I think it's safe to say that the Bloomington Contra-Dance was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't this. Although unexpected, I had a remarkable time and definitely would like to return.
From the moment we walked through the doors, I felt like I was at a 1970's school dance. The bleachers in the rusted gym were pushed aside to create a sizable dance floor. The band, made up of a fiddler, banjo and guitar player, was situated next to a microphone intended for the evening's host. What surprised me even more than the setting of the dance, however, were the participants. As the dancers filed in, I noticed that the majority of them were fairly old and thin. Everything about the night screamed "old fashioned".
Nowadays, it is rare to experience an activity where people of all races and ages come together purely for their own enjoyment. Along with entertainment, contra-dancing has multiple purposes. For middle and high-class dancers, it can act as a way to escape capitalism. To other, lower-class participants, contra-dancing can be a continuation of the way they live their lives. Looking around the dance floor, it was obvious by the smiles painted on everyone's faces (including mine!) that the contra-dance brings joy to those who participate.
This joy stems from the participatory aspect of contra-dancing. A participatory event is an event in which there is no distinction between the artist and audience. Participatory events keep participants interested by not being too easy or too difficult. Additionally, they value participation and result in social bonding. Contra-dancing does not distinguish artist and audience, it is easy to catch on but not too simple and the more participation, the more successful the event is. Just in my two hours at the Bloomington Contra-Dance, I interacted with a countless amount of people. Tonight I became part of a cultural cohort that made me feel welcome, included and alive.
The ability to come together as a community and do something is an integral step to take in remodeling society. Music is one of the most important tools we can use to change the value system of our lives, cohorts and formations. Global citizenship, or approaching your life believing you are part of a community, is fostered through participatory music. Even small changes, such as turning off the water as you brush your teeth or buying food from a local supplier, can make a difference. As Professor McDonald pointed out in a recent class discussion, "doing something is better than doing nothing."
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
"Punk is the remedy for my sickness" says The Punks are Alright's Dolly. Douglass Crawford's The Punks are Alright is a punk music documentary that follows three young adults from around the world. The documentary uses Mickey from Canada, Henrike from Brazil and Dolly from Indonesia to demonstrate how punk is used to connect people and how it is used as an emotional outlet.
While each of these three characters comes from a different background, they are all connected by punk music. Mickey is a part of a band called the Forgotten Rebels. When Henrike gets a hold of Mickey's album, Henrike's life is changed for good. Soon after, Henrike receives a letter from Dolly asking for a CD and sure enough, Henrike sends a CD from Brazil to Dolly in Indonesia. While most music today has a high-fidelity network, punk is spread by word of mouth and therefore adopts a social/participatory network.
Punk music is chaotic, intense, rebellious and aggressive. It is because of these characteristics that I have never been a fan of punk; however, The Punks are Alright has changed my perception of punk music and those who participate in the making of punk music.
In this documentary, I learned about the backgrounds of punk artists and fans. Mickey, Henrike and Dolly, although all from different continents, come from similar backgrounds. They deal with problems of racial differences, poverty and violence. This is very different from how I grew up and it is difficult to imagine living a life such as the ones depicted in the film. After viewing this film, my respect for the people living in these communities increased greatly and it makes all of the problems in my life seem so insignificant. Although our struggles are very different, we are similar in the way that we all need an outlet to express our anger. For Mickey, Enrique and Dolly, punk music provides that outlet.
This takes me back to Dolly's previously-mentioned quote, "Punk is the remedy for my sickness." Dolly is a factory worker in Indonesia. He gets paid $2.66 a day and has a 2 hour commute including 4 bus rides each way. Punk music offers Dolly an escape from his "sickness", or the oppression and powerlessness in his life. Further, punk music is essentially a way to say "fuck the system" and in this case, that system is capitalism. As a form of DIY, punk music is a means of trying to step outside of capitalism.
