The first music I remember listening to was the kind my parents liked. I heard a lot of Maze and Frankie Beverly growing up, along with Al Green and Marvin Gaye. At the time I didn’t really pay attention to it, and I guess I was too young to actually remember it specifically. But when I got older, I found myself recognizing songs that I wasn’t even aware that I knew. My mom would pop in a CD and I’d recognize it instantly. But besides that, music never really played a huge role in my life until around middle school and high school. Sure I’d hear it on the radio and I’d listen to it with my friends, but that’s the extent of it. I had no desire to look for any new music and I didn’t want to learn anything about it. Then one summer my mom told me that I’d be marching in the high school band. I was flabbergasted. I wasn’t even in high school! But I’m glad that I did it, because it helped me realize that music could do a lot for you if you let it. I met a lot of new people and they all listened to different types of music.
When I was younger I only stuck to hip-hop and R&B because that’s what I was brought up around. But now I’ve learned to appreciate different types of music and how they sound and I can’t get enough of it. I don’t know much about music outside of America, and I’m really looking forward to changing that. The closest I’ve come to experiencing a different culture’s music is in high school when my band played a Japanese show. We had three soloists who played this really cool bamboo flute that I later learned was called a Shakuhachi. I actually taught myself vibrato by listening to them play. Anyway, looking back on it, I think it was cool how we mixed Japanese sounding elements with marching band music. It wasn’t Japanese music in its purest form, but I got the general sound of it.
The only other cultural music I can think of listening is the opening song in the movie Boondock Saints. I’m not sure if it’s native to Ireland or if it was specifically made somewhere else to sound Irish for the movie. I really like it though. My dad said I have some Irish in me (I was very surprised to hear this) so I sort of feel a tiny connection to it. Sort of. I’m just really interested in other culture’s music, and I’m excited that I finally get to learn about them.
And just because I'm slightly obsessed with Boondock Saints...
I didn't even think about including the bamboo flutes! oh well, ha.
ReplyDeleteAll good, Lauren. We've had a Japanese trio come to Converse as well--I wonder if it's the same one? And I'm not actually surprised about the possible Irish heritage--there's a part of Chris's lecture on The Blues that might speak to that possibility. And I think Chris has a flute piece or two that tries to mimic shakuhachi music--you might ask him about it.
ReplyDeleteI think that is really cool. Music should be about who you really are.
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese flutes we used in the show weren't actually shakuhachis. I think they were actually shinobues (http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/EasternAsia/7432JapaneseShinobue/Shinobue.html). I believe Mr. Pace wanted to get shakuhachis, but I think they were a little too expensive.
ReplyDeleteDr. Vaneman, the flutes were used as a part of our marching show, so our director bought the flutes and picked soloists who could learn how to play them. I was one of the soloists. I still have mine - I might be able to bring it in, if you'd like.