week 8

Although I've come to like an eclectic range of music, there are always a select few that hold their positions as the "favorites". One of these songs is "Where is the Love?" by the Black Eyed Peas. Over recent years, the Black Eyed Peas have emerged as chart-toppers with their catchy tunes and underlying messages about society. They rap about topics beyond the scope of common rap subjects--money, girls, sex, drugs. Instead, many of their songs have underlying messages that depict current situations in society and obstacles in which many people can relate.

The song "Where is the Love?" focuses on the world's injustice, hypocrisy, and brutality. Although this song has a pessimistic outlook, the true meaning of the song summons a call to action and a call for change. It outlines the wrongs that are occurring in our home country, and pleads for the "father" to come help out mankind in general.

The song can be divided into two parts: the rapping in the verses and the singing in the chorus. The rapping has a more a harsh, blunt, and raspy tone, perhaps depicting the harsh, very real situations in which he speaks. From his tone of voice, a listener can tell that Will.I.am takes these issues very seriously and the hint of anger that surfaces in his voice evinces his disapproval and repugnance. One verse states: "I think the whole world's addicted to the drama/ Only attracted to the things that'll bring the drama/ Overseas yeah we tryin' to stop terrorism/ But we still got terrorists here livinin the U.S.A, the big C.I.A, the Bloods & the Crips, and the KKK." The underlying message is very clear--the current situation is unacceptable. We brood in hypocracy; the US is adamant about eliminating potential terrorists in the Middle East, yet we have our own unresolved problems that we have yet to attend to. These ironies can easily go unnoticed, yet these blunt and insightful lyrics bring up points that elicit further thought and realization.

In contrast to the seemingly up-front and raw sound of the rapping, Justin Timberlake sings the chorus and adds a soothing sound to the song. The singing possesses a slow, and soft timbre, which matches the lyrics that resonate. The lyrics, "Father father father, help us/ Need some guidance from above/ These people got me got me questioning...where is the love?" plead for a higher figure to stop the brutality and the cycle of hurt. While the verses provide a side that is angry with the world, the chorus calls for change. The song slows down for a bit, allowing the listener to absorb the previous lyrics, and contemplate what can be done in response.

Lastly, the minimal amount of instrumentation as well as the simple melody contribute the effectiveness of the song's message. In the song, there are three main instruments: two different drum and a chordophone that sounds like an electric violin. By using fewer instruments, there is less background music that can distract the listener from the message the song is trying to convey. Furthermore, the simple melody allows the audience to catch onto the harmony, ensuring that they won't be caught up trying to familiarize themselves with the melody. Thus, knowing what notes to expect, we can focus more on the words.

Week 7

Finishing up the movie Latcho Drom was extremely interesting because new scenes gave us new perspectives on the Roma people. Their heavy use of instrumentation continued and it was exciting to see how they used the instruments to evince their emotions and attitudes. The first scene was in a village and the violin was an integral instrument. A few men playing in unison used the violin to create a strong melody. Other instruments such as an accordion and a flute-like aerophone accompanied the main rhythm creating a homophony. There seemed to be a bit of improvisation with the melodies. After all, the festive nature of the people enjoying music calls for a lighthearted tempo and upbeat rhythms. The audience which in their case, were the people in the streets, were in important contribution to the effect of the music. The musicians were playing for the audience who seemed to be enjoying the moment.

The second scene took place at a train station in which the boy and his mother are awaiting near the train tracks. This time, however, the violin took a back seat to the vocals. Spoons were also used as idiophones when they were tapped together to make noise. It was really quite touching that the little boy offered his coins so that the gypsies could play music to cheer up his mother. In addition, the entire movie provided insight for different ways to play instruments. I have always seen a violin being strung by the bow. However, in the movie, I saw a violin being strung by only one string, creating a very screechy sound. It was just interesting to see how a movie can rely so little on dialogue yet produce a movie so rich in culture.

week 6 response

The movie Latcho Drom directed by Tony Gatlif follows the journey of gypsies through South Asia to the Middle East and finally to Europe. Although the geographic regions that the gypsies visited are very different, the instruments used by them have many commonalities. In each of the three scenes there is percussion to maintain rhythm for the music. The drum is in the form of an instrument which is similar to the tabla. The musicians play this instrument using their palms and fingers. There is also an aerophone that produces a timber much like a flute. In the scenes, cymbals and tambourines were used. The ladies also used idiophones; they wore wooden clappers on their arms so whenever they moved their arms, the wooden clamps moved and "clapped". String instruments accompany the melodies of the vocal performances. The string instrument can be compared to a sitar from India.

The director demonstrated how the gypsies "absorbed" the different cultures into their own music by showing the gypsies visiting different regions and changing up the settings of the musical performances. The film highlights the music's effect on the children especially; the children can be seen mimicking characteristic hand movements, which shows that they are taking in other cultures and adding their own flavor to their own version.

I found the costumes of the movie most interesting. The dress was extremely ornate and elaborate and it really exemplified the beauty that the gypsies embody. The term "gypsy" is often associated with a negative connotation, however, the depiction that the movie uses shows that these members in a positive light. The women's bodies were often adorned with accessories that were actually used as instruments later on. Chimes could be heard whenever the women shook their bodies. This is reminded me of Oceanic music in which objects such shells, which were idiophones, were used to create new rhythms and sounds.

week 5

An example in which real life influences theater and in turn these representations influence society is the TV show America's Next Top Model. The objective of this reality show is to find "undiscovered" talent and train young women through challenges and photo shoots on how to become a legitimate model. America greatly values appearance and the contestants are chosen mostly on looks to begin with. These women are extremely thin and beautiful--traits that every American woman wishes they were. The contestants strive to look "fierce" in their photo shoots and are judged by a panel on how they look in the shot. The idea that the contestants stand before a panel every week reflects society's tendency to judge others by their appearances and not necessarily by their personality.

America's Next Top Model in turn influences society because it reinforces the traits that are important to have in order to be considered "beautiful". It shapes the characteristics that women strive to have. For example, most of the women on the show are at least 5'9 and weigh about 120 pounds--a stature that most women do not even come close to. However, because these lanky contestants are praised for their body types on the show, this may make viewers want to look like these "models" in hope that they too will be considered beautiful. These types of shows shape our society's views of what is beautiful and what is ugly.