A young woman interviewed in the film pointed out that, "people in the first world need to think about people in the third world." Her powerful statements about the first world got me thinking about how the decisions we make in Bloomington affect people around the world. Buying a pair of Nike shoes, for example, affects factory workers in Indonesia who make the shoes. Americans demand high quality products at the lowest possible price. Competition incentivizes companies to lower their prices as much as possible. Because of this, and because there are no minimum wage laws in Indonesia, those factory workers are paid very little for their work. On the other hand, if we demand for companies like Nike to be moved to America, those workers won't even have a job. American consumers have more influence in the lives of others than they might think. Similarly, American voters have more influence in the laws of other countries than they might think. The way Americans vote decides who will represent America in the American government and thus, what our government will do to help other countries such as Indonesia with issues such as minimum wage laws.
Upon first impression, punk music may seem violent and angry. However, upon closer inspection, it is apparent that punk music is a healthy way to express that anger, and it actually keeps kids out of danger. Henrique points out that if kids are inside playing punk music, they are not outside on the streets getting involved in drugs and violence. Punk is a confrontational form of concert that is used to rebel against the system and more specifically, capitalism. And even though people can hear punk music, they might not want to listen. Nevertheless, punk music is a healthy and effective outlet. After understanding this, my perception and judgement of punk music will never be the same.
While each of these three characters comes from a different background, they are all connected by punk music. Mickey is a part of a band called the Forgotten Rebels. When Henrike gets a hold of Mickey's album, Henrike's life is changed for good. Soon after, Henrike receives a letter from Dolly asking for a CD and sure enough, Henrike sends a CD from Brazil to Dolly in Indonesia. While most music today has a high-fidelity network, punk is spread by word of mouth and therefore adopts a social/participatory network.
Punk music is chaotic, intense, rebellious and aggressive. It is because of these characteristics that I have never been a fan of punk; however, The Punks are Alright has changed my perception of punk music and those who participate in the making of punk music.
In this documentary, I learned about the backgrounds of punk artists and fans. Mickey, Henrike and Dolly, although all from different continents, come from similar backgrounds. They deal with problems of racial differences, poverty and violence. This is very different from how I grew up and it is difficult to imagine living a life such as the ones depicted in the film. After viewing this film, my respect for the people living in these communities increased greatly and it makes all of the problems in my life seem so insignificant. Although our struggles are very different, we are similar in the way that we all need an outlet to express our anger. For Mickey, Enrique and Dolly, punk music provides that outlet.
This takes me back to Dolly's previously-mentioned quote, "Punk is the remedy for my sickness." Dolly is a factory worker in Indonesia. He gets paid $2.66 a day and has a 2 hour commute including 4 bus rides each way. Punk music offers Dolly an escape from his "sickness", or the oppression and powerlessness in his life. Further, punk music is essentially a way to say "fuck the system" and in this case, that system is capitalism. As a form of DIY, punk music is a means of trying to step outside of capitalism.
A young woman interviewed in the film pointed out that, "people in the first world need to think about people in the third world." Her powerful statements about the first world got me thinking about how the decisions we make in Bloomington affect people around the world. Buying a pair of Nike shoes, for example, affects factory workers in Indonesia who make the shoes. Americans demand high quality products at the lowest possible price. Competition incentivizes companies to lower their prices as much as possible. Because of this, and because there are no minimum wage laws in Indonesia, those factory workers are paid very little for their work. On the other hand, if we demand for companies like Nike to be moved to America, those workers won't even have a job. American consumers have more influence in the lives of others than they might think. Similarly, American voters have more influence in the laws of other countries than they might think. The way Americans vote decides who will represent America in the American government and thus, what our government will do to help other countries such as Indonesia with issues such as minimum wage laws.
Upon first impression, punk music may seem violent and angry. However, upon closer inspection, it is apparent that punk music is a healthy way to express that anger, and it actually keeps kids out of danger. Henrique points out that if kids are inside playing punk music, they are not outside on the streets getting involved in drugs and violence. Punk is a confrontational form of concert that is used to rebel against the system and more specifically, capitalism. And even though people can hear punk music, they might not want to listen. Nevertheless, punk music is a healthy and effective outlet. After understanding this, my perception and judgement of punk music will never be the same.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Bloomington Community Farmers' Market
Immediately when we arrived at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market, I was drawn to the guitarist performing the Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling". I wandered over and found myself standing next to two children who were just as mesmerized by the music as I was. I glanced up and took it all in: the sight of raw foods being sold in the aisles surrounding me, the smell of breakfast and lunch being prepared a few aisles down, the sounds of not only one but three musicians, the countless interactions with everyone in the market.
