Friday, August 31, 2012

Indianapolis Symphony News

The Indianapolis Symphony situation is one we'll be following, perhaps all semester if things are not quickly resolved.

The link below takes you to a constantly updated Google search for articles on the situation:

indianapolis symphony orchestra

Orchestra consultant Drew McManus is writing about the situation as well.  Drew has a unique point of view, and his posts will be well worth reading.  So far, there are two:

http://www.adaptistration.com/blog/2012/08/30/the-real-issue-in-indianapolis/

and

http://www.adaptistration.com/blog/2012/08/31/indy-details/


Thursday, August 30, 2012

ISO Budget Cuts!

I just got this today. This goes with the major theme of our seminar. Please check it out.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-the-indianapolis-symphony-orchestra-2-2/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=system&utm_campaign=Send%2Bto%2BFriend

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Rocks in place? How's your practicing and time management going? (Comment required)

Last week Dr. McCoy spoke about "putting the rocks in first," and how for musicians, practicing is perhaps our most important "rock."  So many seemingly urgent things come up--assignments due, email to answer, texts to respond to, FB status updates (and yes, I fall into all these traps at time myself)--that if we leave the really important long-term habits until we "have time," we never will.

And, as Dr. McCoy said today, if you we wait to practice until we feel like it, no one would ever practice.  The great cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, who had an international solo career, used to say, "Talented people hate to practice."

So here you are, one week into college/music school life. How is it going with managing your time and priorities, getting everything done?  What's working?  What's not working?  What support do you need?

Please write at least a brief comment on this before Friday's class.


Listening Homework for Friday 8/31 (Comment Required)

Hi everyone--

I hope you had a great time at the library search session today.

On Friday, we'll be drumming and leading, and starting to explore the Music for People approach to improvised music making.  Outside class, you'll be listening to tracks from "The Darling Conversations," a dialogue between MfP co-founder David Darling and Julie Weber, who runs MfP's facilitator-training program.

Remember that to get to the music, you go to http://audio.depauw.edu and log in with your network/moodle username and password.

There are many beautifully-recorded musical examples which I expect you'll enjoy.
For Friday, listen to the first 5 tracks in the "Darling Conversations" playlist:
  • Introduction
  • It's You
  • One Quality Sound
  • Babbling
  • Articulation
Take notes on both the music you hear and the ideas Julie and David discuss.  (Describe the music and write down the ideas.)

Then write a comment here BEFORE Friday's class. 
  • Which musical examples did you like the best? (List/briefly describe at least four.)
  • What ideas did you find most interesting?  Did you agree or disagree with them?  And did anything fall into the categories of "something you didn't know you didn't know" or "something you didn't know you already knew" (the latter category a slight rewording of how Michael put it last week).  

See you Friday!

--EE

Why Music Education Belongs in Public Schools


I found this video and thought it was incredibly insightful. Roger H. Brown, the president of Berklee College of Music, hits points that explain why Music Education is essential to the public school system. He discusses how the school system is so focused on standardized testing as the judgment for intelligence that those who don't necessarily excel in academic courses/standardized tests are basically rejected from succeeding in this system that has formed over the past years. He provides a great example of John Coltrane to solidify his point. He also discusses how music education motives people to want to learn and even reaches out to a deeper level in the individual because there is a type of connection made with music that many people may not make with per se Chemistry or Calculus. In general, the video really points out how the education of music is essential and should be treated of equal importance as the "basic" courses such as English, Math and Science.

Alzheimer's response to music

http://youtu.be/fyZQf0p73QM

This is something that is very meaningful for me. My grandpa had Alzheimer's and he would light up as much as he could when he heard his favorite polka music. This really goes with how music connects people. These patients react in an extraordinary way when they hear music. Music affects everyone. In the "Bill of Musical Right" it mentions "Musical self-expression is a joyful and healthy means of communication available to absolutely everyone."

Monday, August 27, 2012

Music Can Be Made From Anything

I recieved this url in a post several months ago from a percussion friend.  And after what we discussed today in FYS, I thought that this video is very appropriate for our group.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_CDLBTJD4M&feature=share

When I first heard this, I was mind-blown.  The time, physics, and ingenuity of this project was incredible.  How can someone think of such a simple yet complex system to create a melody out of a ball and wooden bars?  I think that our group should do such a project!!! :)

Becca

Sunday, August 26, 2012

WHOOO! DRUMS! :)


Like most people, the interview was the best part of the article. The questions he asked were insightful and interesting. I liked how the questions hull asked did not completely shape the answers that Babatunde Olatunji gave. He not only answered the questions but he gave more insight than he needed. His passion for the drums and everything was clearly shown in the answers he gave.

