Gamelan

sounds with each other. As stated by Reich, “playing musicians take on some of conductorial duties that are normally given to a non-playing musician” (Steve Reich in Six Parts 2015). In addition to learning in Ghana, Reich followed that up by studying gamelan music in 1973-1974 (Morrison). Soon after, “Music for 18 Musicians” was composed based off the drumming techniques and Bali influences that Reich had just experienced (Morrison). It was this composition with which Reich earned international…

This concert was performed by Flutist Laurel Zucker and Pianist John Cozza. This concert included works by Paul Taffanel, Olivier Messiaen, Eric Ewazen, Germaine Tailleferre, and Charles Griffes. Laurel Zucker is a flutist who left home at the age of 14 to study at the North Carolina School for the arts. She grew up with her brother and sister in Washington Heights, in Manhattan. Zucker begged her parents for a flute after hearing recordings and graduated high school at the age of 16 and studied…

In Pennsylvania, students may not be introduced to the concept of culture until after fifth grade, as the state and national core curriculum shies away from the general topic until middle school. More specifically, the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District specifies that between kindergarten and fifth grade, the children will “explore the themes of neighborhoods and communities,” and then “learn about United States geography and history” (Curriculum & education). Thus, even though…

“There is absolutely no relationship of intervallic content between this scale and the overtone series” (Keiler, 208). Not only do the exact pitches of the scale and the overtone series vary immensely, but the slendro scale is different between gamelans. With more of a melodic contour basis than exact pitch basis, Javanese slendro scale falls far outside of the harmonic series explanation. Keiler holds that claiming the harmonic series as a universal musical basis is just another example of…

religious ceremony. Wayang Kulit is a shadow-puppet play that features a lone puppeteer handling and manipulating cut-out figures before a screen, casting shadows of the puppet on the screen while singing and narrating a story with the accompaniment of gamelan instruments (Brandon, 1967). The puppets used by the puppeteer during the Wayang Kulit performance is believed to be alive and containing a spirit who can only be handled by a dalang (puppeteer). It is believed and understood that the…

her young ones and during his years with her, gained much of his musical experience. While working for Von Meck, Debussy was exposed to the works of Russian composers, such as Borodin and Mussorgsky. Some other influences on Debussy included Asian Gamelan music, which he heard at the Paris International Exposition in 1889, and ideas of writers and poets like Stéphanie Mallarmé, Paul Verlaine, and Charles Baudelaire(*cite). Though Debussy was exposed to various genres including American ragtime…