said that Ney music is a form of sacred Sufi music, that comes from the Arabic to recite. It is a form of dhikr  a way to open up the heart and to come to the soul in order to create the connection to the Divine forces. Parveens ensemble is smaller than the traditional ensembles, however, it is not an obstacle for their music to enter the hearts, minds, and souls of the listeners. Abida is very aware of the audience, and states, that texts that are Ney accompanied should take the primary position of the significance, as the texts entail the potential for carrying the listener directly to marifat.

Originally, the Ney playing was allowed only for men. The significant feature is that Abida Parveen is one of the few women in the world, who play the Ney equally with men. When asked what she thinks of this violation of the traditions, she replied: We are all the same speciesall humans have a representative of godliness, so there is really no male/female division. I have been given this gift by the Divine, who does not recognize differences between male and female singing. I am simply a medium, and if you listen to me sing, even over the period of a few days, it will be entirely different because the transmission is from the Divine. This is what I always go with. (Cook, 2001)

History

In order to regard the historical origins of Sufi music in general, and playing Ney in particular, it is necessary to explain the term Dhikr. Originally, Dhikr is the remembrance of God, that is the superior divine power for the Muslims, and it is stated in the Quran. Initially, the engagement in dhikr is the practicing of the consciousness of the Divine Presence. Some types of dhikr are recommended for all the Muslims, and these practices do not require Sufi initiation, as these original practices are aimed for everyone, and are regarded universal for any seeker in any situation. However, there are some types of dhikr that require particular recommendations and some previous experience. Dhikr is the spiritual act, that includes the repetition of the names of God, Prophet and prayers, and the sections from the Quran. In more general meaning, any activity, the Muslims are engaged in, that is aimed to worship the God is considered Dhikr. (Fox, 2002)

The Sufi regulations and principles make the particular emphasis on Dhikr, and it is regarded as the source of Divine Love Love likewise in Qadri Al-Muntahi Sufi tariqa, which was originated by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi. The main principle of achieving this Divine love is the visualization of the Gods name. The Sounds of bamboo Ney symbolize the sound of Gods name, and that is why they considered to be holy.

The legend states that Saint Mohammed told about his love of God to his friend Saint Ali. Saint Ali kept this secret, but he could not stand, and full of Gods love, he went to the dessert. One day as he was walking around, he found water well, and he told the secret inside of hole and he felt better. Later the water came around of the water well, fed the soil, and lots of green bamboos started growing there. The first Ney was made of that bamboo stem, so it was the present of the God to humans, and since then it serves as the symbolization of Divine love, and the secret of God.

The Neys are divided into two categories: the Turkish / Ottoman has six finger-holes with the seventh reverse hole, while Persian is with five finger holes. The development of the playing techniques appeared to be different in Turkey and in the rest of the Arab world. The Persian Ney acquired the metal tube on the mouthpiece, while the Turkish is wholly made of bamboo.

The great musician, who then founded the school of playing the Ney was Rumi (Mawl
n
Jal
l ad-D+n Mu%ammad Balkh+, also known as Jal
l ad-D+n Mu%ammad Rkm+). He played the music in order to accompany sam
. These playing consisted of the number of poems from the Mamnaw+ and D+w
n-e Kab+r, or of Sultan Walads poems. Rumi invented the Mawlaw+ order of the Ney music, and currently, the music that is associated with Turkish all over the world is played in the Mawlaw+ order. This was discussed by the ethnologist Helmut Ritter in 1932. He found that the Mawlaw+ order comes from the Near East. He argued that Rumi stands in an old custom of flute stories; and it is also argued, that the Rumis playing maner has become the unsurpassable expression of the souls longing for its motherland in Gods infinity. (The Eighth Annual Sufism Symposium, 2001)

With the creation of the modern Republic of Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, all the religious prejudices were taken away, and the religion was divided from the social and political life. The techniques of playing Ney were also endangered to oblivion, however, the family traditions had preserved it, and currently, the admirers have the great opportunity to enjoy the sounds of Ney. The musicians, who made an essential contribution to the maintenance and development of the traditional play are Neyzen Teyfik, Mercan Dede and Kutsi Erguner. They popularize the Ney music, and thus promote the preservation of the Muslim traditions for the following generations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is necessary to mention, that the Sufi music and the techniques of playing Ney form the national and cultural identity of the people, devoted to Sufi traditions. This music is the essential link of the present generations with the ancestors, who lived to make the world better, and preserve this beauty for the following generations. The Ney itself, and the playing manner was developing for the centuries, and the Turkish Ney is the real symbolization of the whole history of Islam in the territory of Turkey: Ney has its own appearance and the manner of playing the melodies. Any other nation pays so much attention to Ney as the tool of approaching the Divine Love, and getting closer to God. The wonderful legend of inventing Ney only confirms its great significance for the Turkish people, and emphasizes its holy origin. Unfortunately, playing Ney is not so wide spread nowadays, because of the western cultural influence, however, there are some players, whose aim is to popularize this wonderful flute, and remind the Turkish who are they by the means of charming music, that thrills impression.

References

Avery, K. S. (2004). Psychology of Early Sufi Sama? Listening and Altered States. New York: Routledge Curzon.

Cook, B. (2001). The 2001 Fez Festival of World Sacred Music: An Annual Musical Event in Morocco Embodies and Reflects Sufi Traditions and Spirit. International Journal of Humanities and Peace, 17(1), 54

Fox, R. (2002). Prejudice and the Unfinished Mind: a New Look at an Old Failing. Psychological Inquiry, 3(2), 137-152.

Hammarlund, A., Olsson, T., & Özdalga, E. (Eds.). (1999). Sufism, Music and Society in Turkey and the Middle East. Richmond, England: Curzon.

Kirby, S (2007) Sufi Music and the Formation of Spiritual Community SIT: Morocco Culture and Society. Web.

National Geographic (2008) Sufi Music National Geographic Society.

The Eighth Annual Sufism Symposium (2001) Celebrating Our Divine Desire 

Introduction

The world of beautiful is larger when it is accompanied with the art of music and its implementation in opera. The concerts provide a spectator with an appropriate aesthetic pleasure maintained in the manner of singing and performing events on the scene. More efforts are made to make a masterpiece. In many cases, in accordance with the historical overview, one person was not enough to make it. Though, the opera The Sound of Music is performed by means of genuine interaction of two men being a composer and a lyricist: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein respectively.

A small cadre of composers and lyricists based in New York City produced the best-known songs of the 1920s and 1930s. In most cases, the composers worked in pairs (George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and so forth). Their songs were popularized by Broadway musicals, by well-known singers accompanied by dance orchestras, and above all else by recordings and radio play.¹

The performances of The Sound of Music express people all over the world. The point is that it is a feature of a mans soul to strive at the song of our inner world. The opera is concerned with the beautiful manner of actors play; virtuous and tendering coloring of orchestra music under the supervision of musical director Jeffrey Huard and the group of eminent musicians of this kind of playing music featuring Corey Gemmel (concertmaster) on violin and Luc Michaud on bass. The professional featuring of this concert performance made the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein go marvelous and fascinating in all periods of time since it was first written, namely 1959.

