Saturday, May 1, 2010

Response to Christie's response to my response to her question?

In regard to your screenshot without blurring out usernames- I’m not sure of the ethical concern at hand here. It’s undoubtedly safer and probably better to just black out the names. However, choosing a username already gives the commenter the option for an alias and consequently anonymity. If a commenter on a fan site elects to display their own name for the world to see, in a way they’re releasing their own privacy. Who knows what purpose someone might utilize information for on the internet? I’m not sure of the exact ethnomusicological protocol in this instance, but I suppose it could go either way ethically depending on how particular someone is.


I suppose consent isn’t so much an issue in the Miller article considering she asked for feedback from the GTA fans. However, sampling is definitely something to take into consideration here. On one hand, she’ll get the most enthusiastic and probably relevant responses from players who care enough to even know where to find these websites, let alone, take the time to follow them and post feedback. On the other hand, this is a very limited audience she’s drawing from in terms of involvement with the game. It being the internet, these subjects could potentially come from far and wide. However, it’s also important to take into consideration those who play GTA in the first place. For someone to have access to the game, he or she is likely of a certain socioeconomic class to be able to afford the system and game, and of a certain social group to hold an interest in participating.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Critical Review #10: Novak 2010

While this article did bring to light some valid and perhaps overlooked points about remediation and the growing popularity of Asian culture in America I don’t know how I felt about the writing style. It was very accessible and easy to read but something about it sounded oddly like a term paper rather than a form of ethnographic study. I suppose this just goes back to the old debate about what qualifies as an ethnography and if it’s possible to even define one in structured terms, but this article seemed like a bit of a stretch.

I did, however find the point about remediation to be very relevant and interesting. In class we’ve been discussing forms of media as pertaining to their reliability and legitimacy as forms of ethnography. This article further discusses the advantages and drawbacks to recreating and evolving a form of entertainment through a new lens. Different forms of media have struck up debates in many genres over the benefits of using one type of form over another, as well as how performances can translate through one medium to the next. This discussion is becoming increasingly prevalent and relevant to many fields of study. In one of my other classes we were recently discussing this as well. While a trend of making movies out of musicals and live performances has been evolving for a while now, a newer form of remediation that’s been occurring is incorporating elements of film or redevising videos into live productions.

One criticism I have on Novak’s thoughts about remediation is it seems kind of obvious and straightforward. Clearly something is going to be rediscovered and transformed through a new element of media. It also seems somewhat obvious that this isn’t always a bad thing, and that the art form is becoming something entirely new rather than just losing elements of the original. Also, whenever a performance is recreated, even if it isn’t being remediated, such as in a revival of a show, it’s generally re-envisioned and changed in numerous ways.

I found the part of this article discussing the Heavenly Ten Stems performances and protest to be especially interesting. From the description of the group it is made out to be incredibly offensive, yet it’s confusing to a get a grasp on the intention of the performers. Kearney insists that the intentions were harmless and simply out of appreciation for the art form, yet they seem to have missed their mark by a lot- One of their questionable decisions being to wear gold face paint. What deems an action to be offensive towards someone? If the intention behind the act is malicious, or is that irrelevant?

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Critical Review #9: Titon 1992

I hadn’t really previously considered the personal spins and biases documentary films can perpetuate. It’s true that effects and editing greatly affect one’s perception of what’s going on, even just in terms of quality or legitimacy. This doesn’t completely relate, but I remember when doing video projects in high school how differently the message and impact of a final edited video is than just one that films the action as a whole without any effects. Close-ups and narration really do imply that certain parts of a scene are more important by directing the attention to what the director feels should be emphasized. One can also really distort the truth/reality by cutting scenes and taking pieces out of context in order to frame a desired message.

Titon comments that people tire of talking heads, such as when someone is telling a long story. Is it better to try and keep the audience’s interest and investment or to preserve the purity of watching the person tell the story from beginning to end?

I’m also not sure I entirely understand everything Titon is trying to get across. I was getting a little confused trying to understand what he meant by convention and the best experiences to have. The terms of convention and realism and representation seemed to have very specific meanings and I was having a hard time distinguishing the meaning intended by them.

“In the presence of the camera, professional actors are trained to be natural, whereas non-actors often act.” This sentence really caught my attention. It put a lot of the things I’ve come to realize about both life and performance into words in a very coherent and explicative manner.

One thing that bothered me about the article was how Titon refers to Powerhouse of God, his film, as though the reader has seen it and knows exactly what he’s talking about. Of course the context isn’t imperative to understanding his points, and he does explain most of what’s important, but I still felt while reading that it was implied that I should share this base of knowledge of the film.

When presenting a rhetorical documentary on humans, does it have to feel racist or colonialist? Isn’t there a way to discuss an outside society being observed without it feeling condescending? I feel like I’ve seen documentaries as such on television or in class that aren’t but I’m finding myself unable to recall now. So much of media today has shifted toward some form of “reality” television, whether this reality is actually constructed or not, that learning about or watching other humans without a structured narrative seems to be pretty normal and less condescending.

