Tromblogging

Questions:

Why does Dr. Munarriz consider the label “Latin American Music” problematic? Do you agree or disagree with his position? Why?

What is the difference between Latin American Music and Latin Music?

What are ostinatos and how are they used in many Caribbean and Latin American musical expressions?

What are some of the Latin American expressions in which the so called “Habanera Pattern” can be easily identified?

Answers:

1) Dr. Munarriz considers the label of “Latin American Music” problematic since it implies that there is only one type of music that originates from the entire massive region. I tend to agree with Dr. Munarriz since Latin American Music sounds like the name of a singular genre to me when in reality the term is used to refer to a vast variety of different genres and techniques. I disagree with Dr. Munarriz that the term “Latin American Music” shouldn’t be phased out entirely, I cannot think of any situation where saying ”Latin American Music” is superior to “Music from Latin America” or simply “Latin American Musics”.

2)One can differentiate Latin American Music from Latin music based off of its point of origin. Latin music originates from the United States and was primarily created by the Latino populations there while Latin America comes from a multitude of different countries from Central and South America

3)Ostinatos are a repetitious pattern generally played by rhythm section instruments, although they sometimes appear on the melody. They are often used in the musics of Latin America to form a driving beat or pulse over which the remainder of the piece can be performed. Sometimes these patterns are played by a single instrument, such as the Clavé, and other times they are spread throughout the entire ensemble with the efforts of each individual player combining to form one rhythm, this creates a more complex sound that some genres prefer. 

4)The “Habanera Pattern” can be identified in a plethora of musics from Latin America such as, the Tango from Brazil, the Cuban Contradanza and Tumba Francesca as well as the Payada from northern Argentina.

Current music schools feature a limited variety of musical instruments and techniques in their curriculum, mostly consisting of western Classical music and the required instrumentation. I hope that in the coming years post secondary music schools could replace the current music history and music theory classes and replace them with selection of different course groupings consisting of a theory and history class. These course groupings would each be focused on one particular style of music being Western classical, Jazz, African, Asiatic, Middle eastern, South American, Rock, and Hip-Hop with more being added as music progresses around the world. Students would be required to complete four course groupings of their choosing during their degree with each set of courses lasting one term each and have a live ensemble component for students to get hands-on experience with the selected styles. In the third year of their studies students would be able to either continue exploring the different musician styles or continue their studies in a specific musical style to a more advanced level. This would lead to students being able to get a degree in one of the specific styles of music mentioned previously alongside a degree in composition, education or performance. 

Part two

Consider the following quotation in relation to your work on your instrument

“The practice that neutralizes the common sense intuition of the most privileged members of society as objective knowledge.”

As I progressed in my studies on the trombone I started to do large amounts of research into the mechanics of how the instrument functioned in search of ways to improve. In learning this information I began to disregard the larger more abstract aspects of playing the trombone and focused on minute details such as raising my tongue as I played higher pitches since I knew that was one thing that helped higher pitches sound. By doing this I ignored the fact that it did not feel natural to do the things I was doing and that it also was not improving my playing.

I spent about an hour listening to Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat and during that time I made the following observations. Firstly, as I listened and grew more familiar with the piece it seemed to get shorter with each repetition  to a certain point; the turning point for when the piece began to feel longer again was the third to last listen. It was at this point that I had decided that I would end my listening session soon which I believe made me savor each moment much more as there was a short and definitive amount of time left in my session. Secondly, on my first listen through of the concerto I was not overly attached to it, I found many of the transitions to be lacking finality or that they were too abrupt and the balance was not to my taste. But, as I continued to listened I found the piece more and more appealing. The transitions that I thought were strange began to feel correct and the balance started to make sense to me. This culminated at about the halfway point of my listening session when I decided to find the piece on another streaming software after I completed my listening to add it to my playlist.

Ethics of Playing Old Music.

By only playing the music of the past new or aspiring composers are inhibited from making an impact and potentially a living as well as slowing the advancement of orchestral music significantly. In the computer industry for example a five year old piece of equipment is considered incredibly outdated and in desperate need of replacement yet a 200 year old piece of music is considered to be perfect and unable to be improved upon.  That isn’t to say that new music should be played regardless of its quality just to support the composer and to advance the genre but, if a piece of above average music would be released today it should take precedence over older works to ensure the composer continues to create works of a similar caliber. Also, by only playing the music of the past the representation of white males is infinitely higher than any other group of individuals which would be completely unacceptable in any other field of study. 

What would I play if All music disappeared?