The music sounds quite plain and without sudden drops in a classical manner. It is so due to the plot of the opera. The scenes describe a true storey of how Baron Von Trapp and his family escaped from Austria in 1938 where Nazis occupied the entire territory of the country. They went through the Alps on foot and reached Switzerland. Actually it is based on the personal memoirs of Maria von Trapp. The storey is full of picturesque implementations such as, first, the main idea of the opera.

Maria is a tutor to one of von Trapps children feels like having not enough place to make her songs express their gracefulness, so this girl, being religious postulant, is not singing with the other nuns but it is, instead, somewhere atop an alp singing that the hills are alive with the sound of music. ² This opera presents a sort of nostalgic regression as of actors arrangement of the emotional states of soul.³

The result of Marias work at von Trapps house near Salzburg fell into the powerful and well-shaped love of Baron and Maria. The scene in opera provides a spectator with many examples of their sincere relationships and emotional flows which are greatly observed throughout the vigorous singing of the starring actors. The opera performance is divided into several parties of song representation, such as: The Sound of Music, I have a Confidence, Do-Re-Mi etc. The opera also comprises two acts with fourteen scenes totally.

The musical features

The music features are distinctive in their traditional way of presentation. Regarding to the pre-war times the population in many European countries adored the classical way of music coloring. Moreover, the fact that von Trapp lived near Salzburg being the city where Mozart was born supports the tendency of Rodgers and Hammerstein to nurture the deepest intentions in order to grab spectators attention on the way people lived and behaved at that period of time.

The Sound of Music also regresses musically  Climb Every Mountain is another 4/4 anthem of hope and determination, ripped from the cloth of Youll Never Walk Alone; My Favorite Things reweaves Getting to Know You, another interchange between teacher and pupils; Do-Re-Mi whistles a Happy Tune with the notes of the musical scales.⁴

The time when the opera was written was between two wars: in Korea and Vietnam. At that time a new genre became known to the publicity. It is, of course, musical. The opera performance is a prior implementation of Rodgers and Hammersteins interaction. Then the Broadway directors were interested in the story of Maria von Trapp and brought out The Sound of Music. So there are many features of musical. The singing and music itself are characterized by inseparable parties and expressive representation in gestures and movements of actors giving the idea of every single moment in this or that song. Some modules of moderation are presented in it.

What is more, this opera, as South Pacific (1949), is made without a mere presence of choreographer even listed.⁵ The excerpt of the primordial song regarding the title of the opera and graphical description shows the significant feature of smooth sounding and relatively steady rhythm of the music.

The world of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein

One of the well-known contemporary composers of Richard Rodgers, Sondheim was quite admired by the manner in which Rodgers wrote his examples of songs. The characteristic technology of Richard Rodgers as a music editor and creator for The Sound of Music falls into the use of three-note lower-neighbor rocking idea with dramatically different results of musical motives, because, as Sondheim always thought, Rodgers had a talent of a motivic composer.⁶

The music is presented with a genius play of actors and every point depicted in it is followed by the expressional use of movements and characteristic gestures to better express what on the scene factually is happening. The actors also dynamically symbolize the events and emotional coloring of their inner intentions. Due to the music of Richard Rodgers and the words by Oscar Hammerstein the intensely featured episodes in the opera promote the real feelings of Maria von Trapp, particularly.

Place of performance

The performance takes place in The Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto, Ontario. The building of the theatre is well-equipped with the architectural devices for promotion of better and widely-spread acoustic flow of sounds both instrumental and coming as a result of singing. It also suits presentations of chamber music with its high walls and quite convenient orchestra. Another fact in favor of the theatre where the performance should take place is that it is quite new and has the reputation of innovative implementation of art and science into one object. The hall can place 2000 spectators.

The number is rather convincing taking into account the fact that Toronto, in particular, houses a huge amount of palaces of cultural and sport intended purpose. The position of it is rather convenient for spectators to find it, because it is within easy reach from the center of the city. During approximately half an hour one can get to the place of destination.

The audience shaping

The audience is rather elegant adhering to the traditional dress code of such measurements: men are mostly dressed in dinner jackets; women are in bright evening dresses. The attributes are fans and opera-glass. Every scene of the performance is exposed with applauses every now and then. People are intended to obtain emotional and aesthetic satisfaction. It is seen out of the outcry Bravo!. Of course, in present times such reaction is due to the actors play mainly, but it is vital for audience to know that the wholeness of the authors and people supporting their ideas in a straightforward representation go together.

The glory and fame came to Rodgers due to his talent in Broadway. Rodgers was among the most outstanding exclusively Broadway-oriented of American songwriters, writing songs for film only during the brief period 1930-34.⁷ The spectators on this event seem to have known the background of the opera along with the authors of it due to a great interest in booklets before the performance. This indicated the point that many of the audience wanted to know the actors names, so that to be assured in the pure and genuine manner of acting while singing songs and providing the audience with the moments of great impulsion and emotional splash.

Conclusion

The purpose of the concert is significant because of the main function which art brings in its extent  to provide people with the aesthetical and cultural development and to turn them to the beauty of opera for a mans further reformation of his probable drawbacks. The suggested aging level has no limits, excepting children under two years old. The aim of the opera itself is also to show the example of love elaborating under conditions of war and responsibility for other people. The theme of higher standards of love points out the surviving nature of it even when dangers appear as direct obstacles on the way of life perfection.

Many of the contemporary playwrights and composers had a slight attitude towards Rodgerss brainchild, stating that this opera performance mechanically recycled the most effective devices of the earlier successes.⁸ Thus, the opera performance The Sound of Music is the manifestation of a deep striving of a man towards the happiness of falling in love. The prospects of it are quite comprehensive and expressive when realizing that the story is inspired by true events.

Bibliography

David Schiff Out of Our Dreams: Rodgers and Hammersteins Oklahoma! and Carousel, a Model Comedy and a Model Traged, Created a New Theatrical Genre. The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 290, 2002.

Don Michael Randel The Harvard biographical dictionary of music, Harvard University Press, 1996, p. 753.

Geoffrey Holden Block, The Richard Rodgers reader, Oxford University Press US, 2002, p. 100.

James J. Nott Music for the people: popular music and dance in interwar Britain, Oxford University Press, 2002.

Leo N. Miletich, Broadways prize-winning musicals: an annotated guide for libraries and audio collectors, Haworth Press, 1993, p. 35.

Marcel Danesi Popular culture: introductory perspectives Rowman & Littlefield, 2007, p. 124.

