Take a Musical Trip

 Aboriginal Australian Musical Trip

    Enjoy the adventure as we learn about the distinctive Aboriginal Australian Music! I have read a handful of books about the Aboriginal people, which piqued my interest in this musical trip.

    As said by Hans Telford, the aboriginal traditional music is an integral part of the aboriginal people and holds a lot of meaning as well. He also states that "music is used throughout an aboriginal's life to teach what must be known about their culture, about their place in it, and about its place in the world of  nature and supernature."  They are taught at a very age to sing and dance about everyday tasks. The music is passed down from generation to generation verbally and not written down and learned as the way we learn in western culture. 

    The music composed by the aboriginals is very important to their culture. The songs composed for sacred ceremonies are only to be shared with their tribe and no one is to record these ceremonies. Outsiders are not allowed to attend these ceremonies as well. Non-sacred ceremonies can allow outsiders to observe and record.

    The aboriginals use an instrument called the didgeridoo, which is made from the eucalyptus tree. This instrument is one of the oldest instruments and is in the category of aerophone.  This wind instrument is played by blowing into the tube, almost like a trumpet. 

Dance during Aboriginal Initiation Ceremony, Northern Australia
Recorded April 10, 2010. 

Beat

The song starts off with the clapsticks with a slow and steady beat. They start singing in their language and the beat increases to a faster beat for about 30 seconds. Following that, the beat increases, I believe there is more than one song in this video. This reminds me of our own traditional Yup'ik songs, but we a drum instead of clapsticks. 

Lyrics

The lyrics are sung in their Australian language. Although I don't understand the words, they are welcoming and calming. They start singing slow and increase as they sing along. 

Amazing Didgeridoo by Mick Ambyrum

Recorded in 1995, posted Sept. 28, 2013

Timbre

The timber changes throughout the song and doesn't stay the same. He starts off with slow and slightly increases, and flows smoothly as the timbre changes. 

Rhythm

This song has a variety of rhythm played throughout the song and that is what makes the music so unique. The rhythm changes from slow to fast, with a smooth change. It continues to change throughout the song and doesn't stay the same. 

    Australian music is very unique, just like the Alaskan native music.   Although they are clear across the globe from here, they enjoy composing and dancing to their native music just as we do. When I came across the ceremonial dance, it reminded me of the ceremonial dances that we have.  Their music also holds as much meaning as our music in my native culture. Music is integral to everyone no matter where you come from! This class has been a total eye-opener for me in exploring music.  I enjoyed this musical trip and enjoyed learning more about Australian Aboriginal music! Enjoy!

Sources:

Telford, Hans W. Australian Aboriginal Music, hmcs.scu.edu.au/musicarchive/AusGeneral.html.

“Indigenous Music of Australia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_music_of_Australia.

“Music, Dance and Art.” DevelopmentEducation.ie, 26 Nov. 2018, developmenteducation.ie/feature/a-focus-on-aboriginal-australia/music-dance-and-art/.

Innovations in Music

 Evolution of the Steel Drums

    The steel drums have come a long way since they first evolved, originally known as the steel pan.  The drum has been around for centuries; although there are many types of drums, the steel drum is unique in its own way. Toddlers often find the steel drum just as impressive as adults, which is made of steel. The same material is used to make cooking pots and pans. 

    According to the BBC, the steel pan was created in Trinidad with metal objects such as oil drums, car parts, paint pots, dustbins, and biscuit tins.  Trinidad is an island located close to South America along the Caribbean chain.  The main object they used to create the pan came from the 55-gallon oil drum.  Trinidadians who were once slaves made their own music with items and materials they had available. Trinidad street music became part of their Trinidadian culture. The steel pan is one of the newest instruments created in the 1930s. Here is a picture provided by the BBC using steel drums and another snapshot of the evolution of the steel pan. 

From the 55-gallon oil drum to...

The newly innovated steel pan!