As I strolled up and down aisles, I paused at a jewelry stand and struck up a conversation with the vendor. He told me all about the history of DIY crafts and farmers' markets. What caught my attention, however, was his explanation of why he chooses to participate in the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market every week. He explained that all of the different vendors actually help each other out with sales. To make sense of this, he had me imagine him selling watches alone on a street corner. The vendor explained that if someone doesn't need a watch, they won't stop and look. At a farmers' market, however, people come for all different products. If someone comes looking for a mug and passes by his watch stand, that person would be more likely to come in and look. Just like participatory music, in a farmers' market, the more participation the better the outcome.
In a later Q&A session with the director of the market, we were told that there is a special emphasis placed on helping each other out. When selecting the vendors who participate in the market, says the director, they prefer vendors who use local ingredients. Due to a common value placed on a local, home-grown connection, the Bloomington Farmers' Market can be considered a pragmatic form of concert.
Similarly, vendors often benefit from the presence of musical acts because people are drawn to the music. That being said, vendors commonly strive to get a spot next to musical performances. Additionally, music connects children with adults because both children and adults enjoy the performances. The musical acts at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market add a participatory aspect to the market because typically anyone is welcome to join in and the lack of a stage hinders the distinction between the audience and performer.
As I continued to wander through the market, I noticed how diverse the market was. There were people of all races and ages. We stopped to sample some maple syrup and began to talk to the vendor. Surprisingly, he was a high school student. I had always figured that people of all ages attend farmers' markets, but never imagined people as young as I could sell their products at a farmers' market. One aspect of participatory music is that everyone is expected to participate regardless of age. The farmers' market reflects this aspect of participatory music.
After speaking with a few more vendors, I found it reasonable to conclude that The Bloomington Community Farmers' Market stimulates social bonding. Every vendor that my group and I spoke with told us that they have become friends with most of the other vendors and many of their customers. The man at the jewelry stand even told us that his customers often ask about his family and he asks about theirs.
There is a reason people return to the market every week: the combination of music, food, art and politics at the Bloomington Community Farmers' Market builds a strong, participatory community that feels safe and friendly to those who engage.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Four Fields of Music Making
Participatory Music:
Participatory music is a field of music in which there is no distinction between the artist and audience. In other words, everybody collectively participates in this field of music. Rather than focusing on the listening, participatory music focuses on "the doing". Everyone is expected to perform, regardless of age or ability. That being said, participatory music places special emphasis on the level of participation and social bonding. Because of the emphasis on togetherness, participatory music is the least hierarchical and most democratic type of music making. While participatory music has the potential to induce social bonding, its individual virtuosity is limited.
The example below is a scene from the movie Pitch Perfect (skip to 0:40). There are two types of participatory music: simultaneous and sequential. The beginning of the clip exemplifies sequential participation because every group takes turns; however, the clip merges into simultaneous participation when the entire group joins in on one performance. As you can see at 3:47, when everyone stops participating the music becomes less fun and successful. At 4:10 the participation picks up again and by 4:40, everyone is participating. You can see the energy in the area increase as more and more people participate.
Presentational Music:
Unlike participatory music, there is a clear distinction between the artist and audience in presentational music. Presentational music focuses on the listening rather than "the doing". This field of music allows greater artistic freedom, is strictly rehearsed and features transparent textures (the ability to hear individual sounds). A successful presentational musician must be able to provide and sustain interest from an audience. In this style of music, the audience is expected to interact with performers following the frame of the performance. While presentational music has the potential to exhibit clarity and individual virtuosity, its participation is very limited.