I really like the Drums of Passion music. While listening, I wanted to get up and dance a lot. I listened further and I discovered that one of the songs on the list is a song on the Wii game "Just Dance". I was really excited to make this discovery. My roommate and I almost got up started dancing around our room. She isn't a music major but she too wanted to dance around the room. This showed that anyone and everyone can be influenced by the power of music and a drum beat.

I found it interesting that someone actually wrote them down. There are 11 points in the Music Bill of Rights. The actual Bill of Rights there are 10. This shows that a musician's Bill of Rights is more important then the National Bill of Rights. I thought the statements were accurate. I have never really thought of music in some of those ways before. It opened my eyes to new possibilities.

In Hull's article about drum circles, he stated that everyone and anyone can be a part of the drum circles. In the Bill of Rights, it states that everyone is a musician. In Hull's article, he talked about the different music of different cultures. In the Music Bill of Rights, it states that the are as many different music styles as there are people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtPYNeaLKo

This is a youtube video I found about how drum circles relieve stress. It talks about how normal everyday people come to bang on some drums to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and everyday life. I think this is a GREAT way for people to relieve some of their stress while having a great time doing it. You don't have to have any musical training whatsoever. All you need is a drum and something to hit with. 

Drum your Heart Out

Arthur Hull wasn't searching for a good drummer. What happens to fascinate me is the surprising irrelevance of quality/talent when the heart takes the front seat. Reading Babatunde talk about his culture is motivating. I'm sure I am not the only one who wanted to know more about African culture because of this class! Like I mentioned before, the heart of Olatunji's drumming is an outward depiction of his inner-self. He's got music pegged - a gateway to one's heart and soul, literally. This quote, from the article describing the Arthurian Philosophy, really says it all for me - how convenient: "This concept is so simple that most of the time we’re not aware of it, but life is rhythm and rhythm is life. Everything that lives, moves and has being, vibrates. When all cells of our bodies vibrate in harmony, we are in good health. When our cells are not vibrating in harmony, we are in dis-ease."

Listening to Babatunde's rhythmically soothing music was in a strange sense, cleansing. The repetition, while it could be viewed as unnecessary, is a way of diving deeper and deeper into the inner self that we see through Drums of Passion. The audio clips were unique to the culture and even more descriptive of the people making music. Perhaps not as much insight as would be ideal, but still a thought.

The Bill of Musical Rights needs to be blown up, color coated and hung up in the SOM. Particularly, the ninth "law" of sorts: "There are no "unmusical" people, only those with no musical experience." From vibrations to emotions to body movement, music is not a solitary field of study - it is diverse and spans across all walks of life. Improvisation was mentioned as an inclusive activity; i.e. something for everyone. I really appreciate the truth which stands firmly behind the art of improv. 

Between all of the articles/websites, one thing in particular stood out to me: music is not merely external but rather, is an internal process connected to external sources. It is physical, emotional, powerful, and joyful and is purely soulful. The word vibrations was impressively addressed in both the bill of musical rights and the Hull articles regarding physical vibrations which transfer into the other aspects of music making. When I am able to connect the science of music, the kinesiology of music, and the emotional nature of all things musical, music becomes that much more real to me. It becomes the heart and soul of my life. The heartbeat of Mo.

Arts, Education, Competition

Reading Burke's post earlier made me realize something that was sort of disheartening: much of what little education/funding there is for the arts is based on competition and winning. More and more, personal enjoyment and creativity seem to playing less of a role in the activities that students participate it. Marching band, which used to just act as a nice interlude at football games, is now a highly competitive activity that schools (at least in my state) take very seriously. Bands spend hours on the field trying to get every movement right in the hopes that they will steal the biggest trophy from a rival high school. And while I know that most everyone that participates in these activities loves the experience, I can't help feeling that it would be just as fulfilling without the competitive aspect.

This doesn't just apply to music, either. AP art classes are offered, and students stress about and work hard to receive a 4 or a 5. In my mind, that is not what art is about. Art should be about creating something that you love, not something that you think an AP scorer would appreciate. Instead of enjoying the creative process, many of my friends working on their portfolios were extremely stressed about meeting the standards and guidelines provided, stifling some of their creativity in the process.

I do understand that competition holds us accountable. Doing well in competitions requires practice, and practice (obviously) is what makes us improve But why do we need a trophy or a "5" dangled over our heads to get us to practice? Shouldn't the desire to do well and consistently improve be enough? I know that for younger children, that is usually not the case. They typically need encouragement- the promise of a reward. But for young adults who are choosing to be involved in the arts it seems to me that being involved in something creative, enjoying what you are doing, and working to improve for yourself should be enough.


(This isn't related to drum circles. Is that okay?)
M.

