Chapter 07
Hifumi Hachi Gaeshi played on the shakuhachi (video #1)
1) After listening to this instrument why do you think it was included in this chapter. ( this question require the book called “Exploring the World Music by Scott, Hast)
2) Discuss other instruments important traditional Japanese Music.
3) What do you think of the video below?
This is an interesting short video on how to play the shakuhachi
This is an interesting short video on how to play the shakuhachi /Simon Shaheen on the Ud, often spelled oud. (Video # 2 and #3)
1) Research this instrument and write a description of it and how it is made.
2) Discuss the different timbres that can be achieved on the Ud.
3) Explain how the Ud resembles other instruments that you may be more familiar with.
Chapter 08
Four Seasons, Vivaldi, first movement (Video # 4)
Spring is one of Four movements of this piece by Antonio Vivaldi. Find a video of the other three seasons, list the URL, and write 2-3 sentence about your impression of each.
Chapter 09
SFUPB (video #5)
1) What does SFUPB stand for, where are they from and why is that significant?
2) Research how the sound is made on the bagpipe and write 4 sentences about your understanding of the sound production.
3) Have you ever heard them before now? Where and when?
Guillaume Dufay – Nuper rosarum flores (video #6)
If you were to trace Western Music History from ancient times you would most certainly listen to the music of Guillaume Dufay (1400-1474). Below is a well-known piece of his mentioned on the bottom of page 201 of your text. As you listen to it observe that the music notation is not like our notation today or that you find on your card. Describe some of the differences in 4-5 sentences. Now that you have heard this music, search YouTube for 2 more pieces by Dufay, list the URL’s and give 3- 4 sentence comments.
Mbira tutorial (video #7)
You have undoubtedly heard the sound of the Mbira, sometimes referred to as the thumb piano. This video is interesting because the person actually breaks down how to play the famous song discussed in your text, “Chemutengure” Listen and watch him and discuss your understanding of the sections he is talking about. There is not a drone but the repetition has a drone effect. Do you agree? Comment. Makes me want to get one and start practicing. What about you? Find 2 URL’s with Mbira music that you enjoy and list them with commentary.
Chapter 10
He Mandu(video #8,and 9)
On page 221 (BOOK: Exploring the World Music by Hast, Scott) of your text there is a discussion of work songs and He Mandu is shown with the words and the music. Below are two very different versions of the same song. Please write 7-8 sentences this time on your REACTION to the two versions. Describe them and then explain which one you prefer and why.
Backwater Blues (video #10)
There is an amazing amount of music that uses the Blues Form as it’s structural basis. Watch this informative video about two of the early and most famous Blues performers, James P. Johnson and Bessie Smith.
A bit of history regarding the song comes from Wikipedia:
The song “Backwater Blues” is a blues and jazz standard. It was written by Bessie Smith, and recorded (under the title “Back-water Blues“) by her (vocals) and Jimmy Johnson (piano)[James P. Johnson] on February 17, 1927.[1]
The song has long been associated with the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. However, that flood was at its worst some two months after the song was written. Study of Smith’s touring itinerary, of testimony of fellow entertainers who toured with her, and of contemporary reports indicates that the song was written in response to the flood which struck Nashville, Tennessee on Christmas Day 1926. The Cumberland River, which flows through the city, rose 56 feet (17 m) above its normal level, still a record as of 2014.[2]
After you have watched this video, find another youtube version of Backwater Blues and list the URL, then compare them with 4 sentences.
Miles Davis (video #11)
Miles Davis, arguably the most famous jazz trumpeter in music history, was also known for fostering young musical talent. This recording of All Blues is a very different yet similar in form to the blues you just explored. The picture you look at as you are listening to All Blues is of Miles and three very famous other jazz musicians, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Bill Evans. After you listen to it search youtube for a blues by one of the three of them and list it here and discuss the two pieces with 3-5 sentences.
The Making of a Steel Drum （video #12）
1) Youtube is very unique in bringing to light old videos, sometimes including people who became very famous after their making. Research the steel drum and write 10 sentences on what you think of the sound and what you now know that you did not know before.
