On Thursday night April 15, I gathered a couple of friends of mine to attend a musical called Side Show. During the performance, I saw many key aspects which really stood out to me. These key aspects shaped my experience of the musical.
Music
Side Show featured lots of "Broadway"-style music. There were some nice bouncy songs where all the cast danced to and others that were more passionate. Music was very prevalent throughout the whole show. With few dialogue taking place between the characters, almost everything was conveyed through singing or dancing. The music had a live pit orchestra to play for the singers. The orchestra was hidden for the most part in the back of the scenery but that did the volume or quality of their performance. The musical numbers had a lot of solo acts for Daisy and Violet, the protagonist of the story. Through these musical numbers the audience gets a glimpse in to what the twins are thinking and how they felt.
Performers
The performers were once again composed of UTD art students. The students wore clothes apporiate for their character. The twins, Daisy and Violet, had on blonde wigs and flowing skirts to set them apart from the other characters. Jake the Cannibal King wore a loincloth for a short period of time in the beginning but changed in to business attires once the twins and him were accepted to go on the musical tour.Buddy and Terry had on slick savy clothing throughout most of the musical.
The light show help to provide the performers with the necessary time to transition from one scene to another. The performers seamlessly shifted from one scene to another. Many people in the audience were amazed at how smooth the musical progressed throughout the night. The dance numbers accompanied the transition from one scene to another well, too.
Audience
The audience was composed of mostly UTD students and some senior citizens who lived around the area. The Performance Hall was packed with spectators. Everybody was rubbing shoulders with their neighbors but no one seemed to mind. It was apparent that some members of the audience had not been to many musicals before when they clapped in the middle of a solo because there was a long pause. Once some of the audience clapped, everybody clapped, too, as to not make the performance awkward.
When it was time for the intermission, many people had decided to leave. However, once they got outside, their hopes of escape were dashed away when they saw that it was raining hard outside. Some people braved the storm and left the musical while others not so strong-willed decided to stick around until the storm died down. When the intermission was over, most of the people who attended the first half came back for the second and even some new members showed up.
Time and Space
The musical took place on Thursday night at about 8 p.m. Despite the musical being on a weekday, a lot of people turned out for the musical. The night-time suited the musical well. If the musical had taken place at any other time in the day, then it would not have had the same effect on the audience. By that time of the night, almost everybody in the audience was just looking for a good time. They just wanted to unwind and relax for the evening. Everybody in the audience was having a good time and they did not feel shy to let the performers know it.
The performance proved to be a rich musical event filled with lots of song and dance. It was an event that both the performers and audience enjoyed.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Gullah Music
Gullah music was originally performed by slaves in South Caroline and Georgia area. Their culture share similar traits with other people in Sierra Leone since that was where many of the slaves in that area came from. The people of Gullah have a distinctive culture and music as opposed to other slaves because large numbers of slaves from one part of Africa were grouped together in one part of the US for their rice farming skills.
Gullah music features a lot of membranophones and other West African instruments. All the instruments were simple, compact, and easy to transport. The performers expect the performance to be participatory in nature with the audience jumping in to dance along with the songs. The songs also featured fast beats and lots of improvisation by both the performers and the audience. These aspects of the music are constant with the music aspects in Sierra Leone.
During the performance, there is often a lot of movements done by the performers. The Gullah shouters often chant phrases while the music is playing. When performing, the Gullah people are either in plain modern clothing or are dresses in traditional loose attire. There are few if any material culture associated with the Gullah music culture. Besides the sale of some CDs and performances, there is not a lot of material culture.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Performance: Shakespeare in Song
Introduction
It was early Saturday on March 27. My friends and I went to see the 2 o'clock showing of Shakespeare in Song performed by the University of Texas at Dallas art students. The sun was up high in the sky with no cloud in sight. It obviously did not set us or any of the audience in the mood for a performance. I was getting ready to attend a choir performance of some of Shakespeare's song.
Music
The UTD music students' performance featured many musical pieces from Shakespeare in Song. The songs sung came from ten Shakespearean plays. Their program included two or three pieces from each play.
A couple of pieces featured a solo part for a select few performers. The play opened up with the different sections in the choir singing verses in different rhythm. While the original Shakespeare songs were meant to be sung as an opera with a solo vocalist accompanied by a pianist, the performers at UTD decided to add another element to this. They choose to add in choir pieces throughout the show. The choir provided accompaniment for the soloist which helped provide a richer texture in the piece because the different parts in the choir only had to focus on their own notes so it helped to produce a rich sound.
