Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Emotion
While reading Love Affairs of Famous Romantic Composers, I thought about what music generally means. To many people, music provides and escape from reality, a way to get away from homework, or a fight, or just a means to chill-out and relax. However, music goes much deeper than that. The music that truly moves the soul is the music composed and performed with true emotion. Not only emotion in the composer or performer, but the emotion of the audience. The emotion of the notes, dynamics and tempo. While this article doesn't go into depth of these love affairs, the fact is that they're there. The article mentions a few pieces composed for a wife or a child. The strongest emotions produce the strongest responses. The emotion is why we love music. While practicing may be a pain, just remember how you can move an audience from one fantastic piece, and that indescribable feeling that comes from that connection with the audience.
Picture That
In response to "Picture This" by Scott Watson:
Scott Watson brings up an awesome point about the effects of students seeing their sound. The first example he used was when he was trying to teach his students legato vs staccato. He recorded the students performing each in a waveform editor and allowed his students to literally see the difference. The space between the waves was too large for a true legato sound, and his students could now clearly see that space.
Humans are very visual learner, and by allowing musicians to see their sound, they can develop better listening skills. For example, if a choir is having trouble eliminating a glottal attack at the beginning a phrase, a waveform image of the onset will show a spike at the beginning of the wave. The height of the wave will allow students to view how harsh their onset is and by how much they need to reduce it. That visual of the wave will heighten student's hearing as well because students will begin to really listen for that spike.
This idea also caters to the idea that different students have different learning styles. While some students may be more aural learners and can easily hear a glottal attack, other students truly are more visual learners. By allowing students to see their sound, those visual learners will be able to further their understanding which the aural learners may have already developed.
Music educators constantly push that their subject is academic. By expanding the different medias and mediums music educators use to teach their student, other educators will begin to see our subject as more academic. Many people don't understand how music can be a visual learning experience beyond music theory. The use of a waveform media to show students their sound can expand the visual element of the subject.
Personally, I really like the idea of using a waveform program to show students their sound. It can assist with creating better crescendos and decrescendos, other dynamics, and other ornamentations of music.
Scott Watson brings up an awesome point about the effects of students seeing their sound. The first example he used was when he was trying to teach his students legato vs staccato. He recorded the students performing each in a waveform editor and allowed his students to literally see the difference. The space between the waves was too large for a true legato sound, and his students could now clearly see that space.
Humans are very visual learner, and by allowing musicians to see their sound, they can develop better listening skills. For example, if a choir is having trouble eliminating a glottal attack at the beginning a phrase, a waveform image of the onset will show a spike at the beginning of the wave. The height of the wave will allow students to view how harsh their onset is and by how much they need to reduce it. That visual of the wave will heighten student's hearing as well because students will begin to really listen for that spike.
This idea also caters to the idea that different students have different learning styles. While some students may be more aural learners and can easily hear a glottal attack, other students truly are more visual learners. By allowing students to see their sound, those visual learners will be able to further their understanding which the aural learners may have already developed.
Music educators constantly push that their subject is academic. By expanding the different medias and mediums music educators use to teach their student, other educators will begin to see our subject as more academic. Many people don't understand how music can be a visual learning experience beyond music theory. The use of a waveform media to show students their sound can expand the visual element of the subject.
Personally, I really like the idea of using a waveform program to show students their sound. It can assist with creating better crescendos and decrescendos, other dynamics, and other ornamentations of music.
Monday, September 27, 2010
A Conversation Needs Words. ...Or Does It?
In response to Classics for Kids: Musical Conversation
This weeks Classics for Kids spoke about instances when music reflects dialogue. The broadcast opened up with an example of musical gossip, with twittering instruments to reflect the twittering of gossiping women. One of my favorite aspects about music is this ability to reflect life as we understand it in a more fun and beautiful way. One of my favorite examples from this week's broadcast was Eric Kotes' musical version of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears. The statements of "who's been sitting in my chair" not only reflected the emotion of the question with different pitches, but the notes reflected the number of syllables in the question. Music is just as capable of having a conversation with pitches and rhythms as a person is with words and voice inflections.
This weeks Classics for Kids spoke about instances when music reflects dialogue. The broadcast opened up with an example of musical gossip, with twittering instruments to reflect the twittering of gossiping women. One of my favorite aspects about music is this ability to reflect life as we understand it in a more fun and beautiful way. One of my favorite examples from this week's broadcast was Eric Kotes' musical version of Goldie Locks and the Three Bears. The statements of "who's been sitting in my chair" not only reflected the emotion of the question with different pitches, but the notes reflected the number of syllables in the question. Music is just as capable of having a conversation with pitches and rhythms as a person is with words and voice inflections.
Monday, September 20, 2010
One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three...
In Response to Classics for Kids: Johann Strauss, Jr.-The Waltz
This weeks Classics for Kids taught it's listeners fun facts about the waltz including how it moved from just a dancing genre to performances such as concerts, ballet, opera and musical theater. I've always found it fascinating how music fits into multiple areas even within itself. No one set of music is right for one setting. Each genre and tempo and time signature finds it's way into various areas of performance and musical usage.
Along the lines coexistance, Classics for Kids also taught it's listeners that Johann Strauss, Jr. was the king of writing waltzes, however, he himself could not dance the waltz. I found this fact rather odd because I've always found that the different areas of art, such as music and dancing, work together, just how the different aspects of and within music work together. I, personally, find it easier sometimes to dance when I'm learning a new song, or even just slightly move around my practice space to give my body and idea of how the song should go. Inversely, when learning a dance, I find I learn it quicker and more accurately when I hum or sing along to the song. I suppose I almost feel bad for Stauss, Jr. that he couldn't waltz. He may still have been the king of the waltz, but he couldn't share in the joys of dancing and allowing your body to work with the music.