If all the music of non-living composers where to disappear overnight I would still continue to play any of the pieces that remain in my music folder such as “Evening Song” by Carson P Cooman (no recording available) and “Brass quintet No. 1” by B M Jacobowitz (no recording available) and “Trains of Thought” by Alex Shapiro since they would all be very easily accessible. For new music to fill out my emptied repertoire I would look to find or create trombone arrangements of pieces like “Windjammer” by Robert Buckley as melodic but still technically challenging pieces. Some things that are more upbeat that I would try and play are “Buckjump” by Trombone Shorty since I listen to a lot of music like this and to make sure I have a wide variety of music and artists to choose from. 

My Thoughts on a Quote From Nietzsche.

“If you are to venture to interpret the past, you can only do so out of the fullest exertion of the present. Only when you put forth your noblest qualities in all their strength will you divine what is worth knowing and preserving in the past. Like to like! Otherwise, you will draw the past down on you.”

I like this quote since it encourages you to know your own situation and capabilities and then, with that context investigate the past and all of the things that it contains. I believe it also acts as a cautionary tale against letting the past define everything that occurs in your life due to the negative wording of  the portions of the quote that deal with the past.

Goldberg Variation 12 compare and contrast 1955 and 1981

Immediately upon hearing the two different versions it is apparent that the 1955 version is played at a significantly faster tempo than the 1981 version. This faster tempo makes the earlier version sound much lighter and playful and makes the melody feel more connected since in both versions most of the notes are shortened to mimic a harpsichord. Another prominent distinction between the two versions is that beat one of each bar in the opening is heavily accented in the 1955 versions whereas each quarter note beat is given the same amount of importance in the 1981 version. Potentially due to the recording equipment used the 1981 version has a much fuller sound since the accompaniment line has more presence than it does in the 1955 version. One striking similarity between both versions is that  each individual note is of similar length to its counterpart in the other version despite the large difference in tempo. While both of these recordings are of the same piece and share many of the same qualities in dynamics, style and form there are still many differences between the two. 

1

Over the summer I have interacted with visual art most notably in one way, my friends will draw character art for their dungeons and dragons characters and will send it to me for feedback. This is directly interacting with art but it is also indirectly creating art, by changing the way my friends think about or see their art I am also able to change the final product. I also engage with non-visual art on a near daily basis by discussing pieces with friends or playing and creating art of my own via playing the trombone.

2

One thing around me that I consider to be powerful in both a physical and emotional sense is a very old large tree in front of my house. Each winter when the winds get too high the whole household begins to worry about the tree falling onto the roof in the night yet, each year it remains standing. The mental strain that the tree puts my entire family under is just as impressive as its ability to withstand the extreme forces put on it by the elements. Another thing that I think to be quite powerful is the common S.U.V. Each individual vehicle can accomplish the same amount of work as tens of able bodied people in a significantly shorter time frame. Additionally, the fact that in many countries cars and S.U.V.s are commonplace in many countries is an ode to how far society has come.

3 

Over the recent weeks I have spent a large amount of time in and around Oak Bay Marina. While there a few different sounds stood out to me the variety of different sounds created by gulls which ranged from nearly a chuckle to an effect almost akin to a scream. Other sounds of local wildlife such as the gentle puff of a seal’s nostrils releasing a held breath or crabs claws scraping on the metallic hull of the boat. The soundscape was not limited to just nature, human activity could be heard at every turn. Walking through the marina it is not uncommon to hear the muffled sounds of radio announcers and music coming from nearby vessels. Once on the water it is easy to hear the yelling of small children on willows beach nearby although there is a distinct lack of traffic noise coming from nearby roads. Another sound that intrigued me was the mixture of different engine noise as other boats approached our own. Individually it was possible to differentiate between them but as they mixed, it began to sound like one larger vessel with a completely separate and unique auditory identity.

4

As a concept free time exists to be filled. If there is an opening in a schedule a meeting is placed there or with a pass time of the individuals choosing. The issue with the latter is that if someone has too much freetime their pastimes become something that they no longer enjoy and instead something that only passes the time until their next important activity. Without the agency of commitment a pastime is just that, something that passes the time. Additionally, if a free time activity is done with such regularity that it overshadows all other commitments it is no longer a free time activity since it takes priority over important obligations such as work or school. As such I agree with the sentiment that free time only works if you steal it. Having to take time away from other more important activities to partake in relaxation or fun events gives a greater sense of purpose to all of the activities involved.

5

There were a large number of things that Laskey said throughout the film that really struck a chord with me but, in particular around the 14 minute 10 second mark of the video Laskey said ”I mixed black grapes and black olives in a salad and you actually couldn’t tell what you were eating.” at which point I paused the video to ponder all of the different implications that the statement has. I found the notion that when two things are mixed together it becomes nearly impossible to decipher between them both to be quite interesting and applicable to nearly anything, including sound as I mentioned in number 3. Other examples I have thought of specifically are mixing colors or shades, two different instruments or players playing together, and computers.