Thailand is a very beautiful country inside and out. It has such rich culture, and gorgeous scenery. It has something in it for everyone. Thailand is located in Southeast Asia and is about the size of Utah and Nevada combined. Researchers believe that Thai culture, and especially music culture originated from Southern China. However there are very few legal documents that go back to the early history of their music. There is, however information available about their music system dating back to the Bangkok Period. This provides us with lists of instruments and ensembles they had. We also know that in 1238 the first capital of Siam at the time, Sukhothai had Music widely performed throughout the area. There were many key points in history that helped to shape the way that Thailand culture to the way it looks today. These points ended up affecting not only the musical identity of the country, but rather the country as a whole. Events such as the unexpected warfare with the Cambodians and Burmese that they endured through for four centuries. This constant warfare made rather large impacts on cultural and musical affairs, and how locals searched for inspiration.
Thailand was originally named Siam, however in 1949 it got renamed to Thailand. The name “Thailand" comes from the word thai, meaning "free". So Thailand directly translates into “Free land” or “Land of free”. Coincidentally Thailand is actually the only country in Asia that was never colonized by Europe! Thailand has a very rich cultural diversity throughout the country. Their population is a mixture of ethnicities from different parts of Asia. The majority of these individuals are Thai and speak Malay and follow the Muslim Religion. The rest of the population is a mixture of...
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... allowed folk and classical music to still have a firm foundation in the overall culture of Thailand.
Even though not many of Thailand’s composers “made it big” in the country’s history, there are a few individuals that stand out in in the growth and development of the country’s music. Individuals such as Phra Chen-Duriyan; the composer of Thailand's national anthem. As well as royal individuals like King Rama ll who was very interested in the listening and playing of all types of music and encouraged Thai people to become more involved with it, and Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who encouraged much of Thailand’s youth to become interested in Traditional Thai music.
It’s very clear that Thailand is a beautiful and fascinating country that we still have a lot to learn from. From it’s extremely diverse cultures and lifestlyes, to its beautiful art forms and music.
1. Music is a strictly local expression, rich in variety since each culture expresses affective differences through art, 2. Music is a poetic process--complex, vague, and irrational--based upon borrowed traditional musical materials (melodies, rhythms, forms, etc.), 3. Music is for a religious, elitist-class performer who can understand and appreciate its mysterious nature and power, 4. Music is played softly in intimate gatherings, 5. Music making is the activity of Everyman, exacting the talents of variously trained amateurs who, with industry and practice, decorate their recreation and leisure in moments of social intercourse.
What is Iu-Mein? Not many people have heard of the ethnicity Iu-Mein. It is a dialect from Laos. One of the traditions that Iu-Mein's have are ceremonies. Ceremonies are done with the sacrificing of a pig or chicken. Certain people may call it weird, and animal rights folks would call it animal cruelty, but in our culture, it is for healing and to pay our respects to our ancestors.
“This boy ought to do something useful, I’ll teach him some music.” (10) John Esputa suggested to Antonio Sousa as his young son, John Philip Sousa, yearned for the opportunity to learn the ways of a musician. From a stubborn boy attempting to play the violin and trombone to the old man conducting his own talented band, deciding to learn music made John Philip Sousa the man who earned the grand title of The March King. The songs he wrote traveled word-wide, many pieces spreading across continents during the late 1800s till present day. He inspired thousands with his pieces and endless determination. The March King’s life consisted of bombastic marches and endless symphonies till his final breath.
King Henry VIII’s interest in music started at a young age. As stated before, he received a music education throughout his childhood and he became accomplished at the organ, lute, and virginals. As king he employed no fewer than 58 musicians in his court. He owned 56 keyboard instruments, 20 horns of various sorts, 19 bowed string instruments, 31 plucked strings, and no fewer than 220 wind instruments of various kinds. He understood that music and art should be an...
