The Moldau

Reimer’s viewpoint is that all our experiences musically, regardless of the music itself educate our being. Refining, clarifying, broadening, and deepening our feelings in a way analogous to how language does the same for our conceptual reasoning’s (Reimer, 2005). The aesthetic music education philosophy emphasizes individual feeling and a more comprehensive understanding of the role of feelings in the music listener and performer as

People listen to music for a variety of reasons. Some listen to music to relax in which it serves as a sort of escape from everyday life, some because they are a fan and follow a certain artist, and others because they can relate the lyrics to their own personal experiences. Whichever the case may be, music has and continues to serve an important role in people’s lives.

Throughout my life, no single thing has had a greater impact than music. It has made me who I am today, and I cannot remember a time when music wasn’t a huge part of myself - my earliest memories all contain the music that my parents played. Beyond being a product purely for enjoyment, as it was for a long time in my earliest years, music has gone on to become a fundamental part of who I am, how I spend my time, and who I spend that time with. It motivates me to be better for numerous reasons. I credit my early involvement in music with most of the successes I have had to this date.

Art and music are such an integral part of our everyday lives. Understanding the basic elements of each is essential to interpreting their meaning. Listening to music stimulates every part of the brain and alters our chemical composition and mental state. Art is a tangible reminder of civilizations from the past; it shows us a glimpse of a culture and lifestyle different from our own. Art and music are designed not to simply entertain, but rather to educate and inspire us.

My life would be incomplete without performing music. I’ve spent time, in concert bands, in bell choirs, in school and church choirs, and singing, playing in music festivals, and in pit bands trying not to laugh my head off at the actors’ improvisations. But the art that truly speaks to my soul does not lie in creating music, it lies in dancing to it.

“It is in playing and only in playing that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.”(page 50) Lastly, music has already helped me grow and find myself as an individual and I can’t wait to see what the rest of my life has in store for

For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become

Music is a very powerful expression of emotions that come together as a whole to morph your psychological feelings into a sub-reality vision. Over the many years, history has been able to capture the moments at which music has made an impact on human lives. We can start with Manu Chao the artist that sings about left-wing messages and portrays his concerts as “collective therapy”. Or Juan Gabriel the young man that rose out of poverty to become the world’s most beloved artist/songwriter and whose music carried a resonate flamboyant style. Music is a way of communication that is used in many realms such as entertainment, tradition religion and sporting events. So far this semester, Chic 316 has influenced me to seek a more coherent relationship

To assist me in the completion of my Arts Responding activity I found the video we watched in our Week 12 workshop extremely valuable. This video, titled ‘Instrument Families’ by Andrea Burress, examines the different musical instruments, categorises them into instrumental families and gives examples of the sounds that each instrument produces. The knowledge I gained from this video allowed me to detect which instruments were being played in each section of The Moldau and thus, complete the Arts Responding activity. As well as this, I used a variety of websites, including the Rockford Symphony Orchestra website and the In Mozart’s Footsteps website. These assisted me in analysing the musical elements featured in the Moldau and uncovering the inspiration behind the song and the cultural significance of

Music, “…one of the most widely used and appealing forms of communication…”, is universal and used for different purposes (Root, 2005, p. 7). Among the uses are “…play or entertainment, which humans of all ages engage in to stimulate feelings of joy, tension, and interaction, and enrich their experiences by adding mental complexity, counteracting boredom and lethargy” (Root, 2005, p. 7). In addition, music expresses “…emotions such as love, sentiment, or anger” (Root, 2005, p. 7). Ultimately, it communicates values showing the reality of society and culture. Anyone listening to “a few records [helps] enrich [their] feelings, extend [their] sense of love or despair, and feed [their] fantasies or fire some real relationship” (Cooper & Haverkos,

While active music making is the primary goal of music education, as children mature, they will use their known experience and performance to draw from and move to a focus on music literacy and critical response to music. The abilities to read, discuss, evaluate and create music become key components in the development of future independent musicians. With a focus on active music making, student inquiry, and essential questions, I aim to engage the whole child and optimize learning.

Although my formal journey in music had to be temporarily halted once I started high school, my musical background has allowed me to construct my own identity in the world. I have acquired a sense of admiration for both the elaborate and simplistic elements that exist within the vast depths of our perception. I realize that possessing a commitment to persistent study through a solid foundation is crucial. I realize that in order to pursue my own interests and passions, choosing to think for myself, is equally as vital. I have come to view life as an infinite climb in which I am constantly seeking new heights. Although my niche in this world is evolving constantly, my appetite for learning remains resolute. My desire to test the limits and boundaries of life is fueled, not by the notion of reaching the top, but rather within the journey of overcoming obstacles in my struggle to unlock the mysteries of this world. The need to satisfy this perpetual craving for knowledge inspires me to search for answers—to understand the depths of life and where I stand in the midst of it

Music is something I have always been passionate about. During my years of musical training, I have learned universal truths about music that I have come to love and enjoy. These universal truths help define me as a musician and all seem to revolve around a central theme: Music is not a thing but an experience.

The best known of the six symphonic poems in Má Vlast is the second, The Moldau (Vltava). Smetana used programmatic compositional techniques to depict the Moldau River, the longest river in Czechoslovakia. The Moldau River flows for nearly 300 miles. It begins in the Bohemian Forest, runs through the capital of Prague, and finally empties into the Elbe River. Smetana included the following description in a program he wrote to accompany The Moldau's musical score: Two springs pour forth in the shade of the Bohemian Forest, one warm and gushing, the other cold and peaceful. Their waves joyously rush down over their rocky beds, then unite and glisten in the rays of the morning sun. Coming through Bohemia's valleys, they grow into a mighty river. Through the thick woods it flows as the joyous sounds of a

I remember when I had to do my chores in the house and the house was very quiet, so, I decided to listen to music. I don't enjoy doing chores, I would much rather be playing outside or watching TV so I did it to get it over with. But when I turned on my music it felt like the song changed my mood. I could feel it taking over my mind and I felt like I went faster. As I was washing I could feel my slumped gloomy body turn into a happy fast cleaning machine. The sound of music put me in a zone. The fast upbeat tempo made me feel amazing when I was done. The arts is needed when you need to take a break for reality for a few minutes and just