Also, regarding authority, if professors and so-called experts aren’t presented in their offices in a suit, “donning the mantle of academic authority,” how should they be portrayed in order for viewers to still take them seriously? And when trying to assert a point, shouldn’t a narrator speak with a voice of authority? I suppose it depends on what the goal is. If the goal is simply to present information and then to allow the viewer to come to his or her own conclusions, diminishing one’s authority then makes sense. However, if the objective is to try and convince the viewer to accept the perspective of the narrator, then it’s foolish not to try and assume the most authority they can to try and seem credible.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Challenge Question Collegial Feedback to Christie

Christie makes a good point about Rodney’s candor with Wong and willingness to be so honest regarding his personal taste and history. It’s true that he did possess a level of comfort with Wong so as to facilitate a candidness and openness in his discussion with her that he might not have possessed with someone else. At the same time, he was aware of Wong’s purpose in interviewing him, so that might also have affected his answers if there was any information he was hesitant to disclose to someone outside his close circle of friends. However I probably mostly agree with Christie that Wong was able to draw more out or Rodney than someone else might have been able to. Even just personal side notes and jests of conversation might lead to a point that might otherwise remain unexplored.

Regarding my personal experience in writing this ethnography, I would say that I similarly have had more ease in accessing my group, Badmaash, because of knowing a few people in the group. I was surprised at the warm reception I received from the many members I didn’t know at all previous to my introduction to the group by the co-chair that I do know. Had I no affiliation I wonder if I would have been met with the same response, or if my friendship with this chair as well as a few others in the group put me in a different category and consequently less threatening. While this camaraderie with some of the group members certainly has given me access to more information, it at the same time has made me more wary of the details I remark upon and disclose to the public within my work. I have no negative reflections upon or feelings towards the group, it’s just tricky sometimes to know how certain observations or comment might be received. I would in no way want to offend anyone, whether I knew them or not, but am probably more concerned about the consequence of this with friends whom I care about and plan to continue to have relationships with.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Critical Review #8: Neustadt 2002

Right from the start I find this article fairly easy to follow. It takes an accessible approach of comparing two specific examples of music deemed to be Cuban. While this is more or less a specific case study used to represent the disparity between social perceptions, it provides concrete evidence to the reader in order to illustrate what actually was and what the US contrived Cuban music to be. I find this interesting also because it’s a somewhat scientific approach to this subjective field of music. It accounts for many factors including time and allows us to focus on the specific distinctions between these two albums.

The Buena Vista Social Club was comprised of old musicians; many of which no longer played music prior to the recording. The music was simple and focused on themes of love, Cuban countryside, spirituality, work, and other such topics. Neustadt comments on the effect of these musical choices: “The miraculous return of these elderly soneros playing acoustic music from the ‘good old days’ on the world stage, however, lends this album a pervasive nostalgia when contemplated from outside Cuba.”

I think this idea of forging nostalgia from the outside is so interesting. I have recently discussed this topic with friends that have very strong feelings regarding the idea of nostalgia. They quite adamantly dislike it and feel it fosters this foggy, nonspecific feeling of remembrance that people get stuck in. While I’m not sure of my opinions, the Buena Vista Social Club then furthers this notion of unproductive, muddled emotions that in this case may be more or less misdirected.

The music of Tremendo delirio, on the other hand, contained more complex rhythms that blended more traditional Afrocuban rhythms along with more modern styles of hip-hop and rap. La Charanga Habanera’s music also communicated through the voices of younger, more current musicians and critiqued social and political issues on island. Thus the actual popular Cuban music within its country seems to have been more sophisticated music than it’s given credit for.

I’m not sure I agree with the metaphor of the language of music as compared to musical identity. It appears to me a more apt metaphor would be one hearing a language they don’t know or aren’t familiar with, and then stereotype that language by what they think it sounds like. If an English speaker tried to speak Spanish back to a native speaker of this dialect, even though the English speaker would be communicating their perception of the language, that doesn’t make it Spanish words. So though Neustadt is trying to argue otherwise, it does appear to me that the popular music within Cuba at the time should more accurately be considered Cuban music.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Critical Review #7: Moore 2002 and Manuel 2006

I find it interesting the wide range of varying formats of ethnographies. Moore's starts out explaining the structure of the essay to come, almost an abstract of sort in the introduction. Many of the studies we’ve been reading don’t do this as much and just dive into the material, or maybe start out outlining a personal experience or graphic memory. I find it useful to read essays discussing similar material in different ways such as this as it allows for the reader to use different mental perspectives when approaching the material, in addition to the contrasting messages from the content of the article. Something I also find interesting and am still deciding if it is useful or not is more or less the disclaimer that Moore puts out within the first page. He addresses the sources used and their reliability, rather than only listing them in his bibliography (as he does anyway). This does give the reader more power in terms of critical thinking and his or her responsibility in evaluating the accuracy of the material presented. However, is this the responsibility of the author? Certainly to some degree, but by reminding the reader of these margins of error (which are somewhat implied to be a part of any ethnography) does it also undermine the point the author is trying to make and diminish the strength of their argument? I wonder what the ideal balance is between trying to present a case and make one’s point confidently and relaying the degree of accuracy of one’s research. Because even if the government sources and accounts of the interviewees are biased, doesn’t this in part become part of the truth of what is going on in society? Where does the line of what the truth actually is blur between what people say they feel (for whatever reason) and what they really feel?

I also find it really interesting that some of the best music, or at least popular, well-known music, has come from countries that are culturally oppressed in some way. Such as in Cuba where freedom of speech is limited and the arts are politically controlled, and similarly in the communist Soviet Union back in the days of Prokofiev where a lot of propaganda was commissioned by Stalin. Dictators like him commissioned works that are now considered to be valued for their quality or at the very least are famous/popular. Is it just that the artists find a way to trick the government and find clever ways of expressing their true political feelings within their music? Or is music simply just able to thrive under these conditions for whatever reasons? I suppose since the music was still funded and supported it allows for censored creativity to still be produced successfully.

