A new article of mine is available at Guitar International Magazine’s website. This is the first in a series of articles about the guitar in world music cultures entitled “Going Places with the Guitar: World Music.”
African-American History Month: Representations of Race in American Music
February being African-American history month, I’m sharing some of my research on representations of African-American culture in twentieth-century American music. This series consists of short installments from my research as an undergraduate at Kenyon College.
The Harlem Renaissance and the “New Negro”
One of the most significant intellectual and artistic trends of twentieth-century American history, the Harlem Renaissance impacted art, literature, and music in a manner that forever changed the American cultural landscape. The Harlem Renaissance was a movement in the 1920’s in which African-American writers, artists, musicians, and thinkers sought to elevate the status of black culture through embracing their heritage and presenting it on a more sophisticated level than that of “folk” culture. This shift towards a more politically assertive and self-confident conception of identity and racial pride led to the establishment of the concept of the “New Negro.” Notable writers such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, the painter Aaron Douglas, and the composer William Grant Still were some of the early artists to espouse the concept of the “New Negro,” which greatly altered the perceptions of Africans and African-Americans in American society. Continue reading
Posted in African Diaspora, Ethnomusicology, Reviews
Tagged African Diaspora, Ethnomusicology, Reviews
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New Year’s Resolutions
It’s a little late, but one month into 2013, I’ve finally settled on some resolutions for this blog! I’m adding a couple of new running topics to the blog such as album and concert reviews, instructional book, DVD, and website reviews, and tips and advice for those studying or pursuing a career in music. Here are some of the things in store for 2013:
Albums of the Month
So far, 2013 has been a great year for my own music listening habits. I’ve found great music from artists I’ve always been aware of, but never heard, unknown gems from some of my favorite musicians, and artists I’ve only now discovered. The first notable recordings are the new Wayne Shorter live album Without a Net, Juluka’s revolutionary and classic Universal Men, and the classic Shakti album, Natural Elements. Full reviews are coming soon, and will be posted about every 10 days.
Tune of the Month
Here I’ll be sharing arrangements of guitar, banjo, and mandolin songs, including traditionals, covers, and originals. These may include solo guitar chord melodies, lead sheets, duo and trio arrangements, or full scores. This is my way of sharing my approach to music with fellow performers and students. Continue reading
Posted in Music Lessons, Pedagogy, Performance, Products, Reviews
Tagged Banjo, Guitar, Hindustani music, Mandolin, Music lessons, Pedagogy, Performance, Products, Reviews
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The Role of the Shishya in Indian Classical Music
Indian classical music, or Hindustani music, is revered as one of the world’s more complex and theoretical musical systems. Despite the values placed on demonstrating this necessary knowledge base and observing the conventions of musical performance, Hindustani music remains to be transmitted primarily through oral/aural, instead of written, means. Central to this system is the guru-shishya parampara, a unique relationship between the student/disciple and teacher. A previous post in this blog discussed the role of the guru in this relationship; here is an account of the role of the shishya. There is a fascinating contrast between the traditional Indian method of pedagogy and social hierarchy and the social dynamics found in Western educational settings. The following is an edited excerpt from Chapter 2 of my MA Thesis, “Cross-Cultural Pedagogy in North Indian Classical Music.”
2.3 The Role of the Shishya
According to the Vedas the guru is “a source and inspirer of self-knowledge,” striving to elevate the shishya (disciple) to his own “degree of wisdom” (Raina 2002:173-4). The guru-shishya parampara, or guru-shishya tradition, is not a unilateral relationship. Both the guru and the shishya are empowered in choosing with whom to enter into this relationship. Much as there are expectations and obligations of the guru, there are equally culturally engrained responsibilities of the shishya. Continue reading
Posted in Ethnomusicology, India, Pedagogy
Tagged Cross-cultural pedagogy, Ethnomusicology, Hindustani music, India, Pedagogy
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Free Guitar Resource: Open Chord Bass Notes
Here is a very useful chart for rhythm guitar, alternating bass, and for fingerpicking, bluegrass, and old-time accompaniment. It provides the root, third, and fifth of all of the basic open chords in multiple positions.
Posted in Music Lessons, Pedagogy, Products
Tagged Fingerstyle, Free lessons, Guitar, Music lessons, Pedagogy
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Indian Music Article at Guitar International Magazine
Guitar International Magazine just published my Intro to Hindustani Music primer and reviews of two Indian classical guitar DVDs. Give it a read here.
Posted in Ethnomusicology, India, Performance, Reviews
Tagged Ethnomusicology, Guitar, Hindustani music, India, Performance, Reviews
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The Role of the Guru in Indian Classical Music
Indian classical music, or Hindustani music, is revered as one of the world’s more complex and theoretical musical systems. Despite the values placed on demonstrating this necessary knowledge base and observing the conventions of musical performance, Hindustani music remains to be transmitted primarily through oral/aural, instead of written, means. Central to this system is the guru, an individual whose role goes beyond that of a musical instructor. Here is an edited excerpt from Chapter 2 of my MA Thesis, “Cross-Cultural Pedagogy in North Indian Classical Music.”
2.2 The Role of the Guru
The guru as an authority permeates Indian history and all realms of Indian religion, philosophy, and expressive arts. Since the time of the Vedas, there have been prescriptions for the qualities of an effective guru. The guru is responsible for guiding the disciple from ignorance or darkness to enlightenment. In this context, teaching involves “not merely the transference of facts, techniques, [and] examples set by the teacher, but creating in the mind of the shishya [disciple] the fullest awareness of the subject taught” (Menon 1983:18). Continue reading
Posted in Ethnomusicology, India, Pedagogy
Tagged Cross-cultural pedagogy, Ethnomusicology, Hindustani music, India, Pedagogy
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Jazz Article at Guitar International Magazine
Guitar International Magazine has just published my article “Jazz Improvisation: Licks as a Learning Tool” on their website. This article provides a method for getting the most from pre-composed licks as a model of jazz improvisation.
Posted in Music Lessons, Pedagogy
Tagged Free lessons, Guitar, Music lessons, Pedagogy, Reviews
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From the Archives 2
Just added another old tune to the Music page of this site. I actually dug up the first solo instrumental I ever composed. This dates probably from October 2007. The song is called Leo’s Hedges, inspired by Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges. The concept behind it was to have a subtle melody emerge from a multi-layered tapestry of sounds.
Review: Soundscapes and The Vancouver Soundwalk Collective
Soundscape refers to all of the aural features of a locale. This includes musical, natural, and man-made phenomena such as speech, machinery, automobiles, birds, flowing water, etc. The Vancouver Sound Walk Collective describes itself as “a community of listeners that explores acoustic locales in and around Vancouver.”
People often tend to ignore the sounds constantly around them or actively shut them out through listening to portable music players. However, listening to one’s environment is rewarding in many ways. It enables the listener to hear how any environment is a combination of the natural and mechanical worlds. It is a way to contemplate the relationships between people, animals, landscape, and technology.
On 12/12/2012, listeners from around the world, including myself, made twelve-minute recordings of their local soundscapes as part of a musical and documentary project. Here is a link to those recordings: http://www.vancouversoundwalk.com/12-12-12/