Here is an example of the pan note layout

Here is a video of the earliest recording of music with the steel pan. Although you can't actually see the use of the pan, you can hear percussions of the steel pan. 
First Steelpan Recording, 'Lion-Oh' Hell Yard SteelBand & the Roaring Lion1940

Lyrics

The lyrics are very upbeat and sung with a strong accent of Trinidad. The flow of the lyrics is the same throughout the song, and "Lion-oh" is repeated with the same tone throughout the music as well.

Drums

The drumming starts off upbeat and continues the same throughout the song. 

Evolution of the Steel Pan in today's time

Here is a song played with the current steel pans they make today. 'Sunflower' (Post Malone) by Ravon Rhoden-Steeldrum Cover (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) May 6, 2019

Timbre

The timbre of the pans ranges from high to low. The timbre of the piano is started first and sets the timbre of the pans. The percussions of the pans are very easy to hear and differentiate from the piano. 

Melody

There are a couple instruments played, which are the piano and the pans. The melody is very smooth and easy-going. The melody can also be somewhat calming.  

I really enjoyed learning about the steel pans. I always thought drums were made of the same material, but NOO this is definitely something new I have learned! 

Sources

“A Brief History of the Steel Pan.” BBC News, BBC, 24 July 2012, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18903131.

Songfacts. “Songfacts - Songs Featuring Steel Drums.” Song Meanings at Songfacts, www.songfacts.com/category/songs-featuring-steel-drums.

Steel Drums (Steel Pans)-Information And Advice That You Can Use, www.caribbean-steel-drums.com/.

Next to Me by Emeli Sande ~ A Musical Analysis 2

 "Next to Me by Emeli Sande"

Information 

Here is another song that had caught my attention immediately! I was working on a slideshow for my wedding anniversary, and this was a perfect fit. I've been blessed to have a husband who has been next to me since day one! Our relationship definitely fits in with the words for this song!

Next to Me is in the genre of R & B. Next to Me was composed in February of 2012 by a Scottish singer Emeli Sande and co-written by Hugo Chegwin, Harry Craze, and A. K. Paul. She wrote this song because all the men in her life have been loyal to her. Those men would include her dad, her manager, and her finance. This song spread across the world, first in Scotland, which made it to the #1 top charts and by April, was in the top 100s in the United States, Billboard Hot 100. There is no doubt that this song was a financial success because it has made the top 100 countries.

Lyrics

The lyrics again are universal because anyone from anywhere across the world can resonate with the story she tells in her song. According to song facts, in 2013 at the Ivor Novello Awards, this song was named the best song musically and lyrically, which I am not surprised! The lyrics flow very smoothly! Today, 16 years of marriage, I can still relate to this song, and is still one of my favorites!

Melody

There are a couple instruments played along with the vocal. The devices include the piano, drums, and the guitar. The melody starts off with an upbeat tune of the piano, a few seconds after, the drums, and she then starts singing. This is an upbeat song that immediately puts you in a good mood. The piano and drums are played throughout the song. 

Key Choices

According to Wikipedia, the key choices that are used is A Minor. She uses A Minor throughout the song by adding in some G and C keys during the chorus. 

Chords

According to Ultimate Guitar, the chords played with the guitar are Am, G /B, C, Fmaj7, G, and F. The chords seem a lot more complicated than the other song I chose, which was Control by Zoe Wees. 

Drums

The drums are played throughout the song with an upbeat melody. During the chorus, he just taps his sticks together, and after the ensemble is complete, he picks back up with the drums in an upbeat tune. I could not find the composition of the drums and the sites that I did find I would have to pay to look at the sheet music for the drums. 

Timbre

The contrast of timbre smoothly changes at the chorus. You can clearly hear the beat of the drum change from hitting the drums to hitting the sticks. I was able to clearly hear the difference. With this change, you can clearly hear the vocal, and it grabs your attention even more as if the teacher has gotten everyone's attention, and the students are all listening. I have enjoyed the changes in beats, and the lyrics really have me with this song since it resonates in my marriage!

Sources

“Next to Me (Emeli Sandé Song).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Sept. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_to_Me_%28Emeli_Sand%C3%A9_song%29.

