The marimba, a popular percussion instrument, has not only a rich sound, but a rich history. The instrument, which has a name that means “wood sounder” in African languages and “the goddess” in Guatemalan creates it’s sound with wooden bars and metal resonators. The first idea for marimbas came from Africa.“The xylophone was taken to Latin America by African slaves…”(“Marimba”, Encyclopedia Britannica) Calabashes, or a type of gourd, were replaced in Latin America by resonators made of metal.…
Making It to the Big Time I am Vincent Crabtree. When I was a freshman in High School, I participated in an activity called “Winter Percussion”. It was much like marching band, but it took place during the winter and spring season, and it featured a smaller ensemble composed mostly of percussive instruments. Throughout the season, we had practice almost nightly, working to put together a show that would be performed in competition with other drumlines. One of my favorite memories begins after…
I believe that I am an excellent candidate for the Early College program. For me, school is a top priority, and I always strive to be my best. Whenever I set my focus on a task, I will put 100% effort into it until I am satisfied with the result. I am not nervous to talk to adults or teachers, and address any questions I have about the course. To be at college at such a young age demands hard work and dedication, which I am ready to put forth. There is so much in this program that will help me…
Jazz History Concert Report The date of the concert was October 5, 2016 and the title of the concert is “Experimental Improvisation with: Kjell Nordeson & Peter Kuhn”. The concert was performed in Mesa College Music building. Peter Kuhn had three instruments with him a bass clarinet, saxophone, and a Bb Clarinet. He used the bass clarinet and the saxophone during his first piece, and the clarinet on the second piece. Kjell Nordeson was on the drum but had a lot of instruments with him.…
Instruments are in charge of setting a melody, accompaniment, beat/percussion, counter melody, bass line, harmony, accent, and drone in a song. Generally, chordophones are used to establish the melody, countermelody, accompaniment, and harmony. Membranophones are used in beat/percussion. The tuba, double bass, and bass guiter are used to create a bassline. Finally, instruments with a sustained pitch such as the banjo are used…
The percussion section of our band was preparing to lose a large number of seniors by the next fall. As freshmen, we had to prove that we could hold our own and continue to represent our section and our band as a whole with complete and utter confidence. During…
however, the singing thins to a single lead singer and the cymbals are replaced with handclaps from the on stage cast. During the instrumental verse, the homophonic texture is at its thinnest due to the lack of singing and instead of handclaps the percussion is replaced with a fish slap…
I observed the wind ensemble percussion section and was blown away by how organized they were in everything that they did. It was clear that they had the same type of training, because their strokes were so similar it was impressive. The percussion equipment was set up strategically, and every member of the ensemble knew exactly where to be at every moment during the music. The mallets were organized on stands, and it was interesting to notice the subtle change in tone when they switched mallets…
Many dynamics and traditions are linked with sabar drumming, meaning there is more than enough research to be done on the performance genre. Patricia Tang, author of Masters of the Sabar, spent numerous years researching Wolof Griot percussionists in Senegal. Proposing that I travel to Senegal myself, I will be doing preliminary research for two months with a budget of $10,000. Specifically, I will be researching the answer to this question: How complex is the meaning of family to Wolof géwël? I…
Drums are musical instruments that give a sense of happiness and a sense of enjoyment. I have wanted to play drums since I was around 6 years old. I first saw them played on TV. I then found a greater interest when I saw them being played in church. I liked the base drum the most because of the big deep sound it has. People can use music as speech by expressing what they feel through sound. Elvin Jones is a Black American drummer who express himself through jazz. Elvin Ray Jones was born on…