Arthur Hull, Drums of Passion and Bill of Music Rights 8/26

     Reading the interview between Hull and Babatunde Olatunji was interesting because of how Olatunji describe the drum facilitators as peacemakers. I had never thought of drumming as something that could unite a community in a positive way. It keeps the African culture alive and brings people together to share the cultural history together. Rhythm being the center of life was a new concept as well. Thinking about every day life with a pulse/beat to it gives me a whole new perspective on my daily routines.

     I love the Drums of Passion music. The way the drummers fit their unique patterns in with everyone else's makes the music flow together as if the instruments are giving each other compliments. The chanting/singing in the background is very interesting too.

     In the Music Bill of Rights, I found that the last article intrigued me the most. Looking at life as sending out vibrations with everything we do makes every action have a new meaning. I'm not just doing something but I am sending out either negative or positive energy with my decisions.

     There were many similarities in the points made in the different Author's articles. The biggest overlap I found was the last article of the Bill of Music Rights and the Rhythmaculture Article was the connection to vibrations. The Bill of Music Rights states that "In improvisation as in life, we must be responsible for the vibrations we send one another. In the Rhythmaculture article, Authur Hull connects rhythm to the structure of life and that rhythm is the vibrations of life. Both authors portray vibrations as how we express ourselves.

   

Drums Are Wonderful!

My favorite part of all the Arthur Hall articles was definitely the interview he had with Babatunde Olatunji. Rhymaculture and the Arthurian Philosophy were both good articles but I really felt the most could be learned from anecdotes of the man himself. Olatunji wanted to teach more then just lessons concerning the drum spirit. He also wanted to indirectly teach people to be better as is described when he speaks of "getting even" with people. I thought the interview with Olatunji was the most interesting and there is a lot more to learn from this man then just things concerning the spirit of the drum.

I really enjoyed the "Drums of Passion" music. It was something new to listen to, but I thought it was very interesting. That word sure is used a lot in this seminar.. I really liked how none of the drummers ever took control, and the flow of the music was incredible. The chanting was something, although in another language, that really added to the pieces and made them more original. I thought the songs, even the long one "Chant to the God of Thunder" were very good. And they held my interest and showed a new perspective of music.

The "Bill of Musical Rights" described music simply and efficiently. The one that spoke to me the most was definitely the right that no one is not musical, but are instead lacking in musical experience. As a Music Education major I see this as why I'm shooting to educate. Everyone has the music inside them, it just needs a little prodding and maybe a little training to let it emerge and possibly change the world.

I see the Hull articles as a perfect example of the "Bill of Musical Rights." Olantunji lives by these rights and makes sure people know of them (in some way, maybe not the exact same rights). Olantunji spoke of how everyone can be a musician, and advocated for dancing. He also demonstrated how there are multiple sides to music. There is an obvious reliance between Olantunji and the "Bill of Musical Rights." Olantunji teaches the rights because it is how he believes music can be formed, and the rights depend on teachers such as Olantunji to make sure they're implemented and perfected. I believe our drum circle seminar with Professor Edburg will help us not only learn about drums, but will help us embrace the spirit of the drum and become better, stronger musicians and educators.

Matt Skiba

Drum Circle Video

I thought this YouTube video partnered well with the material we're reading. From the first subtitle declaring that "Rhythm is a language" to the last stating that 'The hand drum has an extraordinary and consistent ability to create states of euphoria, induce light trance, promote play, release anger, and promote feelings of community and unity," this rings true to the power of drum circles and general percussive abilities. It effectively surmises what I feel during our seminar, and I hope it speaks to everybody else the way it spoke to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdN6olQXHyo




"Hey Inner Self, Have You Met Outer Self?"

"Sometimes we share ourselves with a circle of people, sometimes we share our inner selves with outer selves."
In the "Arthurian Philosophy" article by Arthur Hall this one line stood out to me. How often is it that we think of our inner and outer selves as different people? Quite often actually. In the application of make-up or in buying name brand clothes, in lifting weights or becoming more flexible we dress our outer selves up. Through listening to music and reading literature our "inner self" is nurtured. To me this single sentence struck a chord, "have my inner and outer self ever really been introduced?" I know that my mind and body work together, for instance my brain is telling my body to type right now. And then I realized that just recently they had been introduced, in drum circle. On Wednesday and Friday my mind was stimulated by the many unique drum beats in our circle and my body (my hands) simply hit rhythmically on the drum in any manner that my brain found pleasing. Though my inner and outer self have worked together previously in playing the violin, I have never felt that they were this in sync. Without the distraction of sheet music or an audience, simply surrounded by people who I believe I understand on some internal level, I felt that there was no distinction between "inner" and "outer". All that I felt was fantastically simple and unequivocally human. 
Have you met yourself yet?



I hope that everyone read this article because it was homework...if not, http://www.drumcircle.com/articles/philosophy.html.


