Big Blog 2: Māori Culture

 Let’s travel to . . . New Zealand! 

History of New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, it is the southwestern most part of Polynesia. This land is remote and is one of the last sizable territories that is suitable for habitation. You have probably noticed New Zealand before on a map begin that it is the nearest neighbor of Australia. There are overall, 2 main islands: The north and the south. There are also a number of smaller islands throughout the country. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington and it is located in the north island. New Zealand has so much physical diversity, active volcanoes, caves, deep glacier lakes, valleys, beaches, and also snow caps in the Alps! 

People of New Zealand

The population of New Zealand is diverse, it is made up of Europeans, the indigenous Māori, Asians, and non-Māori Pacific Islanders. Typically some New Zealanders are often called Kiwis. The name kiwi comes from a flightless bird that is unique to New Zealand called … you guessed it… the kiwi bird. The Māori people have held the bird to a very high standard and loved the feathers of these birds. Valuable cloaks made from the feathers were often worn by tribal chiefs. The kiwi people love sports and the outdoors and they also enjoy pioneering. 

The Māori Culture

Let’s dive into the Māori culture a bit more. This The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and make up over 14% of the population. The Māori provides a focus for social, cultural, and spiritual life, they want to keep their culture and language alive. Something interesting about the Māori is the Ta moko or the art of tattoo. For the Māori, this is a unique expression of their cultural heritage and identity, it reflects the individuals ancestry. The Māori people define themselves their their tribe (iwi), sub-tribe (hapu), mountain (maunga), or river (awa). Māori also has their own language which is called Māori. The language has a logical structure and has very consistent rules of pronunciation. 

Let’s learn some Māori!

- Kia ora - Hello

- Hei konei ra - See you later

- Nau mai - Welcome

The Haka

If most of you have a TikTok, by now I am sure you have been introduced to the Haka. The Haka was derived from the sun of god Ra who had two wives Hine-raumati (the essence of summer) and Hine-takurua (the essence of winter). Ra and Hine-raumati gave birth to a son, Tanerore. During the summer, the Māori culture can “see the light dancing” and believe that this is Tanerore dancing for his mother, this is reflected by the trembling of the Haka performers hands. 

The meaning of the Haka was originally a war dance, but the word “Haka” means a dance or a song accompanied by a dance. Along with the dance, the Māori people chant. These chants or songs express emotions and tell ancient stories (remind you of something?) Something that you will notice in a Haka dance is the men sticking out their tongue or bulging their eyes, this is to scare the other person or whomever they were going to battle with, the meaning is “my mouth waters and I lick my lips for soon I will taste your flesh” (WOW!) 

Let’s watch some Haka! 

This video I am saving came across my Facebook page about a year ago and I was obsessed with it, and a year later Haka was all over TikTok! Enjoy this Wedding Haka. 

Tradition Māori Music 

Traditional Māori music has been around for a while and has evolved over the years. There are also Māori musical instruments called Taonga Puoro. These musical instruments are seen as the children of families of the gods. The tunes come from the Sky Father Rangi and the musical rhythms come from the Earth Mother, Papatuanuku.

The Melodic instruments are:

Flute Family (Raukatauri - goddess of flute music): koauau (wood or bone), putorino (shaped like moth’s cocoon)

Gourd Instrument Family (Hineputehue - goddess of gourd music): large gourds with tops cute off (big sounds), small ones played with nose, and rhythmic shakers (contain seeds or pebbles).

Trumpets: made from shells and wood. There is the putatara - a signaling trumpet and the pukaea, a wooden trumpet that alters in wartime and is used for announcements or events. 

The Rhythmic instruments are:

Tumutumu: pieces of stone, wood, or bone that are tapped with strikers

Poi: balls of dried flax on string that are swung and tapped

Porotiti & Purerehua: discs on a cord which are spun. These are sometimes used for healing or making rain

 The music of the Māori often uses microtonal intervals. This music is often accompanied by movement as well as other rhythmic elements including foot stamping and thigh slapping. Māori harmonies and tune structures began to evolve and is derived from western music, in particular church music. 

In this video, you will see Rob Thorne use the Taonga Puoro! My personal favorite is the Porotiti, it is just so cool how that sound comes from spinning a disc in the air! 

Before you go!

Before you leave this super interesting blog!, If you don’t watch any of the videos, which it is such an interesting culture so I think you will, please enjoy this TikTok trend that always shows up on my feed and always makes me smile! The Māori culture really appreciate other cultures enjoying their culture and it’s sun beautiful to see other people respect other cultures! 

Sources: 

Becky, Theprofessionalhobo, Jason, Welsh, S., Brown, S., Lara, Nora, Colin, Ryshaf, C., Thompson, K., & Porritt, J. (2020, July 11). Maori culture in New Zealand. The Professional Hobo. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/maori-culture-in-new-zealand/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20typical%20moves,I%20will%20taste%20your%20flesh%E2%80%9D. 