I wonder for new successful performers in Cuba what comes first sometimes- the chicken or the egg. Whether successful/popular/talented composers gain popularity and then gradually learn to aim their music towards socialist accepted viewpoints, or whether those that are most blatantly and enthusiastically in support of the government are selected and supported by them. Basically, how much does talent factor into the success of Cuban artists? Clearly they have to create enjoyable music to some extent for the consumers to want to listen, but how often are genuinely innovative and perhaps more talented composers overlooked or removed because of their ideology? Do they still find other outlets for their music that are more low profile? Is this not feasible/worth the risk?

Challenge Question Response

The use of the internet in ethnographic studies is a very tricky concept to consider. It seems almost unavoidable and perhaps foolish at this time in society to neglect it as a factor in most music being examined. Unless one is studying a society in which no one has access to the internet, it is going to be a factor that affects the music of any culture, let alone just web based communities. The internet makes it so easy for people to exchange ideas and access information. The information learned may not be accurate or useful, but it is wise to examine what knowledge people are consuming.

In terms of Miller's 2007 article regarding the video game Grand Theft Auto, she used the internet in a number of ways that were beneficial to the study. It was probably useful for her to be able to utilize a wider range of responses and reactions than she has access to in person. However, for posts of uses of fan sites online, one can't further investigate the background of these interviewees and thus don't know their specific cultural context and influences on why they feel that way. One also can't check the accuracy of claims. You dont' know that the people will be who they say they are even if they provide information as to who they are or where they're from. One also doesn't know if people are serious or being honest in their claims. I suppose you never know if people are being honest when they're interviewed or taking surveys, but if they've consented to the study they're probably taking it somewhat seriously and not treating their responses as jokes. On the other hand, because these responses are often anonymous, their feelings and comments might in fact be more upfront and honest rather than when they think their answers might be evaluated or judged.

Another large issue at hand is consent. This is a very important aspect of the ethics of ethnomusicology, as noted in Titon (2002) as well as some other articles. People interviewed at the very least should sign consent forms and have the ability to request a pseudonym or for their identity to remain hidden. This is a tricky line to tread when utilizing testimonies found on the web. On one hand, these thoughts are already published in a public forum and thus would imply their consent for people to read them. On the other hand, the commentary is intended for a very specific purpose and forum where the audience is probably expected to be fairly limited. One probably wouldn't expect his or her thoughts about Grand Theft Auto to be utilized for an ethnographic study. However, no ethnographic method of research is without its flaws and drawbacks. Because computers are so customary nowadays and the internet is such a central way that music is perpetuated, it would be foolish not to use it as a research method. Perhaps some general guidelines and suggestions for use should be established, but I'd say the web communities and ethnographies will become more and more of a necessity and relevant endeavor in both academia and the world beyond.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Critical Review #6: Waxer 1994

The article comments that when music undergoes a geographic shift, it must adapt and transition based on the new surroundings and resources. Thus, "music cannot be considered a fixed, bounded entity that, beyond a few cosmetic alterations, remains essentially the same from place to place." I would agree with this statement, but wouldn't this still be the case with music in the same geographic location within the same genre? Music is always evolving, and no two artists experience the identical varying influences and impacts in producing their music. Geographic location is simply one facet of countless factors that influence any given genre of music.

It does seem to make sense that Cuban music and New York jazz would fit together so well to be fused, as they both place a strong emphasis on structured improvisation to showcase the instrumentalists. It's clear that there was a very apparent exchange of musical ideas between Cuba and New York that influenced each other. How have other musical influences of the time been considered in addition to this 2-way exchange? The various factors in the roots of the music of these areas is described, such as the influence of New Orleans and other Caribbean styles on that of Cuban music. However beyond these roots, certainly other music genres of the 1930s-50s could have had additional impact on both music in Cuba and New York and participated in this exchange?

At times I found it a little hard to follow all the different Cuban music forms addressed int he background section of the article, let alone the other forms that influenced these forms that are offhandedly mentioned with a descriptor of few words. It seems almost futile to try and pinpoint or isolate influences on these various music styles as it seems there is an endless chain of one style influencing another. There are such subtle variations between genres too, as the danzon-mambo is a slight variation on the danzon, but with the purpose to highlight instruments and allow for fuller dancing. I wonder if there's a way to accurately convey all these subtle distinctions between styles of music so that a reader unfamiliar with them could fully imagine and understand them.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Interview Documentation

I started transcribing the interview I had from the beginning and then wished I had started somewhere in the middle. I was unsure of which excerpts to use because I didn't want to keep skipping around the interview to find the more "interesting" parts or cut the responses, but they were all pretty lengthy. I didn't even begin to cover what we got into in the interview. It lasted pretty long, a good 30 or 40 minutes and I learned a lot and got some different answers to my questions than I was expecting. The interviewee has indicated that they would like to be referred to under an alias, and will hereby be referred to as Pocahontas (this was decided at the interview, due to a love for Disney characters and an unrelated "inside joke," if you will).

INTERVIEW EXCERPT:

Me: Starting at the beginning, how many different types of dances do you guys do?

Pocahontas: Umm…I’m not quite sure whether there is a definite answer to that, it changes from year to year. But dances I have seen Badmaash do…let’s see…ok Bhangra Garba Raas Hip Hop Step Bharathanatyam Kathak Lyrical…umm…a little bit of Samba I think

Me: Really?

P: Yeah well we’ve got just a lot of people who have a lot of different talents in the group so that’s 9…there might be more, or variations between them, like mixes of them

Me: Do you generally do them all in an average concert or a mix?