Nicholas Cook, Anthony Pople. The Cambridge history of twentieth-century music. Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Steve Swayne,How Sondheim Found His Sound, University of Michigan Press, 2007, p. 61.

The Sound of Music, Williamson Music Inc. Published music. Web.

Thomas S. Hischak, The Rodgers and Hammerstein encyclopedia, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007, p. 22.

Footnotes

1. Marcel Danesi Popular culture: introductory perspectives (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007), p. 124.
2. Leo N. Miletich, Broadways prize-winning musicals: an annotated guide for libraries and audio collectors, (Haworth Press, 1993), p. 35.
3. Geoffrey Holden Block, The Richard Rodgers reader, (Oxford University Press US, 2002), p. 100.
4. Geoffrey Holden Block, The Richard, p. 100.
5. Thomas S. Hischak, The Rodgers and Hammerstein Encyclopedia, (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007), p. 22.
6. Steve Swayne, How Sondheim Found His Sound, (University of Michigan Press, 2007), p. 61.
7. Don Michael Randel The Harvard biographical dictionary of music, (Harvard University Press, 1996), p. 753.
8. David Schiff Out of Our Dreams: Rodgers and Hammersteins Oklahoma! and Carousel, a Model Comedy and a Model Tragedy, Created a New Theatrical Genre. (The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 290, 2002.)

Culture plays an important role in the conditions of the modern era because it defines societys beliefs, values, and behaviors. Modern national cultures present a result of a continuous process in which different groups of people are united in one nation through shared beliefs and practices. Music presents an essential element of culture that can be used for various purposes. This essay will explore musics functions in different countries to define its important role in society.

Firstly, considering musics role in European countries culture, it is important to pay attention to the unique function of music in France. In the beginning, music in France had an aesthetic function and focused on awakening certain feelings in the listeners from the bourgeois classes. However, the French cultural realm experienced significant aesthetic changes after the overthrow of the bourgeois class during the French Revolution. While music cannot be revolutionary, its aesthetics can be politicized depending on the tastes of the audience for which this music is intended (Mathieu 361). Therefore, as street singing and more optimistic sounds became more frequent, the music gained wider popularity among ordinary people. Since then, music in France has taken on a political character and now functions to bring people together and provide social commentary on important events.

Next, the U.S. represents one of the few countries where modern music still has a connection with religion. The sacred music was brought by the European settlers and played an important role in defining the culture of different regions of the country. Then, music was used to worship God and unite people from different religious groups who arrived in America to avoid persecution in Europe. After emancipation, African Americans also began establishing their own traditions of religious singing, which was uniquely influenced by popular music and can be characterized by rhythmic sound. Nowadays, religious music in America continues developing and filling its function in uniting people and connecting them with divine blessings.

Furthermore, modern Nordic folk music, common in Scandinavian countries, performs the unique function of preserving cultural history. In addition to performing the function of artistic expression, Nordic folk music uses traditional musical instruments, which give it a unique sound of a distant land in a distant time (Jean). Preservation of cultural history also occurs through coverage of such traditional themes in the music as nature, the change of seasons, and fantasy stories.

Therefore, comparing and contrasting the characteristic sounds of music in the culture of different countries can provide significant information about the function of music in different cultural societies. For example, French music has a political function; therefore, its sound is more positive and grandiose than American or Nordic folk music. Furthermore, American religious music is more energetic and rhythmic in sound than French music, which reflects the ambitious American culture and the nations diversity. Lastly, the more traditional sounds of Nordic folk music compared to modern French and American music illustrate how deeply Scandinavian countries value their long history.

In conclusion, comparing and contrasting the sound of music from different countries allowed defining the functions that music fulfills in these countries. The essay defined that music can perform different functions, from preserving history to providing political commentary. However, the essay also determined that, in most cases, the role of music in a culture focused on bringing different people together to achieve a specific goal or to create more positive interactions between people.

Works Cited

Jean, Janae. The Musical Bridge: Scandinavian Folk Music. Perennial music and arts, Web.

Mathieu, Lilian. Art and Social Movements. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Social Movements, edited by David A. Snow, Sarah A. Soule, Hanspeter Kriesi, and Holly J. McCammon, Wildey-Blackwell, 2018, pp. 354-368.

Nowadays, classical music loses its popularity among the wide public, which is explained by the fact that it becomes obsolete in the conditions of the modern-day world. Today, people tend to be guided by different cadences, tempos, and they have a different pace. The calm and hasteless nature of classical music is no longer appealing to the wide masses. My opinion regarding classic music is also affected by similar reasoning. I believe that in our modern conditions, people generally need other music, reflecting the spirit of our time. However, I do agree that particular pieces of classical music are still actual; and at times, when I have a special mood, I listen to them. Below, I will explain my position in detail.

First, I must confess that certain types of classical music are absolutely challenging for me, which is explained by the use of polyphonic textures in them and the prevalence of religious ideas in them coming from the Catholic Church. The example of such music is Gloria from Missa Benedicta by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. This piece of music is a real challenge for my brain and my ears, which is explained by its Gregorian chant, dark mood, and polyphony. The most enjoyable music for me was Piano Sonata no. 8 in C Minor, op. 13 ( Pathétique Sonata) (III) by Ludwig van Beethoven, which is explained by its monophonic texture, a variety of emotions and moods in it, its powerful chords, and its romantic spirit. In general, learning the information from chapters 9 to 11 did not change my mind because I have already had my specific vision of classic music relevance during the current period of time, and of course, I could not learn anything revolutionary in these chapters. Also, I cannot say that I was disappointed by the music that was considered during the course. Classical music is classical music, its nature is more or less the same, and the ideas conveyed in it are also very similar, especially in the music pieces belonging to the same period; thus, I accept classical music without any disappointments. After reading chapters 9 to 11, I only have one question  Is it possible to create something like classical music (I mean something of lasting value) in the modern-day conditions? The other thoughts I had after reading the chapters were concentrated around the variables that make classical music appealing for people during centuries. In particular, I am quite amazed by the fact that there are still many people who enjoy classical music even now, but popular music is dead after a couple of decades  so I wonder what the difference between them is.

China is a distinctive country, and this is evident in all its spheres, including musical culture. In traditional Chinese culture, an important place is given to music that sounds like ye in Chinese. However, the concept ye means not only musical art but also art in general and everything beautiful, harmonious, and graceful. Thus, this name reflected the Chineses superior attitude towards music as one of the highest forms of artistic and spiritual human activity.

The video titled Masterpieces of Chinese Music: A Musical Performance by Music from China, uploaded on January 19, 2010, illustrates the musical performance of «Music from China» in the Metropolitan Museum of Art on October 18, 2009. At that moment, the ensemble celebrated the 25th anniversary of its foundation (Masterpieces of Chinese Music 00:00:45-00:00:49). The ensemble Music from China consists of 5 musicians  one man and four women, who play almost all traditional Chinese string instruments. Susan Chang is the director, founder, and at the same time a musician in the ensemble.

