Sounds of Canada
Music is an important part of identity, as it evolves with the people it represents. It creates an identity which is not only heard and seen, but also felt. This is why music has always been an integral part of culture. It is also an important tool in myth building because of its power to effect individuals personally and uniquely, while being created for all. It recreates memories and evokes emotions without words. In this way music is international, it is the language which everyone speaks, because it is the language of emotion. It can be understood by all, and so a group’s musical culture is significant in creating and displaying their identity.
Most countries have a distinct national sound which serves as their musical identity. At first glance Canada is lacking a musical identity because it is not singular or distinct. Upon further examination one can conclude that Canada has many musical identities, mirroring the Canadian concept of multiculturalism, and that this collage of sound creates its own musical identity. As Canadian music is multicultural it borrows themes and influences from other cultures, as well as multiple Aboriginal cultures. These different influences can be discovered through the exploration of Canadian pieces, composers, and the cultural significance they create. This pieces can also be organized geographically, as different areas of Canada have primarily different sounds.
Starting at the West coast, a strong Asian influence can be heard in many West-Canadian compositions. These are extremely powerful in the works of Alexina Louie. She blends together themes from both traditional Chinese music, and from Western-Americas. Her works represents pan-ethnicity in music, and so it is a fa...
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...inty. This song has many versions of the lyrics composed for it, which demonstrates how music in Canada can evolve through multiple voices.
These examples show the ways on which music can combine cultures, and grow with the influence of those who write and perform it. The pieces which are used consistently to represent Canada have gone through much editing, and usually combine cultures. This combination of cultures in music reiterates the myth of multiculturalism in Canada. As music is a unifying tool people are more susceptible to absorbing a message if it is set to music. Patriotic songs have been used to indoctrinate ideas of unity within multiculturalism. It does this by borrowing from multiple culture’s language, style, ideology, and motifs. Music transforms these fragments into a single collection. This is the sound of Canada: a patchwork of cultures.
Described as "the brightest star on the Canadian contemporary music scene" , Alexina Diane Louie is one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary composers. Notably named "Composer of the Year" by the Canadian Music Council in 1986, Louie's music has been widely commissioned and performed by top orchestras in Canada, as well as internationally. She is mostly known for her distinctive compositional approach of fusing the styles of Asian and Western music together, creating a unique style that sets her apart from her contemporaries. Though her musical style is well known, the journey behind realizing this style is not. One could hastily assume that her inspiration from fusing the music of the East and West would be effortless because of her Chinese heritage. However, the path for Louie to experience Asian music and use it as inspiration is actually quite complex, which makes understanding it essential to truly appreciate her works. It is important to recognize that even though Louie is of Chinese heritage, she did not grow up along with Asian music. Therefore, it is intriguing to figure out how and why she came towards her decision to fuse Eastern and Western styles in her compositions. By being aware about how her style developed, we can thoroughly understand why she composes in this distinctive way. In addition to her style, Louie has also been a very strong advocate for Canadian composers and their works, which is important to understand as it emphasizes her impact in the world as a Canadian composer herself. To understand Louie's compositions, as well as her role as a Canadian composer, we must discuss Louie's biography and education to discover how they have impacted her composition process
As the years have gone by, Australia has become increasingly multicultural. Music in Australia has grown to reflect this change and the stereotyped “Australian Sound” – developed primarily from early folk music, patriotic instrumental composition and 1980’s pub rock – has expanded vastly. As a result of this, the “Australian Perspective” too has grown, and now incorporates a vaster range of views and issues as perceived and expressed by different Australian musicians. Peter Sculthorpe was a multi-instrumental composer whose many works often reflected the different social and physical characteristics of Australia.
Ever since technology has advanced, it played a major role in bringing the American culture in Canadian homes, especially through radio. This resulted Canadians to become more familiar with American artists and performers, because of this, the Aird Commissions were concerned of Canada losing its identity to Americanization, thus was the birth of the successful Canadian Broadcasting Commission as its purpose was to “engage in the quick distribution of news across Canada...and providing exposure to Canadian compositions.” (“Creation of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation”) To begin with, CBC radio was successful because it established a powerful sense of national unity across Canada. This connected Canadians coast to coast with news about what was happening everyday in the urbanized life, and exchanged cultural expressions that were made available in French and English to reflect on national consciousness and identity. Without having to rely on American culture, CBC allowed more airtime with only Canadian content by replacing American cult...
“product of a musical tradition that has been evolved through the process of oral transmission. The factors that shape the transition are: (I) continuity which links the present with the past; (ii) variation which springs from the creative impulse of the individual or the group; and (iii) selection by the community...