Dingus, G. (2020, January 16). The haka: Poetry in motion: Current by Seabourn. The Haka - The Maori War Dance | Everything to Know | Current by Seabourn. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://current.seabourn.com/article/the-haka-poetry-in-motion 

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). New Zealand. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Zealand 

Guide, N. Z. T. (n.d.). The haka. New Zealand Tourism Guide. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/haka.html 

Music of New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/m/Music_of_New_Zealand.htm 

Māori music - Taonga Pūoro. Christchurch City Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/maori-music-taonga-puoro/ 

New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. (2021, October 6). Māori musical instruments – Taonga puoro. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori-musical-instruments-taonga-puoro 

New Zealand people: 100% pure New Zealand. 100% Pure New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/new-zealand-people/#:~:text=Today%2C%20the%20population%20of%20New,%25%20non%2DM%C4%81ori%20Pacific%20Islanders. 

Quit Playing That Song!

For this blog, I have chosen to interview my lovely mother about her relationship with music and get ready to travel to different genres… So to begin I will give a little background about my mom! 

Meet my mother, Angela Martin. My mom is 46 years old and is a 6th grade middle school teacher at Gaffney Middle School… she teaches math. Outside of teaching, she is a mother of 3 children and 3 dogs and is trying to find her way in the world as a newly widowed woman. Go mom! She was born and raised in Gaffney, South Carolina and is a die hard Gamecock fan. So besides her life story, where does her relationship with music begin? 

In the beginning…

So, back in high school, aka the 90’s, my mom was in choir and she loved to sing and to this day, she still loves to sing. (I will input a very 90’s photo of my mother down below) She would only stay in choir if her choir teacher continued to stay at that school, she loved Mrs. Melanie Cook. So she did choir for 4 years in high school. At this time also, she began to play piano. She played church music and some classical pieces, and apparently (I didn’t know this) played at a few weddings here and there. When my mom got to college, she went to Gardner Webb University. Her major at the time was music education. She traveled with the choir and went to places like Savannah, Georgia and sang classical music until she had to withdraw from school due to money issues. When my mom returned to complete an education, she finished college with a degree in just education, no music. She pretty much quit playing piano and has lost the majority of her ability to play, but can play a few songs that she remembers or old hymns. Fast forward to today… My mom is the children’s choir director at church and she is apart of the praise team that sings every Sunday morning! She constantly listens to music, goes to musical events, or sings at church! 

Now let’s get into the interview questions! 

When you were in high school what did you listen to? 

“ I listened to almost everything” (MOM). In high school, my mom had a lot of different songs and genres she enjoyed, ballads, rock, pop, country. Depending upon the song, she had different reasons as to why she liked the song. She listened to different bands like Guns ‘N Roses, Aerosmith, Journey, or different artists like Shaina Twain, Mariah Carey, Madonna, there wasn’t really a genre she didn’t like. There were even a few hip-hop songs… you could probably guess one. Here is your hint. Vanilla Ice. 

Another song she enjoyed that she will often listen to today is … 

“I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith. 

    Me: So why do you like this song?

    Mom:  I use to listen to this song on my Aerosmith CD that my daddy got me one Christmas. This is such a good song! I just like how the music flows and the lyrics are just romantic, makes me think of me and your daddy. Those lyrics are the best part of that song, it is just a big LOVE song and it is so dramatic. 

    Me: Gross, glad you like it.

    Mom: It’s not gross. You better hush. 

Moving On … 

Did you have a favorite band or artist? Who was your crush? 

“Hmm. I loved the Backstreet Boys and also New Kids on the Block. You don’t remember, but when you were a baby, me and Kristie (my mom’s best friend) went to a Backstreet Boys concert while your daddy kept you” (MOM).  So, my mom fangirled over the Backstreet Boys as well as New Kids on the Block, but her overall crush was a guy from a different band… Gary Cherone, but young Gary Cherone. My mom was always really into ballads, she liked a good upbeat pop or country song every now and then, but ballads just really hit the spot. “I will admit young Gary is pretty cute” (ME). “Cute, that man is smexy” (MOM). 

That’s just gross … but this song isn’t give it a listen! 

“More Than Words” by: Extreme (Gary is singing) 

What do you listen to now? 

    Mom: Now that I have gotten older, I listen to more of my contemporary Christian music, you know I love my Christ Tomlin.

    Me: What made you change?

    Mom: You know, I am not really sure, I still like listening to those songs from my past every now and then, but I can’t listen to that new stuff, it is vulgar and to auto tuned.

    Me: Yeah, I understand that, but why contemporary Christian and not old hymns?

    Mom: Hymns are great don’t get me wrong, but the contemporary Christian music is just so much for meaningful to me, I don’t know if it has to do with the added harmonies and instruments, or the lyrics, it just has a better sound. 

    Me: I am going to regret asking this question, but what is your favorite song, even though I already know the answer.”

    Mom: *begins to sing* HOME, where the streets are golden, where my chains are broken, I don’t think that’s the right lyric, but Home by Christ Tomlin! How you know that’s my favorite?

