Bloomington Contra-Dance

Even though I didn't have the time of my life at Bloomington contra-dance, I still enjoyed myself. The more experienced dancers were very polite and accommodating. They were patient with me even when I didn't know what I was doing or if I messed up. The environment was similar to participatory music making because everyone was encouraged to dance. There was no hierarchy between dancers, and the more skilled dancers were willing to help. One of the benefits of the participatory style was that everyone will be able to learn eventually if they continue to attend the contra-dance. The people there were extremely friendly and were enthusiastic about having new dancers. I really like the music that was played. It was easy to dance to. I think I had more fun listening to  the music and watching the other more experienced dancers than I had dancing, but the experience was still great. I don't think I'll try contra-dancing again, but it is not because of the people there. I felt very welcome and the environment was open. Contra- dancing is just not my idea of fun. I did enjoy dancing with people and watching other dancers though.

The Punks Are Alright!

Before watching The Punks Are Alright!, I had only one idea of what the word Punk meant. After viewing the movie, I have a better understanding of the genre and the impact that punk music has on people around the world. The film helped me have more informed viewpoint of the youth cultures in Indonesia and Brazil. The concerts and events that the kids in both countries attended were indexical of concerts that I had attended before, and I felt like I could relate to them in that aspect of their lives. Unfortunately, that was the only aspect of their lives that I could relate to. The film allowed me to see the hardships that the youth of Brazil and Indonesia had to endure just to survive on a daily basis and try to receive a decent education. The dangers that they face are due to drug cartels and religious extremists that make  up the majority of their population. I was unaware of the extremist religious cultures in both Indonesia and Brazil prior to watching the film. The documentary also brought to my attention the issues that arise from United States labor relations with third world countries

In Indonesia, there is a struggle with identity due to the history of the country. Indonesian youth are caught between two different lifestyles. One lifestyle is one that conforms to western ideals and values that are favored due to the effects of hundreds of years of Dutch colonialism. Their other lifestyle choice would be to follow traditional and often extremist Muslim religious practices. Taking part in the punk movement in Indonesia can serve as a temporary escape from the chaos that occurs in the country and can provide the youth with a unique identity. 

In Brazil, drug cartels and gangs rule the streets and make it difficult for young people to live their normal lives. There are issues with sexual abuse and violence that cause trouble at home. At times, children aren't even able to go to school because their school have been taken over by gangs. Punk music and the punk community also serve as an escape from hardships for Brazilian youth.

Even though the punk scene is something that helps people in both countries, it is something that is do it yourself (DIY). Everything about the punk scene in both countries is created by the people that participate. One punk artist from Brazil argued that the style of music and clothing had nothing to do with it's classification of being punk. Anything could be classified as punk if a person made it independently.

The documentary also showed me the impact that large corporations and companies have on third world countries. Due to the lack of labor laws and the ability to gain a large profit, many large corporations set up factories in countries like Brazil and Indonesia. The workers in these environments are paid very little and are often abused. One of the young people in the film worked for a large American corporation and had this experience. This opened my eyes to some of the various negative effects of capitalism in underdeveloped countries. People are suffering due to the greed of American corporations and consumers. Workers endure the abuse and take the terrible wages because there are no other sources of income in their countries that don't involve drugs or illegal activity.

The Punks Are Alright! Opened my eyes to the positive effects of music in negative situations. It showed me that the Punk movement has a lot more to it than just chaotic sounds and song lyrics that are made to piss off parents. I was able to understand that punk music brings people together around the world and provides new ideas of being self sufficient and creating things that can help people escape from their problems.

Bloomington Farmer's Market

While exploring the Bloomington farmer's market, I noticed that the event was being propelled by music. It seemed as though music was keeping the people flowing throughout the market, and not the goods that were there for purchase. When I entered the market, the first thing I saw was West African drummers and dancers performing. The performance that was taking place was the perfect example of participatory performance. The dancers and drummers were encouraging people that were walking through the market to join them. When we spoke to the drummer, he said that a perfect performance was one where everyone was participating and kids aren't afraid to join in. The parts of the market that sold meat and produce also had performers sprinkled throughout. People would occasionally stop to watch or sing along as audience members, then they would continue to move to the next area until they saw something they wanted to purchase or heard more music. I noticed that a lot of the older people that were attending the event were in the meat and produce area. The part if the market that that had the most women and children was the DIY arts, crafts, and goods area. There was also a fountain in that section which attracted a lot of children, even though there was less music in that particular place. There were more women and children than men at the market, and there was this sense of trust among the people at the event. I saw many children walking far away from their parents. They were playing and listening to music alone. I thought that was interesting, I have never been anywhere where people have enough trust in their community to let their children wander freely in such a large environment. The vendors selling commercial goods were located at the back of the market in an area that was more distant from music in comparison to other areas. In my opinion, this showed that people value helping their community more than helping larger well known organizations and politicians. I think the music is what drives the whole event and keeps people engaged while encouraging them to explore all parts of the market.

The Four Fields of Music

Participatory

In participatory music making, there is no distinction between artists and audience members. The success and effectiveness of this particular field of music is judged based on the level of participation of everyone involved. In this example, the dancers playing the rhythm game are making beats. Everyone is expected to participate, and keep adding to the rhythm until one of the people messes up. Since participatory music does not have a skill level requirement, there is no set hierarchy. Everyone is allowed to participate,and the music making is not rehearsed. As a result, there are limitations on the quality of music that can be made. For example, the person that messed up the rhythm and caused the game to end in the video may not be as skilled as the other dancers. One advantage of participatory music is that it is open, and the possibilities for the types of music can constantly change and grow depending on who is participating. Participatory music making is not highly valued in American society because everyone is expected to participate. Americans value being in the audience or being entertained more than participating in the music.

