Emilee's Exploration of Music in Diverse Cultures
Monday, May 3, 2021
Music and Family
Monday, April 26, 2021
Music and Gender
I have never really thought about connecting music and gender together, but there really are some things to be said about it. Personally, I have not experienced music and gender conflicts, so instead, I will be discussing the music industry for women as a whole. The way the music industry advertises women and the way women have to make it is very different from the male music industry. Many women have to show their body, promote sexuality, or be someone's crazy ex.
Many famous rappers or singers have gotten to the top and stayed there by different ways of advertising. Most females have to showcase their bodies as a way to market their music. Granted, some women are just expressing their sexuality and are showing they are not ashamed.
Listen to Taylor Swift talk about her take on the music industry for women and her own personal experiences.
I would like for you to notice as she ages so do the outfits she puts on to perform. Each video clip shows a more revealing article of clothing, which in my opinion is her grasping to hold on to that claim of fame.
In this next video, during an interview with a couple popular female artists, they touch a bit on social media. Social media for women in the music industry is honestly tragic. As Taylor Swift mentions in the video, it is hard to write about what they truly want in fear the public takes it too far on social media platforms. She also feared getting too personal or emotional due to the popular belief that women are overly dramatic and emotional. It is sad to hear this knowing all they want is to live out their dream, but with how society views women it can be difficult.
Now I want to insert a couple of magazine covers featuring female artists.
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Big Blog 1: 90s Country to Present
When you think about country music, you may think it is all about beer, girls, and trucks. While some of that may be true country music goes deeper than that. It may lack a sense of culture to you, but I am here to show you differently. Country music has been around for ages, but my all-time favorite is 90s country. Yes, I may be a bit biased, my dad is the cause of this. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you'll fall in love with it too. While the 1990s was only thirty-something years ago, a lot has changed. You can see it in the clothes we wear, the way we talk, but most importantly, in our music.
Country music, in the United States, originated in the Appalachian Mountains around 1910. A couple of fiddle players started playing country music in those mountains. As said by the band "Alabama" you got to have a fiddle in the band. It did not actually become a genre until around 1920. "The first commercial country record was made by Eck Robertson in 1922 on the Victor Records label" (Dooley 1). Country music started out as a mix of Blues and Jazz. Later it mixed with Rock and Gospel.
Now onto what we really want to know. What artists actually sing in this genre and more about the music. Some of the early 90s singers include the following: Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, and my personal favorite George Strait. Each artist has a very different sound and expresses themselves in their own way. In order to appreciate and learn about Country music, you have to dig deep and listen to melody, instruments, and lyrics. There is no better way to understand this than to listen to some 90s country!
This is "Check Yes or No" by George Strait. This song is about a girl in his class who is writing him love letters and how it progresses through time. In this song, you will hear a couple of things. First, you will hear George Strait and his beautiful voice. Then you will hear a guitar and a piano. A guitar is one of the key things in country music. You will hear this again throughout most songs in country music.
Next, we have Garth Brooks. This is "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks. His vocal range is very different from George Strait. George Strait has a higher pitch allowing love songs and more upbeat songs to come with ease. Garth Brooks has a deeper pitched voice allowing songs like these to have a stronger effect on listeners. Here we have a wider range of instruments including the following: Bass, Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano, and Violin.
Last on our 90s Country selection is Reba McEntire. You will find most of her songs are about love and heartbreak and can become very depressing. But, Reba is one of the greatest female country artists of all time. She sets the tone in country music for women.
Country music in the 90s is very different from Country music now. In earlier Country, you might hear more meaningful lyrics. A lot of songs are about family, love, or hard work and making yourself a better person. Now, I do not blame you for your opinions on country music if you are referring to this time period. From the male artists, you may hear a lot about beer, trucks, tractors, and girls. From female artists you may hear a lot about a cheating boyfriend, killing your boyfriend, one-night stands, and did I mention cheating boyfriend? Some of the top Country music artists from the present time include the following: Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs, and once again Tim McGraw. While listening to current Country Music, be patient with me. I know most people tend to turn their nose up at it nowadays, but just listen. Some of these artists have some real country talent.