This is how a standard Shakespeare song would e performed:
This is an example of what the UTD performers did:
Performers
The performers were dressed in simply Medieval like clothing. The girls all wore long dresses while the guys had on long tights that clung to their legs. Everybody wore simply clothing which allowed them to blend in with their fellow performers. However, a few of the performers had on a hat or a big necklace in order for them to stand out a little from the choir. This was usually a good indication that he or she had some important role in the piece.
For example, Lakshman Manjunath who played Guiderius in Cymbeline wore a bright blue outfit with a big flamboyant blue hat. Manjunath stood out from the rest of the choir members because he had to. He was the soloist for that piece with only the piano for accompaniment. All eyes from the audience where on him, as well they should be, as he sang every note perfectly.
The choir director/ conductor had small cues which she would give to both her performers and the audience. For the whole performance, her back faced towards the audience. Whenever she did face the audience, it meant that a certain piece of the performance had ended and that it was a place where the audience could/ should clap. She also gave slight and often flawless commands directing the choir members to their new placement flawlessly on the cramped stage.
Audience
The audience consisted of many people from varying age groups. Some were as young as nine years old while others were in their mid 60s. The majority of the audience consisted of college students attending UTD. Throughout the performance, there was virtually no interaction between the performers and the audience. Few people in the audience looked like they had had any experience in this music culture.
Time and Space
The performance took place in the middle of the day on March 27 in the Jonsson Performance Hall. Since it took place in the middle of day and it was the shows second showing, there very few people present. Despite the number of people present at the performance, the crowd gave the performers loud cheers.
Conclusion
The performance of Shakespeare in Song provided a great opportunity for the local community to experience this music culture. The performers put on a unique show that few people get to experience on a regular basis.
Work Cited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPzakEsRbeo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=941FKrYhD_E
Shakespeare in Song Program
It was early Saturday on March 27. My friends and I went to see the 2 o'clock showing of Shakespeare in Song performed by the University of Texas at Dallas art students. The sun was up high in the sky with no cloud in sight. It obviously did not set us or any of the audience in the mood for a performance. I was getting ready to attend a choir performance of some of Shakespeare's song.
Music
The UTD music students' performance featured many musical pieces from Shakespeare in Song. The songs sung came from ten Shakespearean plays. Their program included two or three pieces from each play.
A couple of pieces featured a solo part for a select few performers. The play opened up with the different sections in the choir singing verses in different rhythm. While the original Shakespeare songs were meant to be sung as an opera with a solo vocalist accompanied by a pianist, the performers at UTD decided to add another element to this. They choose to add in choir pieces throughout the show. The choir provided accompaniment for the soloist which helped provide a richer texture in the piece because the different parts in the choir only had to focus on their own notes so it helped to produce a rich sound.
This is how a standard Shakespeare song would e performed:
This is an example of what the UTD performers did:
Performers
The performers were dressed in simply Medieval like clothing. The girls all wore long dresses while the guys had on long tights that clung to their legs. Everybody wore simply clothing which allowed them to blend in with their fellow performers. However, a few of the performers had on a hat or a big necklace in order for them to stand out a little from the choir. This was usually a good indication that he or she had some important role in the piece.
For example, Lakshman Manjunath who played Guiderius in Cymbeline wore a bright blue outfit with a big flamboyant blue hat. Manjunath stood out from the rest of the choir members because he had to. He was the soloist for that piece with only the piano for accompaniment. All eyes from the audience where on him, as well they should be, as he sang every note perfectly.
The choir director/ conductor had small cues which she would give to both her performers and the audience. For the whole performance, her back faced towards the audience. Whenever she did face the audience, it meant that a certain piece of the performance had ended and that it was a place where the audience could/ should clap. She also gave slight and often flawless commands directing the choir members to their new placement flawlessly on the cramped stage.
Audience
The audience consisted of many people from varying age groups. Some were as young as nine years old while others were in their mid 60s. The majority of the audience consisted of college students attending UTD. Throughout the performance, there was virtually no interaction between the performers and the audience. Few people in the audience looked like they had had any experience in this music culture.
Time and Space
The performance took place in the middle of the day on March 27 in the Jonsson Performance Hall. Since it took place in the middle of day and it was the shows second showing, there very few people present. Despite the number of people present at the performance, the crowd gave the performers loud cheers.
Conclusion
The performance of Shakespeare in Song provided a great opportunity for the local community to experience this music culture. The performers put on a unique show that few people get to experience on a regular basis.
Work Cited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPzakEsRbeo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=941FKrYhD_E
Shakespeare in Song Program
Monday, March 22, 2010
Blog 9- Avatar Music
The movie Avatar featured to distintive soundtracks. There was the war-like soundtrack and the "nature"-like soundtrack. These two soundtracks consisted to two different musical styles. However, both of these soundtracks were crucial to the success of the movie. The highlight the constrasting views seen in the movie.