While listening to the concert, I could not be distracted for a minute. The originality of folk music performed by the ensemble is manifested in the use of a variety of stringed instruments, including the erhu and related two-string fiddles, pipa, zheng, ruan, and yangqin. The variety of materials (bamboo, copper and its alloys, snakeskin, horsehair, wool, silk) from which the instruments are made is reflected in their sound and determines the colorful sound palette.

The program featured about a dozen immortal classical Chinese compositions, including Thunder in a drought, Melody of a purple bamboo, Fishermans Song, Crescent moon at dawn, Autumn moon over a tranquil lake, and others. Moreover, at the end of the musical performance, the musicians represented two incendiary Mongolian songs. The performed works melody is rich and phenomenal; it widely uses various rhythmic means of expression. The pieces are distinguished by sensitivity, energy, great power of significance, and intonations cover a wide range. Furthermore, the compositions reflect regional characteristics: the first two pieces are performed in the Southern style. The folk song Crescent moon at dawn is the typical characteristic of the Northern style. Folk music selections span Chinas broad landscape, from the urban sophistication of Shanghai and Guangzhou (Canton) to the vast expanse of the Mongolian steppes.

The musicians interaction with the audience and the publics reaction to the performance deserves special attention. The musicians tried very sensually to convey the musical idea, and they succeeded brilliantly. It is worth noting Susan Changs comments before each act, which were very terse and informative and set the audience up to listen to each melody. As for the audience, people were fascinated by the concert. In addition to constant applause, some spectators uttered enthusiastic exclamations, for instance, after the executing of Bird in the forest. Besides, the audience actively shared their impressions among themselves, for example, after completing the Mongolian music The grass on the grassland with the instrument Toho. Thus, the musicians, splendidly performing masterpieces of Chinese music, could capture the audience and interest them.

As for me, this concert made an indelible impression on me and awakened a storm of emotions in me. I found the most energetic act, Bird in the forest, accompanied by expressive transitions. I would also like to highlight Zhu Lings solo with a bouncy melody called Ravens frolic in the wintry water. During the performance, the musician used different degrees of pressure on the instrument to raise the melodys elevation. The solo Variations on Song of Jung Hwan seemed the least appealing to me because, against the background of other energetic tunes, it seemed to me sad and thoughtful. However, it is worth noting the musicians skill and how he conveyed the works mood to the public with his appearance. Thus, I would love to watch a Chinese music concert again, especially live.

Reference

Masterpieces of Chinese Music: A Musical Performance by Music from China YouTube, 2010. Web.

Introduction

The film chosen for study is Song for Ourselves by Tadashi Nakamura. It tells about a musician known in the 70s by the name of Chris Iijima, who, with the help of his music, raised quite severe and relevant topics of that time. One of the main topics that were identified when viewing this work was Asian American identity and the commercialization of music, which are relevant to this day since often this kind of creativity can contribute to significant changes in society.

Plot Summary

The film Song for Ourselves tells about the life of one of the famous Asian Americans, Chris Iijima. Particular importance at the beginning of the work is given to the significance of the black movement and the Vietnam War and how these events affected the later life of America in the 70s. It was at that time that art became a way of expressing political agenda and thought (Nakamura, 2013). However, the primary revelation for Iijima was familiarity with Asian music, through which people found their voices. Filmmakers decided to make a mixture between past and new narratives, thus gradually creating a full-fledged picture. It is noted that Chris Iijimas children only learned in adulthood that their father was a famous musician who made a significant contribution to the struggle for social justice and the identity of Asian Americans. His music was broadcast on national television, and almost everyone in America knew about him. The cinematographic work shows what power music has on movements in society.

Theory

Conflict theory of the construction of race can be vital when discussing the selected topic. This is because it focuses on the inequalities that arise due to race, nationality, and ethnicity. Based on the film, it can be concluded that Chris Iijima is making an attempt to touch society in order to limit the inequality that has arisen and spread awareness about the importance of cultures. The main task that Iijima and his bandmates wanted to achieve was to provide the Asian-American community with a voice. This desire also included the struggle for identity self-determination in a country where the nationality and culture of musicians were alien (Burgett & Hendler, 2014). Thus, this knowledge helps to understand better the concept of the author of the film under study.

Analysis

Commercialization of music becomes one of the topics raised in the film Song for Ourselves. Hence, the musician Chris Iijima, when gaining popularity, refused to do a full-fledged business out of his activities, as he believed that this would compromise it (Nakamura, 2013). This was due to the fact that the main task of the singer and musician was not to gain profit from his work but to help and attract peoples attention to the movements for the rights of not only Asians but also other oppressive racial minorities in the United States. The second theme, which can be clearly traced in the studied cinematic picture, becomes the Asian-American identity. Therefore, the film tells that Chris Iijima was passionate about this topic since being born Asian in Boston; he struggled with the concept of self-identity through race and culture (Nakamura, 2013). Music has become an agent that has assisted him in determining his own value and the contribution he can make to society through it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe that the film Song for Ourselves is an important source for studying such topics as racial identity and peoples struggle to spread awareness about it. Moreover, it is valuable to emphasize the negative effect of the commercialization of music, since in this case art changes its basic purpose, to reach more people. Watching and analyzing the film gave me a greater understanding of how important their culture is for people, and how it is necessary to expand my knowledge in order to create the most favorable and equal society.

References

Burgett, B. & Hendler, G. (Eds.) (2014). Keywords for American cultural studies. NYU Press.

Nakamura, T. (2013). A song for ourselves [Film]. Center for Asian American Media.

Introduction

On a global scale, music today is difficult to imagine without a guitar, which has become a cornerstone of a variety of styles and genres of music. In particular, the electric guitar has been integrated into almost all contemporary musical styles, allowing artists to adjust their technical features to the particularities of musical forms and genres. African music, as a geographically, culturally, and historically diverse part of the continents culture, was significantly influenced by the electric guitar. The electric guitar enabled integrating rhythms, dance music, and the sounds of indigenous instruments into a unique genre that ultimately defined the diversity of modern music. This essay is designed to explore the origins of electric guitar music in Africa, the forms that were enriched by African guitarists, and the overall impact of the electric guitar on the evolution of music. It is argued that the introduction of electric guitar to the African music world was a historical turning point that allowed for integrating ethnic African beats and rhythms with the opportunities of electric guitar sound.

The Introduction of the Electric Guitar to African Music

Guitar as a six-string musical instrument is recognized globally as one of the essential instruments, especially for band music. In Africa, this instrument, its acoustic version, appeared on the continent as early as the first European contact (Emielu 214). During this time, African musicians already used string instruments similar to a guitar. However, the contemporary version of the guitar was actively used in Africa at the time of World War I. The application of this instrument has become omnipresent with the introduction of its electric version, which is dated back to the middle of the twentieth century. According to Emielu, the guitar, by the 1950s (especially in West Africa), had become in most respects, a native instrument (216). Thus, various regions and countries of the African continent referred to the electric guitar as an instrument with significant tonal, rhythmical, and stylistic opportunities, which were particularly important for expressing the indigenous sounds.