This is "Two Black Cadillacs" by Carrie Underwood. This song is up for interpretation. In my opinion, it is about two women finding out they have been cheated on and together murdered him. Pretty dark right? You will hear some of the basic instruments of Country music. Her lyrics are very different from the songs above. I want to compare her mainly to Reba McEntire. Reba is very soft-spoken in her music a lot of the time. Carrie Underwood has a very strong voice and is very bold in her songs.
Now the iconic "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood. Just to show another piece by this artist and allow you to get the gist of her tone and her lyric use.
This is "When It Rains It Pours" by Luke Combs. In this song, you guessed it, beer and women. The instruments are the same as the ones used in George Strait's song "Check Yes or No". The tempo of the instruments is different allowing a completely different storyline.
90s Country may be my all-time favorite, but Country music as a whole has come a long way. From the beginning in the Appalachian Mountains, to now it has molded and new. Overall, 90s Country has similarities in instruments but differs in style and lyrics. Each style is unique. 90s Country will sound more meaningful and poetic, while Present time may sound ignorant to the naked ear.
Dooley, Sean. “Tracing Country Music History from Jimmie Rodgers to Garth Brooks.” LiveAbout, www.liveabout.com/the-history-of-country-music-934030.
McCarthy, Amy. “LOOK: Top 10 Country Artists of the 1990s.” The Boot, TheBoot, 2 Apr. 2020, theboot.com/top-90s-country-artists/.
“Top Country Artists.” New Country Songs, newcountrysongs.com/top-country-artists/.
Monday, March 29, 2021
African Music
The story behind the build-up of Africa is astonishing. I wish we would have learned more about this in school. It is very interesting to know that many empires were being built and created during the time Columbus sailed the Atlantic. Not only that, but the first person to actually sail the Atlantic was African, and it was not Columbus. This is monumental and should be taught in all schools. Now to the culture of Africa. Africa has so many beautiful parts to its culture. All the way from hair, clothing, and music. Obviously, I will touch base on the most important topic today, music.
Agbekor Drumming
Agbekor Drumming is a traditional drumming/dancing style, that we talked about in class. I found an article that tells a lot about it and the author says some interesting things. "AgbekÉ” is a narrative piece that weaves together drumming, dancing, singing and chanting to recount the story of a small village that successfully fended off an attack by a much larger urban army over 500 years ago." ( Jeremy Cohen 1). This reminds me of a story in the Bible when Gideon and 300 soldiers went around the Midianite camp with trumpets and torches inside of clay pots. The Midianites got scared and ended up killing each other. The African soldiers used that style of drumming to do the same thing. Now it has been preserved and created as a tradition.
https://thisworldmusic.com/agbekor-african-drumming-and-dance-from-ghana/
The Shaker
The Shaker is another traditional instrument in Africa. Much like in the Native American culture. In Africa, instead of making shakers out of dried animal bladders, they make them out of gourds. In music, it sounds so beautiful and it adds to the melody in a marvelous way. Below is an example of the shaker being used and a slight history of it.
Saturday, March 20, 2021
South America
South America is a pretty interesting place. They have many different things that make their culture unique. One thing I thought was pretty interesting was that they made their own detergent. They have this plant that they use to make it. In the video down below, it shows a lady washing wool in it. They not only wash wool for making fabrics, but they actually wash their clothes too. I know we watched this video before, but I wanted to share it again because it is truly amazing to see what the ladies are doing.
I love how different and unique this culture is apart from others. When listening to traditional music, we hear many sounds we might not have ever heard before. The instruments used are much different than what we usually hear in the music we listen to. I can only make out a few of these unique sounds. I do not recognize a lot of the instruments used in the song below, but I hear a few that I remember. I know that one can hear a drum beating to a steady rhythm. I hear a couple of other sounds that I do not recognize, but I can not stop listening!