This weeks Classics for Kids taught it's listeners fun facts about the waltz including how it moved from just a dancing genre to performances such as concerts, ballet, opera and musical theater. I've always found it fascinating how music fits into multiple areas even within itself. No one set of music is right for one setting. Each genre and tempo and time signature finds it's way into various areas of performance and musical usage.
Along the lines coexistance, Classics for Kids also taught it's listeners that Johann Strauss, Jr. was the king of writing waltzes, however, he himself could not dance the waltz. I found this fact rather odd because I've always found that the different areas of art, such as music and dancing, work together, just how the different aspects of and within music work together. I, personally, find it easier sometimes to dance when I'm learning a new song, or even just slightly move around my practice space to give my body and idea of how the song should go. Inversely, when learning a dance, I find I learn it quicker and more accurately when I hum or sing along to the song. I suppose I almost feel bad for Stauss, Jr. that he couldn't waltz. He may still have been the king of the waltz, but he couldn't share in the joys of dancing and allowing your body to work with the music.
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Little State, A Mighty Project
In response to "The Vermont MIDI Project" by Steven Estrella
The Vermont MIDI Project, in my opinion, shows just how committed teachers are to their students. THe project began with Sandi MacLoad and her fellow teachers realizing that composition was a weakness in their curriculum and in their teacher. This realization led to research, development, and training to create a fantastic web-based composition project. Some teachers may have merely brought in a professional composer to teach their students about composition and left it at that, but these teachers took it upon themselves to better their own composition skills and technology skills in order to provide their students with a solid foundation in composing.
The Vermont MIDI Project is more than just a composition project. It is a tool to help children develop not only their musical talents and abilities, but to build confidence, pride and creativity. A teacher who provides the tools to help build these importance characteristics truly cares for her students. These are characteristics that go beyond the classroom and help students in multiple other areas of their lives. These are characteristics that go beyond the classroom and help students with the rest of their lives.
The Vermont MIDI Project, in my opinion, shows just how committed teachers are to their students. THe project began with Sandi MacLoad and her fellow teachers realizing that composition was a weakness in their curriculum and in their teacher. This realization led to research, development, and training to create a fantastic web-based composition project. Some teachers may have merely brought in a professional composer to teach their students about composition and left it at that, but these teachers took it upon themselves to better their own composition skills and technology skills in order to provide their students with a solid foundation in composing.
The Vermont MIDI Project is more than just a composition project. It is a tool to help children develop not only their musical talents and abilities, but to build confidence, pride and creativity. A teacher who provides the tools to help build these importance characteristics truly cares for her students. These are characteristics that go beyond the classroom and help students in multiple other areas of their lives. These are characteristics that go beyond the classroom and help students with the rest of their lives.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Music on YouTube
Response to "YouTube Symphony Orchestra Seeks Inspiring Orchestra Teachers" by MENC
YouTube serves many purposes. For some, it's the "I'm bored; lets look at stupid videos" stop, for others its "my friend told me to watch some video" stop, and for some it's the "there's a new music video I want to watch" stop. YouTube has expanded to become so many things for so many people. The article stated that last year, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra got 25,000,000 hits making it the largest internet classical music project.
It's amazing how music incorporates itself into everyday life places and activities. Personally, I really only watch music related videos on YouTube, but I remember when I first started hearing about YouTube and all my friends were watching stupid videos. "Charlie the Unicorn" was a popular one, along with a video called, "Shoes," that I never did get around to watching. However, when I first started hearing about YouTube, I don't remember hearing about music videos, or montages of songs. That's an idea I learned about later. Then, when I found out about YTSO, I was downright amazed. Who would have thought to have an internet based orchestra where musicians audition by submitting videos on the internet? I sure wouldn't have, and quite frankly, as cool as the idea is, I'm not too sure how much I like it. Maybe it'll grow on me in time, however. I mean, colleges do allow students to send in video auditions for music schools, so why not for an orchestra? Nevertheless, the idea does amaze me, and I love how music on YouTube has developed from popular music of the day to a real life symphony orchestra.
YouTube serves many purposes. For some, it's the "I'm bored; lets look at stupid videos" stop, for others its "my friend told me to watch some video" stop, and for some it's the "there's a new music video I want to watch" stop. YouTube has expanded to become so many things for so many people. The article stated that last year, the YouTube Symphony Orchestra got 25,000,000 hits making it the largest internet classical music project.
It's amazing how music incorporates itself into everyday life places and activities. Personally, I really only watch music related videos on YouTube, but I remember when I first started hearing about YouTube and all my friends were watching stupid videos. "Charlie the Unicorn" was a popular one, along with a video called, "Shoes," that I never did get around to watching. However, when I first started hearing about YouTube, I don't remember hearing about music videos, or montages of songs. That's an idea I learned about later. Then, when I found out about YTSO, I was downright amazed. Who would have thought to have an internet based orchestra where musicians audition by submitting videos on the internet? I sure wouldn't have, and quite frankly, as cool as the idea is, I'm not too sure how much I like it. Maybe it'll grow on me in time, however. I mean, colleges do allow students to send in video auditions for music schools, so why not for an orchestra? Nevertheless, the idea does amaze me, and I love how music on YouTube has developed from popular music of the day to a real life symphony orchestra.
Monday, September 6, 2010
A Bicycle Built for Two
After having some fun with Noteflight, I finished typing up "A Bicycle Built for Two" by Harry Dacre. :)
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/cd5d6cad3204ef47614c8a7cf0cf55de5a93c0df
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/cd5d6cad3204ef47614c8a7cf0cf55de5a93c0df
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