Chapter 11
Igor Stravinsky (video #13)
Please do a google search on Igor Stravinsky and discuss in a few sentences the three countries in which he primarily lived and why.
As you listen to the piece, list the instruments that are playing. Pretty hard to tap you foot to it. Why do you think that is the case? I particularly like this piece. What do you think? You can be honest.
Stephen Leek (video #14)
Stephen Leek is also discussed in the book and his piece Kondalilla is discussed. Find out where this name came from, it will be easy with some research, and then listen to the piece. The book refers to improvisation in the third movement. I have given you a recording of the entire piece since it is only 4:31 long. Where does the third movement begin and what is the part that is improvised and what are they doing?
Buddhadev Das Gupta (video #15)
Throughout the book Buddhadev Das Gupta is mentioned. You can find his biography with google research and you can find many recordings he has done.
He is still alive today and the video below is a short interview with him that was posted just a few months ago. Though I do not know when the actual interview was completed, it does seem to be contemporary. What do you think about fusion and what he is saying. I particularly like when he says that he has not played that specific instrument in a long time. True professionals are often very modest.
Try to comment with 7-8 sentences.
Chapter 12
Sonatas for Prepared Piano (video #16)
I think you would enjoy some of the music of John Cage. When I was a college student at UC Davis, I studied with him and he had an extraordinary view of music. Below are just a few of his pieces, some electronic, some for instruments, and for fun I invite you to research maybe one of his most famous pieces, 4:33. 4:33 is the title of the piece. Please comment on you impressions of John Cage.
John Cage- Water Walk and Prelude for Meditation (Video #17 and 18 )
It is fun to watch this very old Black and White TV show “I’ve Got a Secret”
It was very early for this kind of experimental music but the sounds are very cool.
Comment if you have time.
Things to write about: See if any of these things are in your scene. First of all tell us a little about the movie in case we haven’t seen it, then describe the scene, then give the overall concept for the whole movie: is it a romantic comedy, adventure, thriller or what, then tell me the concept for the scene (is the composer depicting the main character like Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop or Driving Miss Daisy), the overall mood of the scene (like depicting the scene is funny or scary) or is it depicting the action in the scene (like in the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark). Is it ethnic music or is it supporting the historical aspect in the story or is it geographical. (Note that if it doesn’t fit into any 1 word category, like sci-fi or comedy or whatever, then they have to choose something else to focus on like the main character or ethnic or geographical aspect of the movie.)
What is the music’s function or role? Is it in the background.; foreground; playing through the action (which means the music is ignoring the action, hitting nothing specifically, phrasing the drama (which means it hits the action when necessary and plays through the action the rest of the time), playing the psychological subtext (is it speaking for the person’s thoughts), playing the drama (that is supporting the emotion in the scene) is it foreshadowing doom (if so tell what that impending doom is); is it hitting the action (IF IT IS HITTING THE ACTION, WHAT DID IT ACHIEVE BY DOING IT. DON’T JUST SAY IT HIT THE ACTION. WAS IT A STINGER EMPHASIZING AN IMPORTANT CLUE LIKE IN SPELLBOUND? Did they emphasize something for shock purposes like in Minority Report, was it to emphasize the humor in something like in ET. When he was drunk and ran into the counter and fell down. It always has a reason for being there.) If you have trouble telling the difference between hitting the action and imitating the action; hitting the action is when the music accents or emphasizes a moment, movement or action, like a chord playing. Imitating the action is more like in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the music played a pizzicato little melody to imitate the spiders crawling on Indy’s back or when a cartoon character climbs up a rope and the music plays an ascending scale to imitate it.
After you’ve figured out what they are focusing on, then tell me how that shapes the instrumentation, melody, harmony and rhythm.
Instrumentation – Tell me the instrumentation. How does the instrumentation fit the scene? Is it full orchestra and leans heavily on the low brass section because it’s scary or what. Do they use the strings because it’s a romantic or sad scene?
Melody – Is the melody being played by the trumpets because the main character is a hero or what? Is it bumpy or smooth?