When researching for this post, I found an interesting article. (I will link it down below) It talks about how even with new pop music coming into South America, tradition will always be number one. It goes into detail in describing each part of South America and the traditional music there. Even if you do not want to read and watch the whole thing, I would at least take a peek at it. In the videos showing the music, you may find some similarities but also some huge differences. In the video for Brazil, you very distinctly hear a flute. In the video for Ecuador, you hear a piano. Both videos give off two completely different vibes, and tunes.
Friday, March 12, 2021
Music and Religion in My World
Growing up, I was raised in a Christian home. I started attending my dad's home church when I was a baby, Shiloh United Methodist Church. Yes, I know that is a mouthful, but trust me you'll hear a lot more when you speak to any of the older couples there. I hold this church near to my heart. I grew up in this church, watched as lightning struck it and burned it down to the ground, and then growing as a church family while we rebuilt it.
Although I have attended this church since I was a baby, I have been to many other denominations. I would often stay at a friend's house and go to church with them the next morning, or attend a variety of funeral services. Some of the other church denominations include the following: Pentecostal Holiness, Southern Baptist, First Baptist, and Presbyterian. Now, they may sound like there is not much of a difference in any of these, but I assure you that you are mistaken. Try sitting in the back row of a Pentecostal church after going to a Baptist service. For those of you confused there is a nickname for baptists. Other churches call them "Back row Baptists" meaning you sit down with your hands in your lap and say "Amen" quietly. Methodist churches are the same way. Pentecostal churches have you jumping and praising with both arms out.
Music in my religion is very important. We typically sing three to four different songs throughout the service. There are many different kinds of music heard in a Christian Church. First, you have the old-time beautiful hymn. These are very traditional in my home church. Then you have Contemporary Christian music. This music is more common now than it used to be. My church attempts to add at least one contemporary song every other Sunday. There is also rock, country, and many more.
Here is one of my favorite hymns. "Church in the Wildwood"
Here is a contemporary song, "Breathe".
Both of these songs are my favorite and my go-to when I am feeling like I am drifting away from God. Typically music is used to praise God. Imagine that the preacher just preached an amazing sermon, and the last song of the service relates to it perfectly and you are singing your heart out praising God with tears falling down your face. That is my definition of a perfect Sunday service.
Typically in my church, it is expected to hear both the piano and the organ. The organ is used to sort of "back up" the piano. When the music is being played the piano acts as the lead, and you hear the organ in and out of the song. In other churches, they will have live bands and singers that lead worship. This is typically found in bigger churches. The band will include the following instruments: a piano, guitar, drums, and sometimes a banjo.
I love how music is used in my church and how important it is to each service. Christianity would be completely different without music and singing. Music is a key part to praising God.
Friday, March 5, 2021
Native American Culture
When talking about Native American culture, I tend to lean towards the Cherokee tribe. My great-great-great-grandmother was Cherokee. Her name was Mary Three Feathers Swan. My grammy has always made a point to teach me about her. Because of my ancestors, I love to learn more about this tribe. I found a traditional Cherokee lullaby that I really liked. It has a conjunct melody. When listening to the song you can hear the flute. The flute is one of many traditional instruments for Native Americans. When listening very closely, you can also hear a drum beating at a very constant beat.
Here is "Usti" A Cherokee Lullaby
There are many kinds of music in the Native American culture. One of my favorite kinds of music in the culture is Healing songs. They are beautiful and listening to them brings a sense of peace. They are very softly sung and have a very conjunct melody. In this video, you can hear one main singer and a few other singers singing with him. There may be a drum beating very quietly in the background every so often, but other than that the song just shows the pure beauty of the voices of these singers. Here is "Lakota Peyote" a Healing Song.
Music and Family
https://bit.ly/3efHzVx The link above is an interview done with my mom about her musical experience and culture.
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https://bit.ly/3efHzVx The link above is an interview done with my mom about her musical experience and culture.
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Growing up, I was raised in a Christian home. I started attending my dad's home church when I was a baby, Shiloh United Methodist...
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When talking about Native American culture, I tend to lean towards the Cherokee tribe. My great-great-great-grandmother was Cherokee. Her n...