Huanle Ge (Silk and Bamboo Music)

This piece has a very thick, yet heterophonic texture resulting from the multitude of instruments present. The instrument in the foreground seems to be a reeded wind instrument along with a Chinese flute. These instruments have the most ornamentation out of the ensemble. There is also a Guzheng or some other plucked string instrument along with a lute of some sort, likely the Pipa. The Erhu is also audible in the background at parts. Because this is a typical heterophonic texture, all the instruments are playing the same melody, but with varying degrees of ornamentation, the upper-most layers having the most.

Japanese Folk Music in Modern Japan

While in traditional Japan, folk songs were sung during the day as sources of personal pleasure and as tools for increasing work efficiency, today they have gained a higher and more professional status in Japanese culture. Folk songs, to members of an urban and bustling society like Japan's, evoke feelings of a more peaceful and natural existence, echoing the simplicity associated with life in Tokugawa Japan. It is then no surprise that Japan strives to preserve their folk songs and history through the creation of preservation societies. As a result, folk music has gained a more official and standardized status within Japanese society. This is also aided by new technology like television which raises awareness over a much larger demographic.
With folk music taking more front stage role, the work and discipline needed to perform it at a professional level also increases significantly. Now it is not uncommon for a student to change cities to pursue apprenticeship with a certain teacher for several years. What used to be a natural process learned during childhood was now a far more intensive and focused discipline. The student/teacher relationship is cherished, and requires a special bond between master and apprentice. Often, a student will receive their "artistic name" from their teacher, or even take their teachers last name.

"Indian-ness" in the Old and the New

Like much of the Indian music we have listened to in class up to this point, "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" begins with an instrumental gesture that establishes the tonal center of the piece about to be performed, however, here it is in the form of an arpeggiated minor triad on the vibraphone instead of the two-note tambura drone typical of Indian classical music. Simply put, what makes this song fundamentally different than the Carnatic and Hindustani works we have heard is that it is in fact a "pop song" and not a classical work. The instruments used are all typical Indian instruments (voice, strings, tabla, etc), but the form and style of the song is done in a Western aesthetic. Here we have harmonies that are changing much more rapidly and regularly than in drone-like classical works. The song is essentially a product of the West that has been manipulated to contain aspects of Indian music.
The second song, "Addictive," is a contemporary hip-hop song by R&B artist Truth Hurts that samples the song "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai." Throughout the video, the concept of "Indian-ness" is highly glamor-ized. The dancers wear lavish, colorful costumes with a clear Eastern influence and dance in what seems to be a blend of hip-hop and traditional Indian dance. At the same time, synthesized flutes and other instruments play melodies resembling typical Indian ragas. While it is certainly not a product of India, the artist pays tribute to many aspects of Indian culture and music.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Alex Barstow and I am a sophomore and Sociology/Viola Performance major in the Tufts/New England Conservatory dual-degree program. Having started on the violin, I have been studying music since I was six years old. However, after ten years of violin I decided to switch to viola, which I have now been playing for three years. Despite my background in classical music, my musical tastes encompass a broad spectrum of genres, ranging from classical music and jazz to more "poppy" genres such as electronic and club music, rap and hip-hop, 70's rock, reggae, and more. More recently, I have been experimenting with the concepts of "remixing" and "mash ups," using DJing as a medium through which to open audiences eyes to many different types of music. A DJ is a unique, and I believe very important beacon in the development of modern music in that it is now customary to heavily utilize previously produced material in the production of new material, a process generally referred to as "sampling." A DJ will take, for example, a specific drum beat from one song, a collection of short vocal clips from another, and a synthesized melody from another, and weave them into what is essentially a complex "musical collage." As a classical musician this is especially exciting, as it allows me to incorporate aspects of classical music (a dying genre) into a more widely-accepted genre, injecting pieces of old-culture into pop-culture where a wider (and younger) audience can appreciate it. I believe this is one of the many ways artists can bring about a revival of classical music.
Having studied Western music all my life, I felt it was about time I broadened my horizons and studied music from an Eastern perspective. I'm excited for an interesting semester!