With the introduction of the electric guitar to the African culture, people obtained an opportunity to expand the performance abilities of dance bands. Indeed, as researchers state, the culture of dance bands has had a crucial role for African music as a unique phenomenon (Emielu 216). Dance bands had used original and indigenous instruments, which the use of the electric guitar helped diversify and amplify the sounds. Moreover, the electric guitar helped merge traditions with modernity through structural changes and tonal diversification. The integration of the electric guitar with folk instruments and frequent use of 12/8 meter are prominent musical features that establish an obvious structural connection between traditional and modern dance-band music (Emielu 216). Thus, the introduction of the electric guitar into the world of African music marked a qualitatively new developmental stage in the continental culture.

Musical Forms that Influenced African Guitarists

When discussing the manifestations of electric guitar music in Africa, one might refer to a variety of musical forms that have long existed in the African musical culture. Indeed, the continents music is particularly characterized by upbeat, rhythmical, dance music created using percussion, drums, and traditional African instruments (Emielu 214-217). Since Africa is a geographically large continent with a diverse history and culture, the musical forms that evolved are numerous. However, several particular genres have been influential for African guitarists since their tone, sound, rhythm, and tempo allowed for unfolding the technical potential of the electric guitar. It is relevant to note that in Africa, a predominant style of playing the electric guitar has been a so-called two-finger guitar playing, which is a non-chord sound extraction when a player can express syncopation (Alper; Dutiro). Thus, the uniqueness of African guitarists performance is inherently connected with the musical particularities of the traditional musical forms.

To exemplify several styles and musical forms that were particularly influential for African guitar music, one might refer to popular ones. As stated by Dutiro, many African musical styles are rooted in dance and religious music. For example, soukous is a musical form that originated from rumba and is connected with jazz sounds, where the guitar is an essential instrument (Duitro). As for the religious motives in music, such styles as chimurenga, majika, benga, Somali jazz, and others have been particularly influential (Duitro). These styles allowed for applying the electric guitar sound to amplify the volume and modernize the overall musical appeal of the traditional forms, thus changing the conventional techniques of playing the guitar.

Guitars Impact on Musical Changes

While traditional musical forms shaped the ways of playing the instrument by African guitarists, an opposite process might be observed. In particular, the emergence of guitar sound in African culture ultimately changed music as a whole. Indeed, the amplification of the sound using electricity allowed for increasing the volume of music and empowered the musicians to express their creativity via a wider range of technical opportunities. A multitude of musical styles originated from the introduction of the electric guitar to Africa, which is evident in the development of polyrhythmic complex musical forms of qualitatively new genres (Alper). The existence of such new directions in music as blues, jazz, afrobeat, rhythmic groove, and others became popular across the globe (Alper). Thus, the introduction of the electric guitar was a pivotal moment of global music in general and African music in particular since it helped in reinforcing the rhythmic patterns of African musical forms. The diversity of cultures in Africa due to the history of colonization and the ultimate impact of globalization framed a unique background for the emergence of an unprecedented cultural phenomenon that continues influencing the world.

Conclusion

In summary, the African continent as a culturally diverse and rich in traditions geographical unit became a fruitful platform for the merge of tradition and modernity under the influence of guitar. As the analysis of the topic shows, the introduction of the electric guitar to African music has had a twofold impact. On the one hand, it allowed for developing indigenous music due to the integration of technical and sound particularities of the electric guitar. It allowed for combining both traditional and modern musical features into one unique musical direction characterizing the cultural character of African music. On the other hand, the use of electric guitar by African musicians helped in advancing such globally present musical genres as jazz, blues, as well as the development of afrobeat and other folk-pop directions. Overall, the scope of the electric guitars influence on African music, as well as the development of music as a cultural phenomenon on a global scale, demonstrates the strengths of this universal instrument.

Works Cited

Alper, Max. The Best Guitar Music in the World Is Coming from Agadez. Soundfly, 2017, Web.

Emielu, Austin. Tradition, Innovations, and Modernity in the Music of the Edo of Nigeria: Toward a Theory of Progressive Traditionalism. Ethnomusicology, vol. 62, no. 2, 2018, pp. 206-229.

Dutiro, Chartwell. 14 African Musical Styles for You to Explore. Real World Records, Web.

Music is one of the most influential aspects of life in society. I am yet to come across an individual who does not like music at all. Different people listen to different genres of music; a scenario that shows how different we are (Diserens 1939, pp.6).

The types of music people listen to differ not only from person to person but also from age to age. The type of music that is preferred by old people is not the same type of music that young people listen to (Janero & Altshuler 1996, pp.5-7).

In this music survey paper, a reflection on childhood music will be given and how the music made me feel. Also, there will be a discussion of adolescent music and its role as well as music I associate with comfort and happiness.

To start with childhood, the music that made an impression on me was what the family played during major events, most notably, Christmas. The gifts that accompanied Christmas and the excitement that was evident amongst my childhood friends made me love life.

The fact that this music was associated with a moment of happiness may have played a role in my liking for it. I ended up singing jingle bells even beyond Christmas. The other genre of music that I loved as a child was what cartoon characters such as Tom and Jerry hummed as they did their antics. It is amazing how this music faded from my memories immediately I became a teenager.

The experiences I had as a child have a huge bearing on these two genres of music. For the Christmas hymns, the celebrations and general excitement that I witnessed made me associate the music with good things. It was music that was utilized when people were happy and thus singing it would bring happiness.

The gifts that my parents gave me were closely connected to beats of the hymns and the visit by Santa. How can one forget that kind of music? On the Tom and Jerry beats, the playfulness of these two characters mirrored my own behavior as a child. Therefore liking this music came as a natural inclination.

Leaving childhood music and experiences aside, adolescence is another crucial stage when it comes to music. Adolescents love music perhaps more than any other group. Is adolescent music different from the music listened to by other groups? Adolescents have a unique behavior that none of the other groups have.

This may be responsible for the preferences they have as far as music is concerned. At this stage, the people in this age bracket have a tendency to think that they are an authority unto themselves. They have the feeling that they know what they are supposed to do in life and therefore resent any form of advice from either their parents or guardians.

They have a conviction that their choices are the best and all that other people are telling them is geared towards chaining them into everlasting captivity where they have no power to make their own choices. This is in spite of the fact that someone these adolescents know has already behaved like them and ended up regretting for the unwillingness to listen to authority.

Is there a certain type of music that matches with this type of attitude in our current society? Rap music, hip hop as well as rock are all in the category of music that has a degree of rebelliousness that adolescents have. It is therefore not surprising to find many adolescents listening to these genres of music. Why is this so?