Harmony – Is it in a major or minor key; is it tonal or atonal; dissonant or consonant (If it is dissonant, what’s going on in the scene for them to do this. Is something scary going on? Talk about it.) (Dissonance is used for suspense, surprise, drama, and to express pain, grief, and tension, plus it can push the scene forward. If it’s in a minor key tell, me if the scene is a sad scene or not. Minor keys also depict mean people.
Rhythm/tempo – Does it use the percussion section to set a new tempo or pace for the scene? Does it use a bumpy rhythm like Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory? Is it fast paced because the scene is an action scene or slow because the scene is sad or romantic? Does it have a driving rhythmic pattern in it?
Is the source music off screen or on screen or is it pre-existing songs. (If there’s source music, what is its purpose? Is it telling us something about the character’s personalities or saying something they can’t say, or is it establishing the time period – same thing with the pre-existing songs. If it is a song with words, TELL US SOME OF THE WORDS so we can see how it supports the scene. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.)
Is there abrupt silence (was the silence there before the music so the music could come in with an accent in order to startle you or was the silence there after the music so you could hear the sound effects better.)
Use your imagination and really dig deep to figure out why they put the music there. What is it depicting in that scene and what mood does it evoke?
Here’s a short example: The movie is an action thriller. This scene is in the 2nd act, which is the confrontation section, so the good guy is fighting the bad guy. The scene is focusing on the fight between the 2 guys so it’s an action scene. Give a short synopsis of the movie and the scene. The function of the music is depicting the excitement of the scene. It’s playing through the action. It’s using full orchestra but relying heavily on the low brass in a minor key to play the melody, depicting the meanness of the bad guy and the dissonance is amplifying the suspense of whether the good guy will win or not. The percussion section started the scene because the pace picked up as the bad guy chased him and so it’s playing a driving rhythmic pattern. The music is in the foreground to build excitement. After you’ve read your paper, you’ll need to show the clip (NO BLUERAY) and point out all the things you said in your paper as the scene plays. You need at least 3 full pages of information. So I talked about the instrumentation, melody, harmony and rhythm, the music’s function and the concept. THERE’S A LOT MORE YOU CAN SAY. Like I said if it’s source music or a song with lyrics in the score, then tell me some of the lyrics and how they continue the plot or fit the scene. If it hits the action, say it the action to amplify the anger of the bad guy or to make the scene funnier or whatever.
Difference between playing the drama and playing the psychological subtext. Playing the drama means that the music is supporting the emotions in the scene. It’s their outward emotions. In other words, we can see them crying. We know they’re sad so the music is in a minor key and probably using the strings in their middle register.
Playing the psychological subtext means that the music is depicting the unspoken word or thoughts of the character, whether it’s a cartoon character, an animal like Kong, or a person.
In other words, we can’t see what they are feeling inside them. Their emotions are hidden inside. It’s not visible to us. Instead of us guessing what they’re thinking, the music portrays it for us. Example: In Harry Potter, Harry is sitting on a windowsill in his dormitory room and he’s looking out the window. There’s no real expression on his face, so the music has to speak for him. It plays the Parent’s theme which tells us that he’s thinking about his parents.
In Lord of the Rings, there is a Ring theme. The ring can’t talk in a language that we can understand so the music speaks for it. It slow and sounds sad and it’s in a minor key. It’s depicting the fact that the ring is lonely and sad because it wants to go back to its master Sauron.
One last example, in Spellbound, Gregory Peck’s character is experiencing distortion and confusion in his head due to the paranoia and amnesia. He doesn’t tell us what’s going on in his head so the music has to depict it for us by playing the Dementia theme, which sounds eerie.
The music is expressing what’s going on in his head.
the movie is : Life of PI …..
Recommendations for the Corporate Reputation of an Organization on any company of choice. You work as a PR consultant and offer expert PR advice to your corporate clients. One of the companies (an existing company in your chosen sector) is facing the challenge of corporate reputation. Please write a report as a foundation of PR activities that can highlight the socially responsible practices of the company as follows: (a) Carry out a critical situational analysis and identify the reputational issues. (20%) (LO1, LO5) (b) Evaluate and give recommendations as how the organization with the help of corporate communication tools/tactics can positively influence its publics. (60%) (LO2, LO3, LO4) (c) Critically recommend the evaluation methods to be used. (20%) (LO4)
