Aidan's Music Blog

    I sat down at the dining room table with my mother to discuss her life experience with music. Knowing that she was not a musician, I was eager to see her perspective on the music she grew up with. I decided to start things simple by asking her what her first memory of music was, and so it began;     She explained to me that her first recollection of music came from when she was a very young child. Every night, her mother (my grandmother) would sing to her before bed. However, these were not your typical lullabies. She said that my grandmother would sing songs by people like John Denver and groups like the Animals. She specifically remembered House Of The Rising Sun being a common choice as the lullaby. Strange choice, but this was in fact the music she grew up hearing. All the music my grandparents liked to listen to was what my mother had to listen to. Because of this, she was of course very familiar with John Denver, Bob Seger, and Fleetwood Mac.  ...

      For today's blog, we're going to head over to China and Mongolia! Though there are many different types of music to study in the continent of Asia, these are a couple of my favorites. Specifically, I'd like to share some information on Mongolian Throat Singing, the traditional Chinese instrument called the Erhu, and some facts about something known as the Chinese Opera. So without delay;     I've planned to talk about Mongolian Throat Singing since the first day of class! The idea of it has been brought up in the classroom a few times, so I thought it would be good to go ahead and share this truly artistic style of music. I will say, throat singing/overtone singing is not just a technique used in Mongolia. Many other cultures use overtones in their vocals to create similar music to that of Mongolia, but I personally just like how it's performed in this country. The origin of how they view throat singing is also one that fascin...

      Here's a new fun fact about my music culture. I love Swing Dancing! I started going to a local swing dance club here in Spartanburg back in the summer of 2019, and boy is it a thrill. I still do it to this day and it's still my favorite activity to get involved in. However, part of the reason swing dancing is so special to me is because of the music. The modern stuff is fun, but nothing beats the mood that is classic swing music. So let's talk about it!     Before we really get into detail on where swing came from, let's discuss exactly what it is. I got a good description from Carnegie Hall . Basically, swing is one of the earliest forms of jazz. Consisting of big band brass and woodwind instruments, piano, drums, and walking bass lines, swing is the kind of music that just makes you want to get in the groove. The music is very upbeat and often times quite rhythmically complicated. In fact, swing actually got it's name from the fact that the beats fe...

    Africa is home to many countries, many people, and many musical cultures. Though the music from various countries around the continent is based in similar roots, there are styles and traditions that are unique to their own countries. With that said, I'd like to share a bit of info I have uncovered about the different styles and traditions from all over Africa. Specifically, I will cover the traditional instruments used in the country Ethiopia, the tradition of a famous dance from South Africa known as the Zula dance, and a general background for how music is used in the context of religion and worship.               The reason I chose to speak about the instruments from Ethiopia specifically is because one of my closest friends is actually from Ethiopia and was adopted into an American family when she was younger. Because of this, I am a bit more familiar with the culture in that country and I knew the instruments would be a joy...

    Over the course of my life I have experienced many different types of rituals, celebrations, and ceremonies. In almost all of them, music has played a prominent role in one way or another. One of the best examples I can personally speak from is the ritual of a traditional, Christian funeral.      Though it is sad to say, I have attended many funerals in my lifetime. However, the funerals were never truly all that sad. Growing up in the Christian faith, we do not look at death as the end. Though it breaks our hearts here on earth, we know that the people we lose move on to a place where they are free of the pain and suffering they experienced here on earth. Because of this, the funerals I went to growing up were a time of rejoicing and a celebration of the life that lived, and the life that will live on. The music used in these ceremonies reflected this.     Music played in a Christian funeral is used to help reflect and remember the life that one l...

     There is much to be learned from the musical culture of Native Americans. There are many aspects of their musical styles that apply to a lot of the music we listen to and create ourselves. It is also intriguing to learn more about how they use their music in their traditions such as dances, religion, etc. I would personally like to share the process they go through to create their instruments, how music is used as medicine, and a certain dance that is performed known as the Ghost Dance.  So without further delay! 1. As much of a fan as I am of listening to and playing instruments, I always love to know the process that takes place to create them. The reason I get so excited about this in the context of the Native Americans is due to the presence of how much manual labor they have put into crafting their drums and shakers. After doing some browsing, I found the following article from TeacherVision that provides a good view on how they go about their craft ( link ...