Below is a video of Michael Bublé preforming his song "Everything" at a concert in Madison Square Garden. This clip clearly distinguishes artist and audience and is a perfect example of presentational music.
High-Fidelity Music:
High-fidelity music is a recording that indexes live performances. The sound is expected to make up for the lack of visuals and preserve feelings of liveliness. This field of music has a lot of control over the finished project. High-fidelity music emphasizes producing a commodified object.
Below is a recording of Michael Bublé's "Everything". Through an indexical relationship, this recording should serve as a sign to Bublé's live performance in the clip above it. As you can see, the recording sounds very similar to Michael Bublé's live version of the song.
Studio-Audio Art:
Studio-audio art is similar to high-fidelity music in that they are both recordings; however, unlike high-fidelity music, studio-audio art has no expectation that it could be performed live. This field of music is associated with electro-acoustic music and is abstract from the known world. While there is maximum control over the finished product in studio-audio art, human interaction is limited.
Below is a video clip of T-Pain's "Buy U A Drank". Below that is a clip of the same song performed live. As you can see, the sounds produced in the first video have no expectation of being performed live.
Participatory music is a field of music in which there is no distinction between the artist and audience. In other words, everybody collectively participates in this field of music. Rather than focusing on the listening, participatory music focuses on "the doing". Everyone is expected to perform, regardless of age or ability. That being said, participatory music places special emphasis on the level of participation and social bonding. Because of the emphasis on togetherness, participatory music is the least hierarchical and most democratic type of music making. While participatory music has the potential to induce social bonding, its individual virtuosity is limited.
The example below is a scene from the movie Pitch Perfect (skip to 0:40). There are two types of participatory music: simultaneous and sequential. The beginning of the clip exemplifies sequential participation because every group takes turns; however, the clip merges into simultaneous participation when the entire group joins in on one performance. As you can see at 3:47, when everyone stops participating the music becomes less fun and successful. At 4:10 the participation picks up again and by 4:40, everyone is participating. You can see the energy in the area increase as more and more people participate.
Presentational Music:
Unlike participatory music, there is a clear distinction between the artist and audience in presentational music. Presentational music focuses on the listening rather than "the doing". This field of music allows greater artistic freedom, is strictly rehearsed and features transparent textures (the ability to hear individual sounds). A successful presentational musician must be able to provide and sustain interest from an audience. In this style of music, the audience is expected to interact with performers following the frame of the performance. While presentational music has the potential to exhibit clarity and individual virtuosity, its participation is very limited.
Below is a video of Michael Bublé preforming his song "Everything" at a concert in Madison Square Garden. This clip clearly distinguishes artist and audience and is a perfect example of presentational music.
High-Fidelity Music:
High-fidelity music is a recording that indexes live performances. The sound is expected to make up for the lack of visuals and preserve feelings of liveliness. This field of music has a lot of control over the finished project. High-fidelity music emphasizes producing a commodified object.
Below is a recording of Michael Bublé's "Everything". Through an indexical relationship, this recording should serve as a sign to Bublé's live performance in the clip above it. As you can see, the recording sounds very similar to Michael Bublé's live version of the song.
Studio-Audio Art:
Studio-audio art is similar to high-fidelity music in that they are both recordings; however, unlike high-fidelity music, studio-audio art has no expectation that it could be performed live. This field of music is associated with electro-acoustic music and is abstract from the known world. While there is maximum control over the finished product in studio-audio art, human interaction is limited.
Below is a video clip of T-Pain's "Buy U A Drank". Below that is a clip of the same song performed live. As you can see, the sounds produced in the first video have no expectation of being performed live.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Happy Lady
Judging from her moves, she was no practicing professional. I couldn’t figure out why she was dancing and belting out a unique rendition of Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" in the middle of the street on a scorching hot summer day in downtown St. Louis. Was she mentally ill? Was she selling something? Whatever it was, it made me smile and I thought she would appreciate knowing that.
At first, I was hesitant to approach her, but ultimately my curiosity got the best of me. Wearing a bright blue dress and white sneakers, she was a full-bodied, African-American woman with a radiant smile, and sweat dripping down her face. I couldn’t tell you why, but I wanted to know her story. She was warm and outgoing and told me her name was Erica McElrath.