The war-like soundtrack featured heavy bass and fast drum beats. This created a chaotic and heavy feel to the scene in the movie. It helped build the tension for the human military or the upcoming battle. The music made your heart want to jump out of your chest. Whenever a lot of tension was needed, this music was usually chosen to empathsize how important it was. This was similar to the soundtrack of most war and action movie. The primary goal was to create a sense of urgency and seriousness.
During the nature scene and the Navi, the music was light and had long drawn-out notes. The music featured lots of aerophones throughtout the pieces. This music was like a rebirth to life and nature. I think I some Native American influence with the fast drum beats. This music kind of reminds me of the music from The Lion King. The long aerophone notes and the drum beats in Avatar and Lion King helped to create a sense of awe with nature and a feeling of rebirth.
Without these two different music, Avatar would not have recieved the recognition that it deserved. The music help to bring the audience in to the action and make the audience feel like the were a part of the movie.
The war-like soundtrack featured heavy bass and fast drum beats. This created a chaotic and heavy feel to the scene in the movie. It helped build the tension for the human military or the upcoming battle. The music made your heart want to jump out of your chest. Whenever a lot of tension was needed, this music was usually chosen to empathsize how important it was. This was similar to the soundtrack of most war and action movie. The primary goal was to create a sense of urgency and seriousness.
During the nature scene and the Navi, the music was light and had long drawn-out notes. The music featured lots of aerophones throughtout the pieces. This music was like a rebirth to life and nature. I think I some Native American influence with the fast drum beats. This music kind of reminds me of the music from The Lion King. The long aerophone notes and the drum beats in Avatar and Lion King helped to create a sense of awe with nature and a feeling of rebirth.
Without these two different music, Avatar would not have recieved the recognition that it deserved. The music help to bring the audience in to the action and make the audience feel like the were a part of the movie.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Music Culture - Vietnamese Weddding Music
Introduction
If your family is Vietnamese, then chances are high that you’ve been to a Vietnamese wedding before. Some people hate this event more than anything else in the world while others think it is the best. Whichever side of the argument that you stand on, everyone one agrees that there is definitely a unique music culture present at Vietnamese weddings with its own aspects and characteristics.
Methodology
In gathering my data, I used a lot of my own memories from the weddings that I have been to. Typically, the weddings rarely change. In fact, the only thing that really changes is the people and decorations. The event always proceeds in the same fashion every time. First, the bride and groom would give a speech and they would walk around the restaurant so that people may wish them good luck, a long marriage, or something of that nature and present the couple with an envelope enclosed with money.(Vietmedia) Afterwards, an eight or nine course meal would be served to all the guests. At this time, the band will start playing their music. Usually, this is just a simple warm-up song that they play to get ready for when people are finished eating. The band really starts to play after everyone has eaten.
However, quite a good amount of time had passed since the last time that I was at a wedding so I was not sure if things had changed. I decided that I should probably go and observe one just to make sure that things had not change since the last time that I had went to one. I called up a friend of mine who played in a band that performs at such occasions to ask if he could get me in to one. Several days later, I got a call back saying that he could get me in to a wedding but the catch was that I had to be a waiter for the night. Reluctantly, I accepted his deal. As it turned out, everything that took place at the last wedding I attended, happened at this wedding, too. During the wedding, my friend, Tom, and I were talking and he asked me if I had any questions for him. I asked him a couple of questions about some of the things that took place during the wedding and possibly among other weddings that he performed at.
As I walked in to the restaurant, I saw a huge picture of the bride and groom which covered the front entrance. Everybody in the room was dressed up in their best attire. The men had on dress shirts, blazers, ties, and slacks. The women had on Western style dresses or an ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese dress worn for special occasion. Even the kids had on fancy clothing. Everything was covered in white and the room had dimly light to create a relaxed atmosphere so that everyone may enjoy the event. All the tables had silverware, ice, and beverages which included water, soda, and some beers. The tables were set up to a crescent moon formation with the dance floor and stage in the middle so that everybody may see it. In a few seconds, the wedding was about to begin and everybody was anxious for the ceremony to get under way so that the party can begin.