Forced Migration is a complete contrast to what Voluntary Migration stands for and is a movement that results in destroying cultures and soundscapes. The process of Forced Migration forces groups of people, from their homeland unwillingly stripping them of their culture and forcing them to conform to a new way life, against their own choice. This process results in people longing for their nostalgia of their homeland and maintaining musical traditions as a part of their shared identity. While both of these migrations create different and unique soundscapes, one particular soundscape can be traced back through text and oral transmission and lead to the genre of music of American Spiritual, that genre of music can be traced back to the Forced Migrations of African Americans.
When radio was first introduced in Canada it was privately owned, this gave leeway for American companies to absorb the rights to broadcasted content. The Prime Minister at the time, R.B. Bennett became convinced that the “existing system of private radio would almost inevitably lead to the Americanization of a crucial cultural industry.” (Vipond, 2000, p. 41). Therefore regulations were implemented to “contribute to the development of national unity and provide a...
A person’s culture usually defines their identity, norms and values. I belong to the Canadian culture and will be examining the main elements of this culture such as its symbols, language, norms and values. Canada is considered to be a multiculturalist country, which can reveal why some aspects of my Polish heritage are incorporated into my culture and identity. Therefore, I believe that there is cultural diversity in Canada and that individuals can relate to different cultural identities in this culture, which is not the case for others around the world.
“Together the matrices of race and music occupied similar position and shared the same spaces in the works of some of the most lasting texts of Enlightenment thought..., by the end of the eighteenth century, music could embody differences and exhibit race…. Just as nature gave birth and form to race, so music exhibited remarkable affinities to nature” (Radano and Bohlman 2000: 14). Radano and Bohlman pointed out that nature is a source of differences; Racial identities, inevitably, exist because of these differences. However, as racial identities are founded on the differences of physical appearances, they are displayed through the differences of music, as music embodies the physical differences of human. Racial differences are magnified through many musical features, including language, tonality and vocal expression. Nonetheless, music is the common ground of different racial identities. “In the racial imagination, music also occupies a position that bridges or overlaps with racial differences. Music fills in the spaces between racial distinctiveness….” (Radano and Bohlman 2000:8) Even though music serves as a medium through which the differences of racial identities are revealed, it glues them
During an age of sexual liberty and massive change in regards to women’s role in culture, the music heard by the people of the United States reflected ideas of loose women and morals. The 1920s also showed a time in which alternate sexualities were being almost openly embraced. This lead to a music that, somewhat subtly, described the emergence of non-hetero sexualities in conjunction with the rise in women’s rights. In the 1930s, the United States felt a time of economic draught which prompted a migration of workers who moved around through riding trains to find odd jobs. The music of this time demonstrated, very clearly, the sense of freedom associated with this age while maintaining the economic suffering. The 1930s and it’s music also demonstrated political ideals rooted in replacing the Republican president of the time with his Democratic successor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The 1950s moved away from the freedom of past decades and into a massive age of fear and anxiety regarding Communism and the Cold War. Songs of this decade reflected the fear in the hearts of the American people while providing a comforting satire. Music is the ultimate first hand source as it is undoctored by the hands of time or by the hands of those attempting to manipulate the past. Music was created in the time it was
Reich, Steve. Writings about Music. Halifax: Nova Scotia Coll.of Art & Design P., 1974. Print.
“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.
Music can be defined as a collection of sounds and silence, however, as we learned in class, music style and verity can differ greatly between regions of the world. In this paper, we will summarize each studied region by listing a few important characteristics and themes of each. We will first look into the regional themes and styles of China, followed by those from Japan and Bali, then move on to the Pacific Islands, and finally end with Pacific Latin America. We will also compare and contrast each area along the way, and will list some common similarities and differences between them.
One the american identity is created is by language and music. “After dinner my older brother liked to play the guitar. He preferred music he heard on the radio, but he played the traditional songs for mama.” (para.1 music)
“The parallels between musical and linguistic boundaries are obvious” as stated in author Peter M...
The influence that music has throughout the world is immeasurable. Music evokes many feelings, surfaces old memories, and creates new ones all while satisfying a sense of human emotion. With the ability to help identify a culture, as well as educate countries about other cultures, music also provides for a sense of knowledge. Music can be a tool for many things: relaxation, stimulation and communication. But at the same time it can also be a tool for resistance: against parents, against police against power. Within the reign of imported culture, cross cultivation and the creation of the so-called global village lies the need to expand horizons to engulf more than just what you see everyday. It is important to note that the role of music in today’s world is a key tool in the process of globalization. However, this does not necessarily provide us with any reasons that would make us believe that music has a homogenizing affect on the world.