  

Presentational

When music is made by an artist or a group, and there is an audience watching, there is a definite separation. This type of music making is presentational. Strict rehearsals often go into the process of presentational music making, and there is a set skill level among the performers. In the example below from the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyonce is doing a presentational performance of her single, Single Ladies. There is an obvious separation between Beyonce and the audience, and even the other performers. This is an example of hierarchy that is present in presentational performances. Presntational music making is one of the most valued fields of music making in American society. This is due to the level of talent that most performers that make music in a presenational style for an audience have. One of the limitations that of presentational music making is that it cannot change or progress. It always has to be performed the way that it was rehearsed. However, having strict rehearsals and highly skilled performers gives the possibility of a perfect performance.

 

High Fidelity  High fidelity music includes sounds that index live music. The music that is made sounds like what an artist would create during a live performance. High fidelity music is any form of recorded music that can be recreated by performers during live presenational music making. In some cases, studio engineers have control over the outcome of the sounds and not the artists because the engineers are in charge of editing and manipulating the sounds that artists make to resemble a live performance. The video below is a recording of the song Happy by The Maine. The song was recorded live with the full band simultaneously in a recording studio and then edited by a sound engineer. This makes it very close to a live performance but is not a live performance because it is a recording. One of the limitations of high fidelity music making is that the artists have less control over the music, and sound engineers have more control. One of the advantages of high fidelity music is the ability to sell the actual recordings in large amounts. This advantage is what makes high fidelity music more valuable to Americans in a capitalist society because it can be sold.

Studio Audio Art Studio audio art is music that is computer generated, and there are no expectations of it being performed live. There is a certain amount of knowledge and skill required to be able to produce studio audio art. In Hoodie Allen's I Am Not a Robot, there is a small portion of Marina and the Diamond's You Are Not a Robot sampled and changed by computers to sound higher. The song also has a computed generated track. Studio audio art is not as highly valued in American society because there is less exposure to this particular field of music. One of the limitations of studio audio art is that it cannot be played live. One possibility is that the music can always be created to have a distinct sound, and the artists that created the music have more control over their art than artists creating music in any other field.

When I Left the Bar

Ed Sheeran's version of "The Parting Glass" is a song that immediately changed the way I felt about the time I had left with my friends before moving to college. The Parting Glass is a traditional Irish song about leaving a bar and drinking the last glass with your friends. I was at the bar (A.K.A my friend McKenzee's house) last Saturday with all of my best friends when I heard the song in a different way. The lyrics say "All the comrades that ever I had, they are sorry for my going away, and all the sweethearts that ever I had, they wish me one more day to stay." These lyrics are a sign of leaving for a long period of time, or possibly forever. The object of the sign was my realization that this time at the bar was the last time I would be there with all of my friends until December. The interpretant was the immediate change of my mood from cheerful and happy to sad and reflective.

Describe myself....through a song.

I chose the song "Sacrilegious" by Never Shout never because it is and index of feelings that  I have about my religion. My mother is Christian and grew up in a traditional African American Missionary Baptist church. Both her mother and grandmother were heavily involved in the church,and my she believes that a person's level of involvement in the church is an outward representation of their level of faith. My father on the other hand went to church occasionally as a child and still only attends church occasionally as an adult. Many of the churches I have been to judge people based on their involvement in the church and their appearance while they are at church. The fact that people focus on the ceremonies and things that are not associated with the real reason for having church which are to thank and praise God and hear different interpretations of the Bible makes me angry, and makes me not want to attend church. Which is why the lyrics of the song speak to me, and I can identify with the feeling that the artist is conveying. I think feel that church is a place for healing, not a place to show off how great your life is or your lack of problems. Jesus taught people to love and help those who are in need and not judge and exclude them which is why most Sundays I don't like to attend church because I feel judged or excluded.

I chose the song "Useless" by Anarbor because it reminds me that I have to keep a positive attitude when I feel discouraged or lost due to problems that I am having. The meaning of lyrics is indexical to me because it reminds me of feelings of hope and optimism. This song also shows the mindset that I have when I am solving issues that I encounter. I believe that I have to focus on solving my problem instead of dwelling on the problem and letting it control me.

I chose the song "Mariella" by Kate Nash because it's about being yourself and accepting yourself even when others want you to change. The lyrics describe a girl that wants to be carefree like a little girl named Mariella that glued her lips together. Even though everyone wanted Mariella to change and unglue her lips she said that she never would. This song is an index of how I feel about myself. I am happy with who I am all not going to change any of the things that make me weird or different for anyone.

 The song "We'll All Be" by The Maine is an index to the experiences that I had with my friends during my senior year of high school. One of the lyrics from the song is "I'm ashamed of feeling down now, 'cause we're the people we've been waiting on". I feel connected to these lyrics because This past school year I became friends with people that were very similar to me that I had not even spoken to after being around them for six years. The song also says "We all have been degraded.We all will be the greatest." and it is sung by a large group of people. This reminds me of times that I have felt communitas with people while singing and dancing in large groups. Those particular lyrics also speak to me because I feel that all of my friends and I have been in situations where we were degraded, and we are all on are way to a position of greatness in our future.