Aspects of Music Culture
During weddings, people believe that this is a happy time and it should be celebrated joyfully. The music should be something that people can and would want to dance to. It should be inclusive of every generation present at the wedding. Everyone is expected to participate in some form or way whether if it is dancing, singing, or just something. This wedding was no exception. Everybody from the kids to the elderly took part in the event. I was even asked to take part in a dance or two. Almost every possible music was played from classic Vietnamese styled opera, known as cai luong, to rock and swing music. When I asked my friend why the music at Vietnamese weddings was so diverse, he said that it had originally started as traditional music from Vietnam. However, as time passed younger generations of Vietnamese people in Dallas started listening to American music like swing and rock. In order to incorporate everybody in the music, the bands started to play combinations of both genres of music to satisfy everyone.
As the music was blasting at full volume, everybody was busy doing their own thing. The people who could drink alcohol often did. The kids were dancing and going around showering the newly-weds with poppers. The waiters and I were busy serving food for all the guests. People who thought that they could sing went up on stage to do the vocals for the music. Even though half the people present at the wedding were Buddhist and the other half Catholics, nobody really paid much attention to it. Despite the fact that it was a wedding, no one could really tell that religion played any role in this event. Most of the music that the band played can be found on iTunes or at any Vietnamese record shop in Dallas since almost all the music that they play is not original music. They mostly perform covers of popular songs. The band that was playing was a professional band that played exclusively at Vietnamese weddings. They are often paid with one large sum of money for the whole night and are given food and drinks throughout the night either by the restaurant staff or guests at the wedding.
The songs played are usually covers of popular songs. However, every once in a while the band may play one of their original songs. Tom told me this is because the people who come to the wedding want to be able to sing along with the song being played. Since his band is not main stream, few people, if any, actually know any of the band’s original songs. In order to produce a good vibe, the band played songs that are popular so they can include as many people in the reception as possible. Most of the songs played at the weddings are about love, longevity, or good fortune. The band usually has free range over the songs that they wish to play at the reception with a couple of suggestions of the bride and groom, of course. The band is allowed to play pretty much whatever the audience wants to hear and they often take requests from the audience.
The band does not really have a material culture associated with it. The only thing that comes close is that people are dressed up when they hear the band, but that is more likely because the event is a wedding as opposed to a concert. Everybody in the band is responsible for their own instrument which they have purchased separately. Members of the band always hand out business cards promoting the band to the guests at the reception to make sure that they have a gig to play at.
Conclusion
Overall, almost all bands that perform in Vietnamese weddings in the Dallas area stick to this guideline. Few bands deviate from these guidelines because the guidelines have been proven quite successful. Due to the diverse mix of popular music in the Dallas area, the bands at Vietnamese weddings have adapted to provide its ever changing audience with entertainment.
Work Cited
"Wedding in Viet Nam." Vietmedia.8 Mar. 2010
http://www.vietmedia.com/culture/?L=wedding.html
Tran, Tom. Personal interview. 6 March 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCbyv-QgPcs&feature=related
If your family is Vietnamese, then chances are high that you’ve been to a Vietnamese wedding before. Some people hate this event more than anything else in the world while others think it is the best. Whichever side of the argument that you stand on, everyone one agrees that there is definitely a unique music culture present at Vietnamese weddings with its own aspects and characteristics.
Methodology
In gathering my data, I used a lot of my own memories from the weddings that I have been to. Typically, the weddings rarely change. In fact, the only thing that really changes is the people and decorations. The event always proceeds in the same fashion every time. First, the bride and groom would give a speech and they would walk around the restaurant so that people may wish them good luck, a long marriage, or something of that nature and present the couple with an envelope enclosed with money.(Vietmedia) Afterwards, an eight or nine course meal would be served to all the guests. At this time, the band will start playing their music. Usually, this is just a simple warm-up song that they play to get ready for when people are finished eating. The band really starts to play after everyone has eaten.
However, quite a good amount of time had passed since the last time that I was at a wedding so I was not sure if things had changed. I decided that I should probably go and observe one just to make sure that things had not change since the last time that I had went to one. I called up a friend of mine who played in a band that performs at such occasions to ask if he could get me in to one. Several days later, I got a call back saying that he could get me in to a wedding but the catch was that I had to be a waiter for the night. Reluctantly, I accepted his deal. As it turned out, everything that took place at the last wedding I attended, happened at this wedding, too. During the wedding, my friend, Tom, and I were talking and he asked me if I had any questions for him. I asked him a couple of questions about some of the things that took place during the wedding and possibly among other weddings that he performed at.
As I walked in to the restaurant, I saw a huge picture of the bride and groom which covered the front entrance. Everybody in the room was dressed up in their best attire. The men had on dress shirts, blazers, ties, and slacks. The women had on Western style dresses or an ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese dress worn for special occasion. Even the kids had on fancy clothing. Everything was covered in white and the room had dimly light to create a relaxed atmosphere so that everyone may enjoy the event. All the tables had silverware, ice, and beverages which included water, soda, and some beers. The tables were set up to a crescent moon formation with the dance floor and stage in the middle so that everybody may see it. In a few seconds, the wedding was about to begin and everybody was anxious for the ceremony to get under way so that the party can begin.