 Songfacts. “Next To Me by Emeli Sandé - Songfacts.” Song Meanings at Songfacts, www.songfacts.com/facts/emeli-sande/next-to-me.

“Emeli Sandé - Next To Me (Chords).” Guitar.Com, 22 July 2016, tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/1146075.

Control by Zoe Wees ~ A Musical Analysis

A handful of songs instantly catch my attention and Control by Zoe Wees is one of them! I had dealt with anxiety during my adult life and did not realize what fear was until years later from when I first experienced it. This is why it really caught my attention, and I instantly downloaded the song to my playlist. Anxiety hit after a few tragedies, and I feel at peace the most when I am outdoors.

Zoe Wees is an 18 year old from Hamburg, Germany. The song Control was her first single that spread across the world. I believe it has been a financial success for her if her music teacher quit his job and became her manager, as stated in an interview posted by Notion Magazine. 

Control - NOTD Remix

Lyrics

Bong Mines Entertainment describes the song as a universal feeling because everyone can relate to the lyrics. I agree with them because a girl from Alaska, all the way across the globe, can relate to these same feelings she describes in her songs. Although they are her own personal feelings, many others feel these same feelings during a certain point in their lives. Knowing she has overcome one of her struggles, the lyrics in her song tell a story and have given many others hope to look forward too in their own time. 

Melody 

There are a couple instruments played in this song, which include the piano and guitar along with vocal. It starts off slow and sad. The intro starts with the piano playing. The piano beat tends to repeat throughout the main choruses.  The piano beats speed up a bit but slows at each chorus. The vocals start out slow as she tells her story. After singing the intro, the guitar is introduced and plays at the same melody as the piano. It was hard for me to hear the guitar at first, but after listening to the song repeatedly to listen for instruments, I was able to listen to it. 

Timbre

The contrast of timbre smoothly changes after each chorus. I was able to hear the subtle change. I have enjoyed the subtle changes, and  I feel the beat has me hooked to the song. 

Chord Choices

The chords are repetitive throughout the whole song. This might actually be easy to learn for a beginner guitarist, such as my son, who is learning to play the guitar! Simple yet great for easy listening. 

Sources

Thomson, Zangba, et al. “Zoe Wees Releases a Lovely Debut Single, Entitled, ‘Control.’” Bong Mines Entertainment, 15 Mar. 2020, www.bongminesentertainment.com/zoe-wees-control/.

“Interview: Taking Control With Zoe Wees: Notion Magazine.” Notion, 22 Sept. 2020, notion.online/taking-control-with-zoe-wees/.

“Zoe Wees - Control (Chords).” Guitar.Com, 16 Apr. 2020, tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/zoe-wees/control-chords-3092408.

One of the songs I like, Control by Zoe Wees

 

Hello

    Hello classmates, welcome to my blogger site for Music F200 Explorations to Music! I look forward to this different class set up the music class has to offer! My name is Hazel, and I am from St. Mary's, Alaska. My goal is to receive my AA General Arts Degree and once I complete that goal I will continue to take classes for my BA in Elementary Education. I am a mother of 3 boys!! They keep me on my toes!

    I love listening to music! I listen to music when I am cleaning, driving in the truck or out boating, and just about anywhere I can listen. I do not attend concerts because they don't have concerts in the village! If you consider a Fiddling Festival a concert then yes, but I haven't attended one in years! I also have never experienced going to a venue and I don't think I will. (Not one of my priorities at the moment). My latest favorite song is Control by Zoe Wees. I often like listening to Today's Top Hits on Spotify or Pandora. I have never used any other music site. I also listen to Mood stations. If I am feeling happy I listen to Mood Booster or if I am down in the dumps I listen to Alone Again. I like songs by The Fray and also love listening to songs from Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack.

I look forward to checking out everyone's blog post to see which type of music everyone likes and look forward to listening to songs that you listen to! Have a great day wherever you may be!

~Hazel

Spotify WebPlayer