As it has already been pointed out, the adolescents are out to send a message to authority especially parental authority that they are old enough to make their own choices.

Thus this is not music that is meant to make them cooperate with authority. It is not making them fit into the existing or conventional social order. Instead it is meant to encourage them to stand up to authority and question any guidelines they are given and sometimes reject these guidelines.

Far from adolescent music and its rebellious element, gospel music is the genre that is associated with comfort. The disappointment and stress that come with the loss of a loved one, the destruction of personal property or betrayal by a close friend or lover is best soothed by gospel music.

The religious message in gospel music resonates well with the need for assurance that with all the suffering, there is a higher power that cares and is ready to give not just a second chance, but a third or even a tenth chance. This message of unconditional love by the higher power is responsible for the healing that people experience after listening to gospel music.

Besides comfort, happiness is another feeling that is well captured in music. Blues, soul and jazz are the genres that convey happiness. These three genres have a common trend in that they cut across the age lines in terms of people who listen to them.

Techno and dancehall are two genres that are also closely associated with happiness but these ones are popular with young people. The dancing and jubilation that characterizes these two genres may not resonate with adult taste. Why are these genres associated with happiness? The thematic composition of these genres and the way the music is presented communicates nothing other than joyfulness and celebration.

In conclusion, music is vital in life. Each stage of development comes with its own preferences as does each mood and state. Childhood music preferences are far much different from adolescent preferences. On the same note the music we listen to when happy is different from the music we listen to when in search of comfort.

References

Diserens, C. (1939). A Psychology of Music: The Influence of Music on Behavior (1^st ed.).New York: Authors for the College of Music.

Janero, R & Altshuler, T. (1996). The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a Technique for Living (5th ed.).New York: Longman Pub Group.

Jazz music is commonly thought of as naturally arising from the plantations of the South as black people gained their freedom and turned their sorrowful songs into celebration. Even then, they knew something about music that science is just now discovering  it has healing properties that can surpass other forms of medication. You must feel the music as well as hear it. You will experience the best healing results when you open up to listen not just with your physical ears, but when you start to feel the vibration of the music with your whole body and spirit (Cardinal 2006). However, this isnt exactly how jazz got its start. It is true that jazz came into being as a musical genre around the beginning of the 20^th century, around the time that former slaves were beginning to find a voice of their own within the European-cultured cities of the South. As black musicians began incorporating the musical instruments of the Europeans into their music, they began discovering all kinds of new sounds and combinations that had a distinct means of communicating all its own. Bringing jazz to the mainstream public, though, would require more than a few groups of Southern black people getting together with some jumping music. One artist who truly understood the art of allowing the music to be felt as well as heard was Thelonius Monk who is today recognized as one of the giants of American music (Cook & Morton, 2008: 1020).

Thelonius Monk was named after his father when he was born on October 10, 1917 in a place called Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He added his middle name, Sphere, later because he didnt want people to think he was square (Who is Thelonius Monk?). The family would eventually consist of father Thelonius, mother Barbara, older sister Marion and younger brother Thomas (Sheridan, 2001). When he was five years old, the family moved to New York City and settled in Manhattan where Monk soon began playing the piano. Although he had some lessons and often listened in when his sister was engaged in her piano lessons, he was essentially self-taught and spent as much of his time as he could playing the piano, often at the expense of more formal schooling. While he attended Stuyvesant High School, he never graduated, preferring instead to follow his passion for the jazz music hed begun playing. He got himself on his feet by touring with an evangelist for a while, working the church organ, but it wasnt long before he found work as a jazz player (Sheridan, 2001). He worked for several years as the house pianist at the famous Mintons Playhouse, slowly increasing his recordings until he finally got a contract of his own with Blue Note in 1947.

Mintons Playhouse was started in the dining room of the Hotel Cecil by retired saxophone player Henry Minton (Goelet, 2002). In an effort to ensure his fellow musicians felt at home at the new club, Minton hired Teddy Hill to manage the place. Hills band included many stars of the swing era, some of which were known as nonconformists. Of this first house band, drummer Kenny Clarke, trumpeter Joe Guy and pianist Thelonious Monk stood out as innovators of the new music and contributed to the clubs popularity among other jazz musicians. Clarke is attributed with the technique known as dropping bombs, a repertoire of accents on the snare and bass drums and tom-toms (Goelet, 2002). The timekeeping function of the drums had already been moved to the high-hat cymbals by Jo Jones, but Clarke moved it again to the large cymbal. Joe Guy had a penchant for battling with other trumpeters that made him the perfect jam-session host (Goelet, 2002). Monk became known for having a fine ear and a completely open mind (Goelet, 2002). According to Amiri Baraka (2003), Monks contributions to the popularity of Mintons included his bold harmonies that often stimulated his fellow musicians.

This house band with a penchant for musical exploration encouraged other musicians to stop by whenever they could to sit in to explore their musical ideas. Even before the bop sessions got under way, musicians who were working up the street at the Apollo would come by after their last show, or even between shows, and sit in with whoever was on the stand (Baraka, 2003). Since Monday nights were usually the musicians night off, these became the most popular night for talents of all calibers to join in on these open sessions. For years, at the start of every workweek, jazz musicians from around the city would converge on Mintons in what Ralph Ellison called a continuing symposium of jazz (Feuer, 2005). Musicians that dropped in to play as often as they could included such big-name stars as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. It was through these sessions that jazz was given birth as musicians left the strict rules of the directors and the dance floor in order to explore new musical expressions that focused on emotion, energy, harmony and rhythm.

It was at Mintons that Monk fully developed into his own. In the smaller setting of the clubs, musicians such as Monk found the freedom to express their creativity in a way that gave birth to the new form of music. Its where bebop was born and took off. The polished acts all went downtown, but the experiments took place here (Claire Haaga, president of Housing and Services Inc. cited in Feuer, 2005). Those who listened to him and would know described his early style as having a strong influence of Art Tatum-like runs and a hard-swinging approach. Monk himself indicated his greatest influences were Duke Ellington and James P. Johnson (Sheridan, 2001). While it is true Monk developed his style here as he participated in so-called cutting competitions in which the musicians would battle it out on their respective instruments. Many historians tend to present the club as if it were the Academy of Jazz in the 1940s because of the effect this had on Monk and many other musicians of the era, but Monk would be the first to disagree with this viewpoint. Its true modern jazz probably began to get popular there [Mintons], but some of these histories and articles put what happened over the course of ten years into one year. They put people all together in one time in one place. Ive seen practically everybody at Mintons, but they were just playing. They werent giving lectures (Thelonious Monk cited in Baraka, 2003). It was during these years that Monk was involved with the bebop style that he would later be credited with founding.