I think our big show, which happens once a year we try and get as many different dance styles as possible. It doesn’t always happen, but we try.

….

Me: How do you pick the songs that you use for the pieces?

P: That’s up to the choreographer’s discretion. But I think a lot of that also has to do with our music people who are right now mostly Shri (sp.?) and Rahul umm I know that Rima and I knew that we wanted to use the background to Love Game and then we went to Shri to be like do you know any Hindi or Bollywood or just any old Indian song that could work with this and he was like “yes I know the perfect song” so like they both have ridiculous data bases either on their computer or in their head and they help out along with song selection and even more with song mixing

Me: Ok. Umm. Does the choreographer have free reign? Like does the group have to approve the dance or do people have the authority to approve or reject them?

P: It’s pretty much if you go to the Co-D’s at some point at the beginning of the semester and you’re like “Yo I want to choreograph this dance” they’ll be like “Sure, go for it,” which is really cool and a lot of times choreographers will kind of weed themselves out if they aren’t feeling it or if they don’t think that they have the time or something but we don’t reject dances from the show or we like don’t audition dances for the show

Me: Do the stories of the dances relate to the words of the songs?

P: It depends. So, for something like Bhangra or Raas I don’t think there’s much storytelling or anything related to the songs but for Bollywood I think they usually try to use songs whose lyrics kind of go along with the story so like the premise of a Bollywood piece the reason that it’s so long and so many different songs is because it’s supposed to like parody a Bollywood movie and like whatever love triangle happens because there’s always a love triangle. So like I know Sima was listening to songs to like fit this kind of blueprint of a story. And in Bharathanatyam I know if you choose to, when you use songs with words you can actually fit your movements to the words because it’s a form of storytelling, it’s like a pantomime. But a lot of times for Badmaash we don’t do that because that style of Bharathanatyam it’s called when you’re telling the story is a) Religious for the most part and b) just really hard to teach if you’re not trained. So for Bharathanatyam I’ve found Badmaash usually sticks to plain old movements that kind of show off the rhythmic and technical aspects without the storytelling in it.

Me: What does the music chair do?

P: Music Chair. Right now I think is Shri (sp.?) And last year was Rahul. Their job I think is basically to help out musically wherever possible so if a choreographer goes to them and is like I need music for this piece. Help me. They’ll help. And they do a lot with mixing songs if more htan one song is used in a piece and in terms of the competition piece which I think is probably the biggest group piece the co-directors choreograph it and the music chair does all the music for it, picks the songs according to the choreographers desires and then like makes a really epic, epic mix.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Critical Review #5: Waterman 1952

I find it interesting that Africans at one point considered not “culturally developed” enough to have harmony. To me, music seems to be something so inherently human that I would think even the most underdeveloped culture could potentially have a sophisticated and innovative musical system. I also find it fascinating that while transcribing African music an ethnomusicologist might neglect to transcribe harmony that was actually present, simply because they weren’t expecting to hear it. Understand that apparently something to do with the recording that made it difficult to hear, but I still find that difficult to imagine.

The article discusses the compatibility of Western and African musical styles, and the syncretism that has thus resulted. Apparently some Negro spirituals are even thought to have come solely from Europe due to the Western music style, which I find to be very interesting. Something that many Westerners would attribute to being an authentic African tradition in fact might have been born next to traditional European music.

I also find it interesting that people so often consider Western music to be more sophisticated and complex than African music, when in reality the elements of complexity seem to more or less even out. European songs are typically much more harmonically complex than those from Africa, including the use of modulation, which is virtually non-existent in African music. On the other hand, African music is much more rhythmically complex than European music. Then both of them have similar melodic complexity. Wouldn’t this ultimately put the two on pretty even playing fields in terms of overall musical sophistication?

This article is pretty old. How much has the syncretism of these two music types progressed since it was written? Will there ever be a point in which the syncretism of African and European music reaches a level to which the origin of certain songs won’t be able to be determined? That perhaps someday there will be such a fusion between the two music cultures to include all the varying musical complexities they contribute equally. Rather than being African influenced Western music, or Western influenced African music, there would just be African-Western music. Do examples of this already exist?

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Critical Review #4: Wong 2001

Right from the beginning I find this article’s description of African American music and white music to be interesting. Ogawa said he grew up listening to African American music and within a year of UCLA he was listening to “white” music. What does he mean by that? That the composers/performers were African American vs. white, or the audience members, or both? Also the difference in labels between African American and White; How can music be colored? Wong later goes on to comment that the ethnicity of music isn’t any less complicated than the ethnicity of humans…what factors are used to characterize this?

Wong also comments that in this interview she is working in the other direction than she usually does by interviewing someone who was a friend before a subject. She also comments that this gives her an accountability that can only be useful. Is that true? Couldn’t it not be useful, if one is biased in the perspective they choose to view comments made, or the light they shed something in? Yes she will be more careful and maybe more invested in the interview and his personal story, but it might also lead her to not be entirely objective in her methods or conclusions.

She then comments that audiences listen to themselves in performances, and relating that to how Ogawa trying to hear himself through the types of music he listened to. And then later Wong says she thinks it’s never the music itself that attracts or compels. Find my taste doesn’t radically shift depending who I surround myself with. I’m very open about not conforming to popular musical tastes of those around me, and often argue with friends about what I prefer to listen to. How much of one’s taste can be influenced by those around them vs. what they genuinely enjoy listening to?

