DEAR AESTHETIC EXPLORERS:
THE LINK BELOW OPENS TO A ALL-VOICE SYMPHONY IN WHICH THE SOUNDS OF RAIN AND THUNDER ARE SIMULATED; WHAT FOLLOWS WILL TAKE YOU LITERALLY INTO "THE MUSIC OF OUR LIVES"-- A TOPIC WE WILL SOON DISCUSS IN CLASS.
A HIGH FIVE TO THE FIRST VIEWER TO RESPOND TO THIS NEW POST.
REGARDS,
BILL
TVKim- Watching: Kim's Picks- African thunderstorm
6 comments:
The musical presentation was very fascinating. The rain, something that ancient humans viewed as a sacred act of nature and the divine is something that you can see in the evolution of music.
Native Americans perform rain dances and in Africa many tribes perform the traditional rain dances to allow the land to thrive. I have used Native American rain sticks, a type of dried cactus that is filled with beans to which the sound of rain is simulated to either induce rain or to set one into a meditative state.
We look to nature and we make music out of the natural wonders we experience. We cannot escape natures influences. After all, we cannot escape that from which we were born from.
Missy,
Your comments on natural music are very appropriate. As we discussed in class, knowing what and what not to classify as music is not as simple a matter as it may seem.
It is most likely that early music historically was inspired by the rhythms so abundant in nature and the activities of daily human life such as: raindrops, water falls, bird songs, wind sounds, echoes in a forest, the trudging of footsteps on varied surfaces, the cadences of rocking a child or stirring food pots, etc. etc.
We are all the richer for making these organic connections and for bringing even more music into our lives. We can thank our A Capella singers for reminding us all of this blessing!
Warm regards,
Bill
What a great performance! There is something really profound about experiencing live music. Its almost the same deep thing that drives people to become a part of a Niagara Falls. Immersion into something greater that yourself, that is vast and awe-inspiring.
Here is a performance by the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble and Flying Lotus that I find quite sublime. (Best experienced in full screen HD with a good set of speakers on 10)
enjoy
http://vimeo.com/14117595
cheers,
Eric Heaton
I think its great the music can bring so many people together. Its intriguing that they took an 80's song and presented it in a format that mimics world music. It was smart to choose that song because it was and still is so popular.
wow this video woke me right up! i think its amazing how so many small components such as snapping fingers and rubbings hands together can mimic the sound of nature. This is clearly a very complex and organized group to create such an orchestrated symphony. I can see how Native Americans were also able to orchestrate and perform rain dances and bring music out from nature, and have nature become a key source of inspiration during their time.
-Hannah Ryu
Post a Comment