Erica explained that after 15 years as a hospice nurse, she had been let go. And while she was struggling financially, she did not miss living in a world dominated by death. She went on to explain that after 15 years of helping people die, she now wanted to help them live. Her simple objective was to bring a moment of joy to those who drove by. I noticed we were standing in front of the largest stock brokerage in the city and I realize now that her location was no accident. That day, the stock market took a tumble and people were on edge. However, most people who passed couldn’t help but smile.
After knowing Erica’s story, her message became loud and clear. She reminded me the importance of putting things into perspective. Even though she was in a difficult situation, she was able to put her troubles aside and just be happy. Even more, she was able to help others do the same.
This event exemplifies the power of music to influence emotions. Further, this is a perfect example of semiotics of music. Erica's singing and dancing acted as a sign which indicated happiness and lightheartedness as the object, which then influenced my smile (physical) and carefree feeling (emotional) as the interpretant. While Erica's bright smile was an iconic sign for happiness, her dancing served as an indexical sign to me because I associate dancing with happiness and carefreeness. Even more, Erica's lyrics to "Don't Worry, Be Happy" served as a symbolic sign for a happy and carefree lifestyle. Additionally, Erica's timing and location in front of the stock brokerage set a powerful frame.
Time and time again, I find myself thinking about Erica and what I learned from her. Erica's ability to look past her difficult situation and just have fun takes me back to my previous post in which I expressed my desire to live in the moment. When life gets rough, I hope I’ll never forget the image of the happy lady in the bright blue dress and white sneakers, singing and dancing like she didn’t have a care in the world.
Above is a video my dad created of Erica that day.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Personal Music Biography/Songprint
Billy Joel’s “Vienna” resonates with me because it is a very accurate description of who I am, what kind of life I lead and what kind of life I want to lead. Joel says, “Slow down you crazy child/ You're so ambitious for a juvenile.” My family likes to call me a precrastinator because I strive to get things done right away, as quickly as possible. This tends to happen with just about everything I do: assignments in school, chores, errands, etc. This characteristic of mine is also apparent in bigger aspects of my life, such as my college choice and career path. While precrastination may seem like a good trait to possess, it can actually be just as harmful as procrastination because I tend to overlook important details and it often keeps me from living in the moment. Joel says, “Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while/ It's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two / When will you realize... Vienna waits for you?” Just as Joel suggests, I would like to live a life where I am able to “take the phone off the hook”, relax and enjoy living in the moment before it’s too late.
“Love Like Crazy” by Lee Brice has been my favorite song since it was released in June 2010. This song is not only an awe-inspiring love story, but it communicates many of my values. Brice says, “Be a best friend, tell the truth.../ Go to work, do your best.../ Never let your prayin' knees get lazy/ And love like crazy.” Just as Brice preaches in his song, my values are not complicated: friendship, honesty, hard work, faith and love. Along with illustrating these values, this song teaches listeners to follow their heart, even if it seems crazy at the time. I believe that by following your heart, working hard, being honest and faithful, and with friends and loved ones by your side, happiness is inevitable.
This song is important to me because it describes the two places where I spend most of my time: my home in Clayton, Missouri and Camp Thunderbird (my “home away from home”) in Bemidji, Minnesota. At camp every year, the oldest age group of campers is asked to pick a song that defines them. In 2011, my age group picked “Roads” by Andrew Heringer Band. I always knew this song described my experience at Thunderbird, but now, having just left home to start a new life at college, I realize this song describes my hometown as well. Both Clayton and Camp Thunderbird are small communities where everywhere you go, you are bound see people you know. As the song states, “You go down roads and you always know where each will lead.” Clayton and Thunderbird are the two places where I always feel safe and, even though people change and things change, I know I will always find my way back. As I will be spending at least the next 4 years here at IU, I hope to make it my new home and for it to feel just as safe and comfortable as Thunderbird and Clayton.
(skip to 0:55)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)