I also find it interesting that fashion/dialect and style and general are being equated with music. Why were the Beatles a nonevent to him? And that at home he was allowed to listen to this music but not speak in a different dialect- why were these things distinguishable. Did he pick this music because it’s what he enjoyed listening to the most or because it was the more comfortable option as he said the fashion sense and dialect was. Is it because he identified both as a minority and an American, and this was the closest way to resolve that?

As a sidenote, I also thought his comment about how a good Japanese American kid always took music lessons was really funny. I find the image of an army of clarinets to be very amusing. But it is sad that music making was a duty for him.

(My discussion questions are interspersed throughout the critical review…I thought it made more sense to leave them with the paragraphs that they pertain to rather than list them at the bottom of the post)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Fieldnotes

I went back and forth about how to present the fieldnotes I took at Badmaash Rehearsal. At first I thought I might try and edit them and explain context to any readers, but then decided that I'd rather leave them in their original state and then later change or explain any points that might be unclear. The only thing that I did do was go through and make some (minimal) edits for grammar and spelling. These are mostly just my raw thoughts while I was there and more or less taking down a stream of consciousness of any element I thought I might at some point find relevant or useful. I found my brain to be working faster than my fingers would allow me to type at some point, so while at first it felt I was writing a lot, there is still much I didn't begin to delve into because everytime I wrote a note another point would come into my head. Also, I have since found out the answers to some of the questions I wrote from asking Manj or just thinking about it more, but left my initial inquiries.

The rehearsal I attended was for the Bollywood piece, and scheduled from 10pm-12am in Ashamu studio on Wednesday 2/24.

FIELDNOTES DAY 1 2/24/10- BOLLYWOOD dance

-Run into Manj and some of her friends as I walk---relieved because I felt weird about walking in by myself not really knowing everyone for the first time

-She gave a brief intro to some

-Rehearsal is in Ashamu, a big dance studio with mirrors to help them all see the overall formation as they learn and rehearse

-Right from the beginning very clearly a tightknit social group in addition to just dance group…hugs for everyone, asking how the weekend was. It’s Nandu (sp?)’s [This is a nickname Manj call’s her at least] bday

-Some questions from people of what I was doing… “my aunt majored in ethno when she went here! …. Well we’re ethnic…I’m not, but we are”

-Some issues turning on the music at first- lots of loud bursts of noise that people aren’t really noticing

-The dance has clearly been rehearsed for a while already

-The music starts and they dance first in lines, then break into circles and various formation

-Rapid foot movement, seems to be in a dotted rhythm

-The music itself…some “HUH!”s, and a pretty constant beat.

-Sima shouts something I don’t really understand and people get into formation for the next dance

2) Another song is put on, with a beat that’s a little slower but still strong

The whole time I’m taking notes I just keep thinking how cool this all is and how I want the music they’re dancing to, and that I should really go to more Badmaash shows like Manj always wants me to. It also makes me wish that I could dance!! It’s all so Impressive to me. They all look good but they pick up on such small details to improve that I don’t even notice…I’m just impressed that they remember all the moves and where to go, and think about how long it must have taken to conceptualize and organize all the group movements and transitioning between formations.

It’s unclear to me who is in charge…Manj said that Sean is a co-head of the group, but it seems that maybe Sima choreographed this dance? Or has some leadership position because she keeps taking charge and showing some moves to the group?

They all pick up on the new moves so quickly! I would need every millisecond to be broken down for me, as proven by when I’ve had Manj try to teach me parts of their dances as short as 2 bars, but they all are able to intuit the slightest body movements and nuances.

Sean steps up in front with Sima but it still seems that she’s teaching the dance.

I’m SO impressed at how quickly they learn and retain all of this with such little repetition!! They all learn it and go over it once or twice very briefly and then can just put it into context and look good doing it. I’ve tried to learn dances before and know how hard it is (at least for me) so it’s remarkable to me to see people pick up on something so quickly that takes me sooo long to figure out how to do. Also since I’m listening to the same instructions and am clearly not understanding as well as they all are.

I’m liking the dance, as an aside…even just the bit I’m seeing that they’re learning now is a funny little story of the girls trying to play it off cool and then getting really into their girlish movements, and the guys on the side with their arms folded watching.

There’s a very light dynamic to the rehearsal process. Everyone is much better at focusing than my a cappella group is, that is certain. There are very minimal side conversations and commentary for a group of comparative size. There is laughing and some hugging and giggling but for the most part everyone is here to learn and be productive and get through the dance. I wonder if this is partially a consequence of the intense rehearsal process they just went through for Phillyfest (a big dance competition). Sima is so small (I think the shortest and tiniest one in the group from a quick glance around) and yet she’s able to hold their attention and command their respect. If she yells quiet (cute and jokingly) or is stern (generally in a very cute and joking manner) the group listens.

…Is this a 3rd dance? I lost track…I think it’s still part of the second one. Or at least the second song; I’m having a hard time differentiating between whether this is all one dance with different songs or if the pieces are separate. I also can’t really tell when the songs are changing, and if this is some sort of musical compilation or when the song just has different parts to it.