Aspects of Music Culture
During weddings, people believe that this is a happy time and it should be celebrated joyfully. The music should be something that people can and would want to dance to. It should be inclusive of every generation present at the wedding. Everyone is expected to participate in some form or way whether if it is dancing, singing, or just something. This wedding was no exception. Everybody from the kids to the elderly took part in the event. I was even asked to take part in a dance or two. Almost every possible music was played from classic Vietnamese styled opera, known as cai luong, to rock and swing music. When I asked my friend why the music at Vietnamese weddings was so diverse, he said that it had originally started as traditional music from Vietnam. However, as time passed younger generations of Vietnamese people in Dallas started listening to American music like swing and rock. In order to incorporate everybody in the music, the bands started to play combinations of both genres of music to satisfy everyone.
As the music was blasting at full volume, everybody was busy doing their own thing. The people who could drink alcohol often did. The kids were dancing and going around showering the newly-weds with poppers. The waiters and I were busy serving food for all the guests. People who thought that they could sing went up on stage to do the vocals for the music. Even though half the people present at the wedding were Buddhist and the other half Catholics, nobody really paid much attention to it. Despite the fact that it was a wedding, no one could really tell that religion played any role in this event. Most of the music that the band played can be found on iTunes or at any Vietnamese record shop in Dallas since almost all the music that they play is not original music. They mostly perform covers of popular songs. The band that was playing was a professional band that played exclusively at Vietnamese weddings. They are often paid with one large sum of money for the whole night and are given food and drinks throughout the night either by the restaurant staff or guests at the wedding.
The songs played are usually covers of popular songs. However, every once in a while the band may play one of their original songs. Tom told me this is because the people who come to the wedding want to be able to sing along with the song being played. Since his band is not main stream, few people, if any, actually know any of the band’s original songs. In order to produce a good vibe, the band played songs that are popular so they can include as many people in the reception as possible. Most of the songs played at the weddings are about love, longevity, or good fortune. The band usually has free range over the songs that they wish to play at the reception with a couple of suggestions of the bride and groom, of course. The band is allowed to play pretty much whatever the audience wants to hear and they often take requests from the audience.
The band does not really have a material culture associated with it. The only thing that comes close is that people are dressed up when they hear the band, but that is more likely because the event is a wedding as opposed to a concert. Everybody in the band is responsible for their own instrument which they have purchased separately. Members of the band always hand out business cards promoting the band to the guests at the reception to make sure that they have a gig to play at.
Conclusion
Overall, almost all bands that perform in Vietnamese weddings in the Dallas area stick to this guideline. Few bands deviate from these guidelines because the guidelines have been proven quite successful. Due to the diverse mix of popular music in the Dallas area, the bands at Vietnamese weddings have adapted to provide its ever changing audience with entertainment.
Work Cited
"Wedding in Viet Nam." Vietmedia.8 Mar. 2010
http://www.vietmedia.com/culture/?L=wedding.html
Tran, Tom. Personal interview. 6 March 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCbyv-QgPcs&feature=related
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Difficulties for Project
Honestly, there really weren't a lot of difficulties. I mean except for the fact that there are like zero to no literature on this so all of the project is either from my first hand expreince or my friends. I don't see how or why some one who want to publish a book on this subject.
For this project, my friend was actually able to get me in to a wedding but the only catch was that I had to serve as a waiter the entire night. It wasn't, too, bad being the waiter. I got to listen to music, get paid, and some free food afterwards. Overall, the wedding was pretty and everyone had a great time. I ended up working at the wedding from 8 PM to 2 AM. The next morning wasn't fun when I had work at 1 PM again.
The interview part for this project was fairly easy. A friend of mine plays in a family who constantly plays at these events so the getting the interview was easy. However, I think we spent most of the time not talking about the project till the end because we always got off topic. Between him and me, I think we got the important things down. I'll probably have to ask him about some the small stuff again just to make sure that it's right.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Vietnamese Wedding Intro
For my music culture, I decided to do Vietnamese wedding music in Dallas. The wedding music at Vietnamese wedding's are very diverse. They often incorporate a mixture of Vietnamese and American songs. This is a result of the generational gap present at the reception. At the weddings, there are the young generation that listen to more hyped songs as opposed to the older generation who listen to slower ones.
The reception usually features one band that plays throughout the night. The band is usually very diverse and they can usually adapt pretty well to the songs that are played.
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