Although it and Monk came out of the swing tradition, bebop is different from swing in a number of ways. It is characterized by asymmetrical phrasing, fast tempos, expanded rhythm sections in the drums that extended beyond the primary role of time-keeper and the inclusion of intricate melodies that were often improvised upon. It generally had a choppy, fragmented sound that seemed to convey a sense of nervous energy to new listeners, but that introduced an exciting revolution to fans of jazz music and the musicians who played it. Swing was often orchestrated and highly organized, but bebop broke all the rules, typically introducing a theme or main melody at the beginning, allowing for almost all improvisation by the various instruments in the band in the middle and returning to the main theme in the end. According to Tanner (1964), the improvisational pieces worked because they were based upon the primary chords used in the main melody, providing one of the few links holding the piece together. The other link was the underlying harmonies played by the rhythm sections. Monks inventiveness in this area of music was commented on by Mary Lou Williams in her columns. According to her, one of the reasons why bebop relied so heavily on improvisation was because it was almost impossible for the music to be duplicated by others without giving proper credit to the original composer. The boppers worked out a music that was hard to steal. Ill say this for the leeches, though: they tried. Ive seen them in Mintons busily writing on their shirt cuffs or scribbling on the tablecloth (Williams, 1954). Monk described it somewhat differently, as if he just couldnt bring himself to play the same thing twice. Everything I play is different  different melody, different harmony, different structure (cited in Paul, 2007). While many were able to learn the technique, Monk proved himself such a master that he might as well have been giving music lectures from the stage.

The next few years would prove a challenging roller coaster ride of success and disappointment for Monk. His earliest confirmed studio recordings were made in 1944 with Coleman Hawkins, who actively sought to gain Monk the recognition he deserved for his innovation and improvisation. The year 1947 was a good year for the young musician. Just on the verge of turning 30, Monk began recording with Blue Note and he also married his sweetheart, Nellie Smith, who would become his greatest supporter throughout his life (Kelley). He was deeply involved in the exciting musical scene at Mintons, which had a reputation for being the place for a jazz musician to go if they were going to make it anywhere and he was playing with some of the greatest names of the day  Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Parker and, eventually, Miles Davis (Sheridan, 2001). He was also setting trends not only in music but in fashion, as was mentioned by Mary Lou Williams, even our own guys, Im afraid, did not give Monk the credit he had coming. Why, they even stole his idea of the beret and bop glasses (Williams, 1954). Within two years, the successful young couple had their first child, a son they called T.S. Monk, and must have felt the world was fully open to them. This son would eventually grow up to become a successful jazz drummer, following in his fathers footsteps in all the best ways. Things would not be so lovely for his younger sister, though.

The 1950s did not start on such a positive note for the musician however. Monk had fulfilled his contract with Blue Note in 1951, which was a shaky year for the artist. In August of that year, Monk was stopped by police as he sat in a parked car with one of his friends, Bud Powell. The police conducted a search of the car and discovered narcotics which reportedly belonged to Powell, but Monk would not testify against his friend and his New York City Cabaret Card was revoked as a result (Sheridan, 2001). This meant that he could not play in clubs that served alcohol, which severely stunted his ability to perform and promote himself. At the same time, he was viewed by many other jazz artists, diligently attempting to focus attention on the serious legitimacy of their music, to be too irreverent in his presentation style. He would dance at the piano, wear beautifully odd hats, and when he spoke to people he didnt much like, he tended to be evasive, or short, if he answered at all. None of this helped at first, and Monk spent the years 1947 through 1955 under a virtual blackout, rarely performing and recording, known unto only a few of New Yorks hardcore beboppers (Deceptively Simple). Fortunately, Monk was able to gain a new contract with Prestige Records in 1952 so he continued playing in theaters and other venues as well as touring. As a result of this relationship, he was able to make his first Parisian tour and began a lifelong friendship with the wealthy Baroness Pannonica Nica de Koenigswarter, who was patron to many American jazz greats and would play a significant role in Monks life (Sheridan, 2001). Monks daughter, Barbara, would be born in 1953. Little or nothing is known about her life other than that she died of cancer in 1984, just two years after her father, at the age of 31. Under the Prestige label, Monk made a few recordings with Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey, among others, but these were not recognized for their greatness at the time despite the significance they achieved in later years.

From 1954 to 1961, Monk was signed with Riverside Records and again began seeing some success. This period began in 1954 with Monks first trip to Europe and his meeting with the Baroness. It was a year that ended with a successful session on Christmas Eve that brought forth the music that would appear on two albums, Bags Groove and Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants. Even though many people recognized Monks brilliance in his music, his albums were not popular because his music was perceived as too difficult. Monk was extremely sophisticated harmonically and rhythmically, his use of dissonance and the way hes abrupt is so sophisticated. It takes time to develop an understanding of the tunes, to understand what makes the rhythms or the harmony work, and use that knowledge as a starting point (Handy cited by Watrous). Riverside solved his problem with appealing to the masses by encouraging him to release a more accepted approach to interpreting pieces by Duke Ellington with the album Thelonius Monk Plays the Music of Duke Ellington. With this album released and more people listening to him, Monk developed his own music for Brilliant Corners released in 1956. In this album, the difficulty of his music became better appreciated. Monk wrote knotty, asymmetrical pieces, built on splintered harmonies and sudden sprints and silences; they open up trap doors under any improviser who relies on routine (Pareles, 1987). In 1957 before Monk was able to reinstate his Cabaret license and re-launch his performing career in New York and he spent the next several years playing clubs in the New York area.

Monk signed with Columbia Records in 1962 where he would stay until 1970, when he was 53 years old. Columbia had greater resources to help market Monk to his greater achievements, giving him the means to further his musical career. His first album with them was Monks Dream, created in the first few weeks of November 1963 with Charlie Rouse (saxophone), John Ore (bass) and Frankie Dunlop (drummer). This album would become Monks best-selling album and gained him an image on the cover of Time magazine (The Loneliest Monk, 1964). With Columbia, he recorded several good albums including Criss Cross (1963), Miles and Monk at Newport (1963), Live at the It Club (1964), Live at the Jazz Workshop (1964) and Underground (1968), but he was beginning to be limited in his amount of output. Only Underground had a significant number of new pieces with the majority of his other recordings being live performances.