3) Is this another new dance? When did she tell them which dance to do…

I think this is a new one, because Manj isn’t dancing and I don’t recognize this music/the moves. When did they learn all these pieces? I wonder how long the pieces have been in the group for, if they learn new dances all the time or if they keep ones that they reteach and pass through, as we have alumni songs and songs we rotate/retire/but generally keep in the group for a few years at least. I wonder if after each performance they choreograph new dances or if they ever do the same ones again…like especially the comp piece, since it was so cool and they worked on it for so much time. And if these are all new, did they learn them all this semester so far? We haven’t been here THAT long. I wonder how long it takes to choreograph the pieces vs. learn them. Does Sima choreograph all the Bollywood pieces? Again, is this all just one piece? I don’t think so

A note on outfits- Most people are wearing workout clothes of some variety- the girls mostly spandex but some other varieties of gym pants, and the guys in mostly sweatpants and shorts. However, I see some people in normal shirts rather than just t shirts, and I THOUGHT I saw someone wearing jeans, which seemed odd. But now I can’t find them so maybe I was hallucinating or they left, because I just saw someone walk out.

They opened a window because they’re clearly hot from all the dancing, but it’s cold!!

They’re all in such good physical shape

I’m a little surprised at how well I’m sinking into the background. Whenever we have guests at keys rehearsals for whatever reason I generally try to impress them or my behavior is affected for some reason or another. Here though they’re just having fun amongst themselves and focusing on their dancing. I’m inconsequential, which I’m glad about.

Sima said something about Lady Gaga, or finishing Lady Gaga…I’m not sure what she’s talking about because this music is definitely not Lady Gaga. Maybe it’s part of the dance move? I don’t really know her dances, unlike many of my friends.

This is kind of fun! There’s already so much more to write about than I thought there was going to be. I was worried that I wouldn’t know where to begin not knowing anything about this music or the dances.

Oh someone else started to suggest something, and Sima seemed to shoot it down. They’re explaining things and it’s getting a little confusing. Sima keeps using her notepad to list off lists of people for order in lines and formation, but I wonder how it’s notated so that she can remember what she’s talking about. How can you reduce a dance in your mind onto a piece of paper? Through words describing actions? Through pictures?

They just ran through part of it singing rather than playing the music…Nandu has a really pretty voice! That’s also an added element of complexity that they can memorize the words to the songs along with the melody and instrumental parts while remembering the moves to the dance. And that she knows the language…

That brings me to my next thought. I find the ethnic makeup of Badmaash very interesting. I know Manj has a background in Indian classical dance even though she’s from New Jersey. However having met some of the other members/just listening to them speak, I hear some accents and know that at least one or two of them are from India. I wonder how many of them grew up with some form of South Asian dance as part of their lives. And what the personal meaning of being in Badmaash then is to them. I also wonder how those who didn’t grow up around this type of dance ended up in the group. Does everyone have some sort of trained dance background (I couldn’t imagine possibly being able to keep up if you didn’t)? And what are the various dance training backgrounds of everyone in the group?…These are questions I should remember for the interview portion! How does one resolve being in a South Asian fusion dance group and not identifying ethnically as South Asian? Does it affect anything? Right from the beginning there was the offhanded comment about the group being ethnic even though not everyone is, so clearly it is at least realized and acknowledged to some degree.

What is the story of the dance that’s going on? How does it relate to what the words of the songs are? Does it always correlate? Does it ever?

Note to self…make EXTRA sure battery is fully charged. I think it’s going to run out a few minutes short of the end of the rehearsal. But I have a charger so it’s ok

Now it’s time to crack down in rehearsal, come 11:15- past the halfway point they were like more work less fun!

It’s hard to stay focused this whole time even as an observer…I keep tuning out and thinking about other things. They’ve all been very good and focused this whole time.

I think their rehearsal process is a really great balance of productivity and fun. Of course the dancing itself is suppose to be fun, and maybe that helps contribute to the level of concentration.

They’ve learned a looot of the dance without music, just with the counts. Music hasn’t been played in a while. I find that very interesting how they’re able to apply it all.

Welcoming newcomers!! 3 or 4. Yayy new Badmaashies! I can’t even tell which ones they are, they fit in well already.

I also am concerned with how they’re all perceiving me. I want them to like me! I’m glad I’m having such positive reactions so I don’t have to lie.

This dance already looks so good and a coherent whole. They’ve accomplished A LOT in not that much time. This reminds me more of the focus there would be in choir in high school vs. a cappella here, and reminding me how nice that was. Also this is a lot of work…I now understand why manj is always so out of breath after rehearsal

Business time…who’s free on the 13th. Also not much time before SASA show…need to practice on Salomon! Sima just said “sorry this is not as great a practice as usual” why wasn’t it? It seemed very productive…is it because they were learning things and not just rehearsing details?

Staying for an extra 5 minutes to block things. By 5 they mean 20ish. Need to do extra work because the show is coming up soon. “now we’re going to garba into the U”…a different language completely haha. Ooh I think they’re doing secret birthday stuff for Nandu! I see people in the doorway. Is that what they’re doing? That’s very cute. They pretended to rehearse extra and then turned the lights off and brought a cake in and started singing to her. Very nicely done, I didn’t realize at first and I was sitting by the door and saw other people were here. What a great day to choose to come to rehearsal! I feel a little awkward being here now that it’s cute social things…

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Critical Review #3 Miller 2007 and Berger 2008

I thought it was interesting when Prof. Miller was discussing the types of music used in the GTA game and how realistic it was- that there wasn’t any non-diegetic soundtrack music, but only where you would logically hear it in stores, cars radio stations, etc. That’s clever and innovative of the game to make it realistic, and also points to an instance where the 24-hour music log exercise becomes very useful to realize a usual soundscape and the typical places you might hear music.