If one were to look back into the world’s history, one would find that an important and consistent element is the world of music. Music has presented itself in various forms throughout its spread and through our identification of its magical realm, people have been fortunate enough to come across a means of relation. Whether it is blues and reggae or rap and pop rock, there is music out there for everyone. Music can serve as a stabilizer for some, a relaxant to others, and to many a form of inspiration.
Miller, Terry E., Sharhriari, Andrew. World Music: A Global Journey. 3rd ed. New York & London: Routledge, 2012. Print.
...the sea shanties did. It prevented them from being whipped thus reducing physical injuries 5. History was also told through stories and folksongs. Music was used for celebration of anything like birth or wedding even the meaning of the words were very important in conveying certain message to the people.
Miller, Terry, and Andrew Shahriari. World Music: A Global Journey. New York, London: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 2006.
“How Musical is Man?” was published in 1974. This book was written by John Blacking, a musician turned social anthropologist. His goal in writing this ethnography, and several other papers during this same time period, was to compare the experience of music-making that takes place within different cultures and societies throughout the world. In this book, he discusses and describes the musicology of the Venda people in South Africa. Though he does go to Africa to research and learn about the Venda people and their music, he specifically states that his book is “not a scholarly study of human musicality” (ix), but rather it is a summary (written from his point of view), which is both expressive and entertaining, of several different issues and ideas that he has seemingly been contemplating for some time.
For my site visit reflection paper, I decided to visit the Thai Buddhist Temple in Homestead. The reason this particular site was my choice was because information acquired from the videos in lecture about tradition and Confucianism in Asia made me curious to learn more about the Buddhist way of life. Because so many South Eastern countries instantaneously adopted Buddhism from India and then China with open arms, I decided to make the visit in the morning to learn the reasons for the international success of this way of life. This would give me a more interactive comprehension of Buddhism.
Music plays a huge role in the structure of a society. It can have both negative and positive influence on cultures and communities. First, musical sounds and instruments can be a dividing factor between the people within the same culture. These opposing social and economic identities within these cultures can lead unnecessary animosity between the members. However, music can also be one of the forces that unite members of a culture and provide a sense pride for everyone. This makes it easier for people to display their identification to that culture.
many cultures view as an important part in their way of life. Music ranges from strictly
During the course of this semester, the several musical styles that have been discussed and analyzed have displayed various similarities and differences. These differences in certain musical elements have accounted for the distinctiveness and uniqueness of each style of music. The culture behind these countries’ music adds even more to their individualism. Cultural aspects such as religion play a huge role in the music of each country as well. Styles of music in Africa might be more upbeat than certain styles in India, for example. Some cultures use music in religion, while others may not. Aspects such as dance are important factors in all three types of music. Despite the differences and similarities, however, without music, these cultures would perhaps not be as fascinating and unique as they are now.
Vietnamese cuisine can be very diverse due its geography and climate. There is no accurate average temperature for the whole country. The Vietnamese national culture emerged from a concrete living environment: a tropical country with many rivers and the confluence of great cultures (Vietnam Country). Vietnam is a long, narrow country in Southeast of Asia that borders south China, east of Laos and Cambodia. Vietnam is practically the size of Italy and Japan put together; and is divided into three regions: north, central, and south.
The topic that I will be discussing is Thai culture. In this, it will include areas that influence this culture. First, I will give you the geographical information of the country of Thailand. The second area that I will look at will be language. Language is an extremely important part of culture and some say that one cannot be found without the other. After that I will inform you about customs, traditions and taboos in Thai culture. This is a very important part of culture and is what shows the differences between cultures. Then I briefly tell you about the government and some national symbols, such as the flag, the symbol, colors, anthem, dress, and national day. Next, I will explain about religion in Thailand. In most cultures there is religion, but in Thailand it is interwoven into its whole culture and it is hard to separate the two. One other thing that I will include in this paper is a link to a page with pictures from my trip to Thailand.