Following 1970, Monk only made a few live appearances and fewer recordings. One of his last recordings was made toward the end of a worldwide tour in 1971 for the Black Lion label. The tour was called the Greats of Jazz and included many musicians that had performed with Monk on and off for the past 20 years. Artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Kai Winding, Al McKibbon and Sonny Stitt were part of the tour and seemed to feel Monk wasnt quite the same man they had known. McKibbon, for instance, indicated Monk had ceased attempting to make idle communication, or any communication, with others. He sent word back after the tour was over that the reason he couldnt communicate or play was that Art Blakey and I were so ugly (Voce, 2005). There were reports of a worsening but unidentified mental illness affecting the musician throughout the 1960s (Zwerin, 1988). In this documentary film, Monks son, the drummer T.S. Monk indicated that there were times when his father didnt seem to recognize him and sometimes required hospitalization. Although there are no public records to back up this claim, but a pattern of behavior was reported that suggested some sort of disorder. Supposedly, Monk would experience two or three days of excitement and energy followed by another period of pacing and ending with a longer period of withdrawal in which he would speak to no one (Zwerin, 1988). This pattern would explain why some interviewers would comment on Monks eagerness to explain the complexity of his music while those who toured with him would have perceived him as absolutely silent and withdrawn. What seems clear, though, is that Monk did see a number of mental health professionals who each had their own ideas for the best course of treatment. By 1976, Monk had fully retreated to the New Jersey home of the Baroness where Charlie Parker had earlier struggled against his final illness (Sheridan, 2001). Although a piano was available to him full time, Monk never again expressed an interest in playing and he typically refused to speak with visitors. On February 17, 1982, Thelonius Monk died of a stroke and was buried in New Yorks Ferncliff Cemetery never having achieved in life the kind of recognition he would achieve in death.

Thelonius Monk was a musical genius who may have even been something of a savant in his eccentricities. However, the ideas he brought to the musical world would forever change its sound and would earn him a place in music history as one of the greats of jazz. His surprising use of silence and his heavy application of percussion in his music was as different from the styling of the past as his fashion sense was different from the common fashions of the day. He truly knew how to lose himself in the music, frequently leaving the piano for minutes at a time in order to perform a dance in physical response to the music being created and he rarely constrained himself within the ideas of what had been done before. He achieved enough recognition within his lifetime to be honored with an image on the cover of Time magazine and to be included in a world tour of jazz greats, but his greater awards came more than a decade after his death. In 1993, he was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and by 2006 he was awarded with a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation. Many tributes have been made to him through special compositions and live performances of his work, including special emphasis on some of his lesser known and more difficult works.

Works Cited

Baraka, Amiri. Mintons. The Blacklisted Journalist. (2003). Web.

Cardinal, F. The Music of Your Dreams. Music and Your Mind. (2006).

Cook, Richard & Brian Morton. The Penguin Guide to Jazz. London: Penguin, 2008.

Feuer, Alan. Where Lady Day Sleeps, A Jazz Tradition Awakes. New York Times. (2005). Web.

Goelet, Francis. Jazz. Recorded Anthology of American Music. (2002). New World Records. Web.

The Loneliest Monk. Time. (1964).

Sheridan, Chris. Brilliant Corners: A Bio-Discography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001.

Tanner, Paul O. W. & Maurice Gerow. A Study of Jazz. Dubuque, IO: William C. Brown Company, 1964.

Voce, Steve. Obituary: Al McKibbon. The Independent. August 1, 2005.

Williams, Mary Lou. In Her Own Words. Melody Maker. (1954). Web.

Zwerin, Charlotte. Thelonius Monk: Straight, No Chaser. Warner Home Video, 1988.

Different Cultures all have there owned a specific way of communicating through music. Music is basically broken into two specific groups Eastern Music and Western Music.

Eastern music is mainly derived from the orient and India. While western music first emerged from Europe. Western music has developed in many ways since the middle ages through its form, sound, and message.

The Middle Ages

Starting with the Middle Ages, they covered almost one thousand years. That was from the year of 476 to the year 1450. During this time, the Christian church and the state were the centers of authority during this time. Music was very important in the cultures of Greece, Rome, the Judaic humanity, and many other places (Burney 1957).

Many around the world at this point used a chant or a monophonic melody in their worship, which was created by much more melodic phrases then Gregorian Chant, organum was also the first type of music too utilize fourth and fifth intervals, which would become one of the building blocks of modern musical theory.

Music in the church had not changed much during this time, as said by Charles Burney in A General History of Music Volume I, Music in the church, however, appears to have undergone no other change at this time than in being applied in some parts of the service. A type of popular music began to erupt and was sung all over Europe by the troubadours and troubles of France.

The Renaissance

The Renaissance began in the year 1420 and ended in the year 1600. The Renaissance was an era of searching, scientific questioning, and imaginative awakening and marked the passing from a highly religious civilization to a worldlier one.

The Renaissance is often observed as the golden age of Cappella singing. Renaissance music features a fuller and extra consonant sound than music from the middle ages. Some Renaissance pieces are constructed on a permanent, preexistent melody, while others mirror the text through the music.

The Baroque Age

Baroque music has a distinctive artistic style, and it is an idiomatic form. Composers began to write towards a particular medium, such a violin or the solo voice, rather than music with identical or no dialects that might either sung or played by almost any combination of voices and instruments.

The violin became the primary instrument and formulated its artistic style, instrumental as well as vocal styles started to be distinguished, finally becoming so different that the composers could adopt vocal artistic style into instrumental writing and vice versa.

A distinctive Baroque piece comprises of a melodic line of voice, a bass line for an uninterrupted instrument just like a cello or bassoon playing, a plucked or keyboard instrument playing the figured chord to fill the intervening space between the two poles.

The Classical Period

The Classical Era saw the intersection of two contradicting schools of thought in society. The first was the remnant of the Baroque Era, which said that the nobility had absolute power in society. The second was from the Middle Ages, who said that the nobility had gone too far with their power and should give some of their power over to the middle class.

The result of this was many opportunities for composers. Not only they could have their traditional occupations or servents to various noblemen who served as their patron, but they could also make a fair living performing their work at public concerts, an innovation of the time.

The Romantic Era

In the middle of the Romantic Era, an era presented as dedicated to irrationality and unreason, the most purely rational social science, classical political economycarried on the Enlightenment tradition. Enlightenment continued to be shown in the speech of political and economic liberalism. During the Romantic era, people were very big in the idea of connecting with nature.

Everything was about connecting with nature, and people believed that nature was a source of inspiration. Therefore from this, people began to express and explain things using guidelines of nature instead of logic. The whole idea was that everyone created something of them, and it is original, and that is art. This time was all about emotions, deep thinking, personal experience, and connecting with nature.

The Twentieth-Century

Music written since 1900 is called the twentieth-century music. There have been different types and styles of music printed in the twentieth century than ever before (Yudkin 2007). In the twentieth century, the only limitations of the composers are their imagination. One of the great forms of musical styles shows the variety of life during the early twentieth century.

More people were free to choose where to live, how to earn a living, and how to spend their time. One of the ranges of experience that expanded and is more accessible to the world is the car, airplane, phonograph, movies, and radio (Yudkin 2007).

Technological growths have also had determine on twentieth-century music, especially electronic music. The progress of the technology has also had an enormous impact on the evolution of the twentieth century, with some composers, for example, the cassette player as a compositional tool or electronically generated sounds alongside classical music instruments.

Bibliography:

Burney, C. (1957). A General History of Music 2. New York: Dover Publications.

Yudkin, J. (2007). Understanding Music fifth edition. Boston University: Prentice Publications