I also find the concept of video games as performance interesting. Many of my friends are theater majors and take classes on performance theories so I’ve been subjected to a lot of experimental performance ideas. This now makes me wish that I had maybe listened a little closer to the endless mealtime discussions of their readings and class discussions rather than roll my eyes along with my non theater-concentrating friends. I hadn’t previously considered this particular medium of video games as an example of performance, but now thinking about it I find that notion to be very credible and an interesting perspective. The control the player has over music selection there also then plays a crucial element in being a performer.

I find the study of phenomenology to be logically thought provoking and perhaps unexpectedly a stimulating topic for academic discussion. Many people may dismiss it as arbitrary or unfit for formal analysis, yet it is some of the subject matter that proves most relevant to our daily lives. Because so many people are more familiar with popular games like Grand Theft Auto or music genres like rock and pop than the native folk music of other cultures, there is actually a wealth of ideas and themes to discuss. Perhaps this is also why it might be more important to study other cultures and try and understand them, and why this is the focus of much of ethnomusicology.

Wherein then lies the objective of ethnomusicological study? Is it just as worthwhile to study phenomenology and how it interacts with the cultures of our own and other societies, or to simply try and understand and preserve the more traditional and folk music that may be more overlooked? Are they of equal importance? I think so. Do they both fall under the same umbrella of ethnomusicological study or should there be more of a separation and distinction in the field between types of music making studied? Does it even matter to classify these elements of ethnomusicology or is music all just music and should it all be treated the same?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Critical Review #2: Titon 2002

I feel like a lot of what this article is commenting on is basic common sense. Maybe this is because I’m already experiencing some of what he’s discussing in the article. Perhaps I’m becoming too immersed in and familiar with the pitfalls and intricacies of studying ethnomusicology and think what is obvious to me would be obvious to everyone. There’s clearly a lot more to learn about the process, but many of Titon’s points seem like things we already know, or that people could easily infer. For example, it’s clear that your perspective will change as you become more immersed in a culture and you should keep a conscious record as it changes. Many of the difficulties described make a lot of sense, though. In another class I learned about the process of skill learning, such as learning to play an instrument. While the brain is encoding this ability, the process is conscious and must be thought through step by step. Once the skill is learned, however, the steps become fluid and it becomes significantly more difficult to break the steps down and explain the process of the action to others. This undoubtedly must contribute to an ethnomusicologist’s difficulty in trying to convey the musical practices of a culture or at least their experiences learning said musical practices. Titon also did a good job of demonstrating many of his points. For example, it’s remarkable how much more detail you can obtain from a consultant by asking open-ended questions rather than leading ones. This way they can take the lead and recount their experiences and perhaps provide valuable information the interviewer hadn’t even considered to ask about.

I hadn’t previously considered the idea of paying a community to study them. I understand that some compensation such as advocacy and publicity of the music being studied would be a logical mutual understanding, but doesn’t payment change the relationship of the interviewer and community much more significantly? Whenever money is involved it generally complicates matters. When the interviewer more or less becomes the employer of a community, does that create an expectation or pressure for the people to act in a certain way? Or if the community is portrayed in a light they’re unhappy with, even if it is accurate, might they then expect more money from an interviewer, creating an awkward situation?

SEM History Post

Immediately what strikes me upon reading the first issue of Ethnomusicology is the rapid growth of the recipients of the journal. After the first small meeting in spring of 1953 the initial general letter mailed to interested parties was only sent out to around seventy people. The first publication was then sent out in Dec. 1953, a few short months later, targeting around 300 recipients. This instant strong response proved to be very promising for the instatement of a regular newsletter. At the same time, I wonder how close the journal came to not surviving. According to the first issue, the journal was given funding for no more than three issues, and then had to garner financial contributions from new members to sustain itself. Despite the strong interest, ethnomusicology does not appear to be the most profitable occupation, so it seems feasible that the publication might have died off quickly had it not received enough financial support. Yet nearly 60 years later it is still going strong, which seems promising to the field of ethnomusicology in general.

From reading the first few issues at first I also thought I was maybe missing part of the journal because there didn’t seem to be any sort of real ethnographic material. There was a discussion of planned ventures, yet not as much academic material presented for examination. The focus of the journal seemed to veer more towards serving as a support system and exchange of ideas for ethnomusicologists of all levels of experience. It almost felts as though these were pioneers of a new country breaking off from their motherland of the American Society of Comparative Musicology. There was an exciting feel to the tone of the initial issues of a spark of a new beginning as the members transitioned from the field of comparative musicology more into the sect of ethnomusicology. There was a clear effort and focus towards fleshing out the new discipline and establishing exchanges and basic guidelines. For example, what appears to me to be the first real article or essay that appears in the journal wasn’t printed until the seventh issue. This article is then entitled “On The Subject of Ethno-Musicology” by Willard Rhodes, further discussing the new discipline itself rather than presenting a specific case study of work being done. There was clear excitement over this new branch of study and thus much discussion resulting from it.

