The Mix Of The Western World

It’s amazing to listen to musicians who do not normally play with each other come together and leave the audience in complete awe. That is exactly what happened on the day of Thursday November 26th 2014. The Bill Crothers Varsity Winds comprised of grade eleven and twelve students along with a few, talented grade tens went to listen to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra play. We travelled via a typical yellow school bus that took us to Roy Thomson Hall where we went right to the top level and took our seats. The seating seemed rather helpful because from a distance you could hear every instrument when you focused on it. It was beautiful. The band presented well with their “Penguin” like attire that was kind to the eyes. They appeared very organized,

For this concert report I chose to go to a performance of student composers held at the Kimball Recital Hall. I chose this one because I wanted to see some of the talent that my peers have in the music realm, and also it was one of the only concerts I have been able to attend because I usually work at night. It was impressive to hear pieces composed by students. I cannot imagine creating something as complex as a musical composition, much less actually performing it, so this aspect of the concert was particularly awe-inspiring. There was a large attendance, and I think that much of the audience consisted of friends of the composers and/or performers. I went with three friends, who I convinced by telling it would be interesting to see

As the music began, I started to move; the pounding of my feet blending in with the melodious sounds of the flute, the ghungaroo(bells) around my ankles, the mridangham (drums), and the blood rushing into my own heart. With the music and my first movements, the fear of being on stage washes away and I am focused on my movements and my expressions—using them to tell a story about my culture, my heritage, and me.

There were a number of songs that were performed both by individual singers but also by a number of band groups and musicians that were composed of around 6 people. The first couple of songs that were presented on the stage had a number of very good beats in them. One of the most prominent types of musical instruments that was used in these songs was called the “Sitar”. I wasn’t very sure about what this type of an instrument is but when I asked a number of other people who were present there, I came to realize that in fact sitar is a very important classical music that is used in different types of songs both in Pakistan and

As I was sitting in the audience, the first thing that I noticed was that the audience consisted of all ages, ranging from eighteen years of age to perhaps eighty years of age. In preparation for the concert to begin, several performers entered the room and tuned their instruments to the keys on the piano. The performers’ attire was highly conservative, covering almost every inch of their entire body, and they wore all black from head to toe. When the concert began, the audience clapped as the performers were introduced and were walking out onto the playing area. As the performers took their seats in front of their stands, the audience became quiet and there was a short moment of silence before the performance commenced.

Having the Merasi, master musicians of Rajasthan, perform live at Colby College provided students and faculty with a cultural experience unlike any that I have attended. The Merasi, from the Thar Desert in Pakistan, have found great success through their music despite their status in the caste system. As a family group, they have been able to gain the international attention that they needed to establish both music and literacy education for their people back home. Although very few people in our audience could understand their lyrics, the emotion and physical movements of the musicians were effective in conveying the overall themes of their songs. From watching this live performance of Rajasthani music, I was able to observe how the music itself, the behaviour of the musicians and audience, and the function of the music interacted to transport a small part of Rajasthan to the Pugh Center giving the audience a glimpse into its culture.

The concert I attended was called the Faculty and Student Recital, which took place in the Cisco Auditorium on April 11, 2017. The music that was on the program was mostly what is called “classical” music, as well as a Chinese Folk Song, an electronic composition, and variations on an Indian Tala. In the classical pieces, the instruments that were used were the violin, the piano, the cello, and the oboe. In the electronic composition, the computer was used to make music. In the Chinese Folk Song, the piccolo was used to imitate the unique timbre of a Chinese flute. In the Indian tala, drums from Ghana were used to imitate the rhythm and sound of Indian drums. The piano, the violin, the cello, and the piccolo all originate

Music is heard differently through diverse cultures, which brings new and unlike interpretations on events in history and events to

Since the beginning of time, music and dance has been a form of entertainment for millions of people. As audiences across the world prepare for dance performances, they typically expect to see something that is lively, exciting, and unique. However, what most audiences of dance and musical performances neglect to consider is the origins and importance these forms of dance and music have on culture. It is truly astounding how synonymous music and history have been and continue to be. Understanding the history and culture behind a certain piece of music only makes the experience more special than ever. People need to realize the significance music has had on the foundation and progression of each and every culture around the globe.

