Piece 1: Amazing Grace; Track 16; CD 1
The DAN AIR Scottish Pipe Band was created in 1988 by J.M. Banks, personal piper of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1995, the DAN AIR Scottish Pipe Band recorded Banks’ arrangement of “Amazing Grace,” a popular hymn written by John Newton in 1773. Prior to writing “Amazing Grace,” Newton identified himself as an atheist. Spending a good portion of his life at sea, Newton experienced numerous life-threatening events. From encounters with storms to almost being overthrown as captain of his own ship, Newton wrote about the grace of God he experienced as he survived each peril. Following life at sea, Newton converted to Christianity and became a parson. “Amazing Grace,” is one of the hymns Newton wrote that reflected upon his experiences at sea and his encounters with God.
I honestly thought that I would like the Banks arrangement at first, but the bagpipes weren’t very appealing to me. Listening to them hurt my ears. It was also very strange to my ear having the 5th as the bass. There was a random noise that sounded like a car crash. It honestly startled me; I didn’t understand how it fit in the piece.
Piece 2: Nyamaropa; Track 2; CD 2
Nyamropa is a Zimbabwean piece that was performed by Ephat Mujuru. The instrumentation of the piece includes the mbira, which is also called a thumb piano due to its image. Mujuru was a huge supporter of Zimbabwean independence and often dedicated his songs to the cause. Ephat Mujuru was a mbira playing legend. After receiving an education at the University of Washington in Seattle, he returned to the university to teach mbira and marimba (Harris). Nyamropa is performed on a a particular mbira called the mbira dzavadzimu, an instrument that produces buzzing sounds to ...
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...’t quite pleasing to the ear, and it was difficult for me to understand the direction in which the piece was going.
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On Wednesday, October 26, 2016, there was a combo jazz ensemble that performed at the Florence Kopleff Recital Hall. The jazz ensemble consisted of Josh Holland on trumpet, Andrew Venet on bass, J. Paul Whitehead on piano, and Ryan McDaniel on drums. The songs that they performed that night were; “Blue Bossa” by Joe Henderson, “My Funky Valentine” by Joshua Holland, “My One and Only Love” by Gut Wood, and “Jig-a-Jug” by Joshua Redman. Throughout the night, they played a combination of combo jazz and bossa nova.
The Bagpipes have been used continuously through the course of history and throughout many cultures.The history of bagpipes, much like its origins are elusive. The bagpipes were reported to have been played by Roman emperors to French and Scottish kings. Cultures around the world have used the bagpipes in many ceremonial occasions such as weddings, dances, wars, funerals and various other occasions. People have fought hard to keep the essence of piping a-live. Bagpiping’s The bagpipes contributions to society have been great, and no other country has tried harder to preserve its spiritual essence than Scotland.
Pop. Traditional. Classical. These are all genres of music. These all serve a purpose. These are all important. Pop music has been used to help inform and motivate the general public during movements like environmental protection and gay rights. Traditional music has helped to guide us by telling us stories of the past from the church to the fields. Classical music has been played for royalty and help dancers spin a story. Some can be considered art while others can’t, but it often differs because the definition of art is in constant motion. The definition of art is a subject philosopher’s debate because it can be defined strictly or loosely. For the purpose of this essay, let art be defined as anything that can be touched or heard, and it causes a mental and physical reaction. Classical music is truly an art form because it invokes a mental and physical reaction from both the audience and the performers, and it has contrast to make it more dynamic.
Ever since humans first learned how to make music with their voices and with instruments thousands of years ago, music has been changing. Some changes took place over hundreds or even thousands of years, stunted by human isolation or by guidelines set in place by religious institutions. The 20th century, in contrast, experienced several rapid, radical changes in the popular genres of music. This made the 20th century a very rich time period for musical culture. These remarkable genres--including, but not limited to jazz, rock and roll, and the music of the “British invasion”--all influenced one another, and all influenced the culture we still live in today.
The ensemble’s intonation during the performance of the march was absolutely terrible. The flat notes sounded low throughout the piece. Especially the Ebs at measure 71 until measure 87 where they started sounding more in tune. The Dbs at measure 91 sounded
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The manifestation of roots music from African immigrants developed into American musical genres such as spirituals, blues, and gospel music. As the centuries progressed, spirituals and work songs extended to comprise distinctive song genres, particularly the blues of southern blacks. Work songs and spirituals from African Americans are regarded as a window into their cultural life, their songs interconnect the optimisms, burdens, and beliefs of slavery. Music was imbedded into life, songs were hummed on front porches, chanted in churches, and caroled in the fields. Melodies were passed down from parent to child and through connotations they mirrored the changing times.
rest of the world are not used to hearing. This is because we are used
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.
... mine”. Despite the connection I have with the song, I feel that the performance was below average overall because they really lacked stage presence and consistency. I understand that it is a slower song compared to the others in the main setlist, however, even if the pace of the song is slow, the performer must still maintain a balance between energy and chemistry with the audience which they failed to do so. Towards the end, Zayn’s falsetto during his ad-libs in the bridge section made up for the flat notes sung by the group earlier. He has always been the strongest soloist. I also admired the floating platform they used to float above the audience for this song because it changes our perception. I looked up to them physically just as I looked up to them emotionally. It was definitely a good experience. I truly cannot wait to attend another concert of theirs.