I also find it interesting the emphasis placed on the gathering of bibliographies, both from various sources as well as bibliographies of the work done by individuals in their entirety. This practice of honoring individual ethnomusicologists and their lifework serves an educational purpose as well as an inspirational model for the readers to aspire to. Clearly it is essential to the field to have a record of past sources and studies to learn from and refer to. However, it also helps validate and highlight the importance of exemplary work done by dedicated ethnomusicologists, further supporting the efforts being made to forge this new branch of study.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Fieldwork Topic: Badmaash

For my fieldwork assignment, I plan to study The Brown Badmaash Dance Company. Badmaash is a South Asian fusion dance group, an area of which I know very little about. I don't really have much dance experience or exposure to a lot of the music they use, so I'm excited to learn about the process in which they select and edit their music and its relationship to the dancing and performance. Through this study I intend to gain a better understanding of the different types of dance utilized in performances and how this is interweaves with the chosen music. I also aim to study the fusion aspect of the dance group and how each type of music and dance functions together to form a cohesive whole. I will explore these and more ideas through the attendance of several rehearsals, performances, and interviews with members of the group.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Critical Review: Clifford 1988 and Seeger 1992

Clifford's article essentially describes the impossibility to satisfactorily complete an ethnographic study. While he ultimately concedes and acknowledges that ethnographic writing is alive in some manner, he remarks that it is not without great struggle. I found his pessimism to contrast greatly with Seeger's article. Seeger does also acknowledges the importance of considering elements of musical performance beyond the obvious, such as producers, managers and contractors. He uses a well-known metaphor of blind men feeling parts of an elephant and each perceiving the animal to have wildly different characteristics. While he does point out that all aspects of music making must be examined to gain a coherent whole, he does so with an encouraging and optimistic tone. His article aims to equip the reader with knowledge of how to approach an ethnographic study rather than criticize the discipline and role of authority in the process. This makes me wonder how the personal experiences of the two authors have affected their feelings towards ethnographic studies, and why they seem to present such different feelings.

To what extent would an ethnographic study need to meet Clifford's ideal conditions to be considered accurate or of value? Also, despite holding obvious bias, in some way, wouldn't an ethnographic study done on a community by a member of the community be the most in depth and accurate since the member would be fully immersed and fully understand its intricacies?

Monday, February 8, 2010

24 Hour Log

Sunday 2/7


1:50pm- Brady's (My suitemate's) iTunes

Diamonds are a girl's best friend- Carol Channing

Lola- Damn Yankees

Goodbye/Boom Boom- Elegies, A Song Cycle (William Finn)

Anytime- Elegies


2:30pm- When I told my friend I had just started my 24 hour log he decided to be annoying and started singing everything he said.


3:00pm- Brady's iTunes

Don't Rain on My Parade- Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl)


3:15pmish-4pmish- iPod shuffle at the Gym

Wrapped up in Books- Belle & Sebastian

Rockin the suburbs- Ben Folds

Sound of settling- Death Cab for Cutie

July, July!- The Decemberists

Change the Water- Dirtie Blonde

Walk Over Me- Dirtie Blonde

I'd Rather Dance With You- Kings of Convenience


5pmish- My iTunes on shuffle

Let's Get Lost- Elliott Smith

Tahquamenon Falls- Sufjan Stevens

Take a Chance On Me- ABBA

Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games- Of Montreal

Take, O Take Those Lips Away- Public Theatre Twelfth Night Soundtrack (Anne Hathaway)

Penny On the Train Track- Ben Kweller

Gospel With No Lord- Camille

Maybe This Time- Glee (Kristin Chenowith and Lea Michele)

White Boys- Hair Revival Cast Recording


7:30ish-9pmish- Steinert

Practiced Chord Progressions,

Various Songs for Voice lessons that I probably won't sing


9pm- Jo's

Bad Romance- Lady Gaga


9:15- My itunes

Valerie- Amy Winehouse


10-11- Keys Rehearsal

Gershwin Medley- But Not for Me, They can't take that away from me, Summertime, I got rhythm

Think- Aretha Franklin


11-12- MF Meeting

Friends singing: Into the Woods, Merrily we roll along


12:15amish-3:45amish Tunes on shuffle:

Worn Me Down- Rachel Yamagata

Keep it There- The Weepies

Better-Regina Spektor

Your Ex-Lover is Dead- Stars

Fast Car- Tracy Chapman

Paganini Caprices

That's Really Super, Supergirl- XTC

Best for Last- Adele

My Girl Back Home- South Pacific

All Alright- Sigur Ros

From the Morning- Nick Drake

The Kids Don't Stand a Chance- Vampire Weekend

Why Don't We Do it in the Road- The Beatles

Oh! Darling- The Beatles

Come Away Death (Orchestral)- Twelfth Night Soundtrack

Las de la intuicion- Shakira

Father to Son- King's Singers

Magic- Ben Folds Five

I Don't Know Where I Stand- Joni Mitchell

Full Phathom Five- Twelfth Night Soundtrack (Audra McDonald, Anne Hathaway)

Give Me One Reason- Tracy Chapman

Mon petit vieux- Camille

Fingerprint File- Rolling Stones

It's Too Late- Carole King

Steer- Missy Higgins

Glad Tidings- Van Morrison

Happiness- The Weepies

Every Night When the Sun Goes Down- GHS Chamber Singers Choir

All That I Want- The Weepies

Painting By Chagall- The Weepies

Mary Jo- Belle & Sebastian

So Far Away- Carole King

Mom Song-Passing Strange

Is it Wicked Not to Care?

Love is Innocent- Colin Hay

Opera Singer- Cake

If You Find Yourself Caught in Love- Belle & Sebastian

I'll Fly Away- Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch?

Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da- The Beatles

Red Right Ankle- The Decemberists


11:45am- iTunes

I Got Life- Hair Revival Cast Recording

I'm a Cuckoo- Belle & Sebastian

Catch My Disease- Ben Lee


1pm- Voice lesson

Random arpeggios/scales for warming up

Perfect- Tom Kitt (Cut from High Fidelity)

The Song is You- Music in the Air (Hammerstein and Kern)


2pm- Music 1011

Various keyboard chord progressions

Harmonic Dictation