The world is full of cultural collisions. Every day people meet other with different worldviews. This concept of cultural collision, is shown perfectly though Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. In the story it is the cultural collision, of the introduction of Western Ideas into the ibo society, that causes Achebe’s characters to grow and change. One character in particular is forced to reevaluate his sense of identity because of the cultural collision. This is the character of Okonkwo. The collision challenges Okonkwo’s sense of self, as a religious leader or an Egwugwu, as a leader of his people, and as a man. It is Okonkwo’s response to these challenges, that shapes the meaning of the book of that as your world changes so must you or you

Never could I have thought that my first concert experience was going to be in a college class, performed by various composers of classical music. During the concert, I got to listen to four performances. First, the Oxycotton was played by Tim Sanchez. Second, Samantha Post played Acht Stucke on flute, followed by Nicholas Gledhill, playing Blues and Variations for Monk on horn. Finally, the CSU Graduate Brass Quintet performed a piece named Misty. In this essay, I will share my personal experience of the concert and discuss the different elements of music seen in the different performances.

Imagine a perfect world where no one has to work and where there is an abundant supply of resources. All the worlds’ goods are divided among all the people and the government takes care of everyone. All people are equal and can do whatever they please inside this perfect world. This perfect world is called Utopia. An island shaped like crescent moon two hundred miles across. The ends of the island meet at a point about eleven miles apart opening up to a calm bay. The entrance into Utopia has to two sides one side is a harbor where ships pass through in every direction to get in and out of Utopia. The other side is rocky and shallow. In the middle of the

Canada is known to be a mosaic of diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. In Canada’s relatively short lifetime, it has not instigated any wars; in combination with our peace-keeping approach to most discourse, this has gained the country the reputation of being a more “friendly” nation. The general amiability of Canadians is revered worldwide and our democratic society draws immigrants from around the globe to build lives here. With the amount of diversity we possess, it is necessary to broaden the scope of our teaching methods in order to meet the needs of a wider range of students. While it is imperative that we cater to the needs of more than one demographic, a lack of multiculturalism still pervades our schools and cascades outward to the population as a whole. The effects of racism have permeated modern culture to the point where it is seen on a regular basis; it is in the music we listen to and the television shows we watch. In order to remediate some of our societal flaws, change must begin in the educational system.

A. J. Polyzoides, an honorary senior lecturer at Birmingham University, states: “The western world has adopted and developed their discoveries throughout the centuries.” (Polyzoides 1). As the Hellenistic society shifted away from the Classical ideals of perfectionism and idolization of the elites and gods in sculpture, artists began to be fixated on illustrating imperfection of a variety of individuals faced with the ruthless authenticity of their emotional struggles. Whereas, Classical architecture focused on dedicating massive structures to the gods to emphasize their divinity, but Hellenistic architecture used advanced technology to exemplify Alexander the Great’s magnificence. Thus, differences in the architecture can be seen in the sophisticated town of Alexandria with structures such as the lighthouse that show how Alexander the Great influenced town planning that was centralized on the creation of a superior city, likewise, The Altar at Pergamon expresses the loss of focus on the divine through unique sculptural techniques. Change can also be seen in the sculptures of The Boxer and The Old Market Woman as they are depicted to be imperfectly individualistic and in emotional distress.

This afternoon, I went to the music concert hall where is located in the music building for the listening hour, a small noon-time concert which is performed by the staff and students from the music majors. Since it is a free noon-time concert, most of the audiences just wear the t-shirts and jeans to the concert. Dresses are not required for the concert. The performance today is given by the Ananda Jazz Ensemble. They have played “Running Away”, composed by Bob Marley; “Madalena”, composed by Ivan Linz; “Conejitos y Ananda”, composed by Abi Romero; “La Bikina”, composed by Ruben Fuentes; and “Chukaro”, also composed by Abi Romero. Because this is a Latin Americdan Journey, all of the music performed is jazz music. All pieces played in the concert are an ensemble of piano, bass, and drums. During the concert, I was trying to be a perceptive listener; I enjoyed the music with concentration and paid attention to the music’s unity and variety, such as the dynamics and tempos. I also tried to associate the music with a picture when I listened to it and understand the emotion in the music.