Kay see you guys on Monday,
Sarah Jylkka

Danny Marsh Blog Week Ending 8/27

I personally thought the article that discussed the concept of 'Rhythmaculture' to be the most interesting. I have heard that music is the oldest form of language. However, due my background as a singer, my mind jumps to the conclusion that the statement refers to singing. For some reason the idea that it would include rhythm and drums just never occurred to me. The fact that slaves in Haiti used drums to communicate and organize a successful revolt, freeing them from their bondage.
I enjoyed listening to the "Drums of Passion" tracks. I like how different emotions could be expressed through the different drum sounds. It was fun to expose myself to something that I was so unfamiliar with.
First of all, I think that the 'Bill of Musical Rights' is a cool concept. I love that it is written in such a way that it is clear that it applies to both musicians and non musicians. It is also interesting to note that 'Bill of Musical Rights' raises the level of the importance of music in our culture to something more than just a hobby or a source of entertainment; it can ridiculed, debated over, and supported in the same way that a religion or any kind of personal opinion can. As a vocalist, I very much enjoyed the section that states "The human voice is the most natural and powerful vehicle for musical self-expression. The differences in our voices add richness and depth to music."
The ideas stated in the 'Bill of Musical Rights' and the Hull drum circle articles share very similar views on how music impact us socially, culturally, physically, and emotionally. They both say that music can affect everyone, not just musicians, and can also be created by everyone.

Creativity in the context of education

When reading the Musical Bill of Rights, I was struck by the way music is treated as something that everyone should experience. It reminded me of a video I'd seen recently in which Sir Ken Robinson contends that the arts should be taught in public schools as seriously as reading, writing, math and the hard sciences.

In the clip, he breaks down the education system, showing how children are taught to bury their expressive qualities and conform to models that will get them a "real" job. I couldn't help but be reminded of the expressive nature of our class and how it breaks the traditional barriers of education.

It's exciting to be a part of a system that more and more progressive minds are saying is the correct way to go. I think that our class is a perfect model of something that could greatly benefit young children as they discover their passions.

I've included the link for anyone who is interested. It's a 20 minute clip but is hilarious, informative and very much worth your time if you so choose to watch it.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Documenting Your Blog Posts/Comments

The weekly blogging requirements are to write at least one original post, relevant to the content of the course, and to write comments on at least 5 posts by others.

You document what you've done for your records and mine by sending me an email with the unique URLS of the posts and comments you've written.

Here's how to do that.

For your original post:
For your comments:
  • From the main page of the blog, click on the title of the post on which you wrote a comment.  You can also click on the "[X] comments" link to the left of the original poster's name at the bottom of the post.
  • That will take you to the individual page for the post.
  • To the left of your name, there is a time and date stamp.  Click on that, and a URL that leads directly to your comment will appear in the address bar.
  • For example, when I clicked on Marian's comment on that first post, this URL appeared: http://mus130c2012.blogspot.com/2012/08/responses-to-first-class.html?showComment=1345771351915#c2678012835016642862.  You'll see that if you click on that, it takes you write to her comment.  
Email format:

This is important, because if you use this format it makes it easy for me to find your email later in the semester.

  • Write from your @depauw.edu account, not a personal account.
  • Make the subject "[Your Name] Blogging Week Ending [Date]"
In the body of the email, write:
  • "My original post: [URL]"
  • "My comments: [list each URL on a separate line]
So it would look like this (using my previous posts and comments as examples):

Subject: Eric Edberg Blogging Week Ending 8/26/2012
My original posts:
My comments:
I hope that's clear!  There is often some confusion the first time these are due.

And remember the deadline for reporting this first week's activity is 5:00 AM Monday morning.  



Homework for Monday (Comment Required)

So, just to be clear:

The homework for this coming Monday is to read/listen to and be prepared to discuss all the readings/listenings that were assigned for Friday, and the reading assigned for Monday.


Then write one paragraph about each of the following, as a comment on this post:
  • What did you find most interesting in the Arthur Hull articles?
  • What was your response to the Drums of Passion music?
  • What did you find most interesting about "Bill of Musical Rights"?
  • What overlap do you see between the Hull drum-circle articles and the Bill of Musical Rights?
Have fun!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Responses to first class session/syllabus goals (comment required)

Hi!

Welcome to your class blog.  By 2:00 AM on Friday 8/24, write at least two paragraphs discussing your experience in our FYS class today and what ideas the learning goals in the syllabus have sparked in you. 

I'm particularly interested in seeing you share with each other your ideas and dreams for the work you hope to do after college, and how the work we do together this semester can help you plant seeds and lay groundwork for that.

When you add your response as a comment, be sure that it is clear who you are, either from your Blogger name or by signing your comment.

--EE