Final Blog

1.  It was really interesting to hear the similarities among the various cultures. Many of the musicians used vocables or microtones in their singing, and many of the rhythmic accompaniments were very complex. One aspect of the music of the Middle Eastern Takhts that was unlike any other culture we learned about was that the songs they played had a similar structure to that of a jazz combo. These songs had a main tune followed by improvised solos that are accompanied by an ostinato grove. I was very surprised when we heard the recording of “Obsession” because there was applauds after improvised solos. I did not know that it was customary in any other genre of music besides jazz for the audience to be so involved in the music.
2. Students have often been taught in middle school and high school history classes that the United States is a melting pot of many ethnicities. I used to believe that this made our country unique. I had a stereotypical image of people from various cultures that had been established through movies and television. I thought most people in South American countries had a tan complexion and black hair and most Australians were Caucasian and had an Australian accent. Now I realize that many countries have a mixture of cultural influences. South American countries, for example, have Native Americans, Caucasians from Spain and Portugal, and Africans. These influences are apparent in their music through the European harmonies, steady percussion from Native Americans, and syncopated rhythms from Africa. Many countries, like America, have undergone invasions, have had slavery, and have had immigrants. Now that I realize that America is not the only country that contains a vast amount of multiple ethnicities, I find that I enjoy trying to distinguish the characteristics borrowed from other cultures.
3. Our class covered many cultures in a short amount of time, and I feel as though I have a strong foundation for the music from these places. The most inspirational aspect of this course was the music and family blog. I interviewed my dad and learned things about his past that I never knew. It amazed me that I could live with someone for my entire life, and yet not know very much about his past. I found that I really enjoyed interviewing my dad and summarizing it so that I could portray the essence of our conversation. I plan on continuing this process with my family and friends on various aspects of their lives, so that I can learn more about them and use their ideas to help shape my own. I also think it would be very special to have a recording of their voice for when I can no longer talk to them. I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment and suggest that it be continued next year.