    Me: Because you blast it through the house on repeat almost every day and we always holler “QUIT PLAYING THAT AGAIN”. 

    Mom: Well … I can’t help it.

Lastly, What are some concerts you went to over your lifetime? 

    Mom: Like I told you earlier, I went to that Backstreet Boys concert, but I haven’t really gone to another actual concert besides the big Chris Tomlin one that we went to a couple of years ago. 

    Me: Did you go to performances then? 

    Mom: Yeah, when I went to the Chorale Music Festival a few years ago I got to see Veritas and then Laura Story. 

    Me: So mostly Christian concerts/performances aside from Backstreet… 

    Mom: Yes. Every bit of it was fun! Backstreet was just as I remember them, but older, but I felt like a little girl again. I really enjoyed getting to see Laura Story, you remember we sang her song at church and it plays on the radio! 

    Me: Yes, I know. What was that song again?

    Mom: Blessings. Let your class listen to it, it’s good. 

    Me: Okay, I’ll make sure to put the video on my post. 

    Mom: Oh! And post that picture off my Facebook page of Laura Story that I took. 

    Me: If I can find it I will. 

    Mom: You can find it. 

    Me: Anything else you want to add before I make dinner and write this thing? 

    Mom: Nothing much,  just that I overall love and appreciate music. My taste overtime has changed, but that is just because I have gotten older, if “Ice Ice Baby” played, I would still bust a move and know every word. I love music, I hate that I quit playing piano, I wish I would’ve kept it up because I have lost so much of it now, but I just didn’t have the time to practice, nor did I have access to a piano for a few years, but I wouldn’t use it today anyways, plus I can still sing. Okay punky (my nickname) I am done, you got it all? 

    Me: Yes mom. 

Beyond the Classroom: Arabic and Asian Music

 So from everything that we have learned in class about Arabic music, I decided that I wanted to really focus in on the aspect of Arabic music along with dance, specifically, the Hagallah. Arab folk dances are also referred to as oriental dance. There are many different styles of Arab dance: folklore, classical, and contemporary. When it comes to dancing and music, Arabs have their own diverse styles which is a part of their identity.

Let’s travel to Western Egypt

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Hagallah 

The Hagallah is a folkloric dance of celebration. This dance is performed by the Bedouin of Mensa Matruh in Western Egypt. It is about girls/women representing power and richness in their world and its about showing their beauty and grace. This dance is often performed during the date of harvest and that time of year is also considered wedding season, how cool! This type of dance is also known in some part of Lydia and is similar (cousins) with the Kaf dance that is in other regions of the Middle East. So, who usually performs this dance? Much like the singers of Arab music, the dancers of this are female. The choreography depends on the setting whether it is traditional or theatrical. The dancer is often a member of the bride’s family, and other women may take turns playing the central role. 

Let’s take a look at what a Hagallah may look like! 

The Hagallah is very different than other styles of Arabic dance, and in the music, you can hear the aspects of the mixture of cultures between the Middle East, and Egypt, as well as the Kaf dancing which is actually just a lot of clapping! 

Moving on…

Costumes

I would like to touch on their costumes because I think costuming is a very important aspect of culture, so far many different cultures all wear vibrant colored outfits that either are simple, or very complex! The costume for a Middle Eastern dancer is typically a simple long dress with long sleeves with a wild muffler like fabric wrapped around her hips. This fabric can sometimes be very heavy! There is nothing to complex about these costumes, no bows, fringes, ruffles, just simple. The Libyan costume has most recently became the more common costume to wear and it is a little more complex so that the skirt will move more visibly. These costumes were influenced by the clothing of Libyan women, so it would make sense as to why they have recently switched to not only a more modern version, but back to the roots of the dance. 

Let’s take a look at what the costume looks like up close! 

The Music 

So what is required of the music to be used as a Hagallah? The Hagallah music actually has 3 different parts! Part one is the main theme or, Shettaywa, this is sung by the entire group. Part two is the Ghennaywa which is sung by a soloist of a poet and it is responded to by the group. The last part is the Magruda which is sung by the soloist and the group together. The actually dance of the Hagallah is performed during the Shettaywa. The music always begins as clapping and stomping  with a rhythmic pattern and then a recording will begin. This recording uses percussion as well as string instruments, possibly a violin, and it is in the native language. You can very much hear the Egyptian aspects in this recording below, as well as the Middle East, Arabic semi-tones. Enjoy! 

Sources:

Hagallah. Egypt2. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2022, from http://www.home.aone.net.au/~aziza/Hagallah.html 

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, December 6). Arab folk dances. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_folk_dances 

American Roots Music: SALSA!

 

Let’s explore the genre of … SALSA! 

History

    So, where and how did Salsa begin? Let’s find out!

Salsa originally began in the Sierra Maestra of Cuba’s province… so, Cuba! When Salsa began, it was  considered then Cuban music of Bantu descent. This genre was the coming together of several other musical styles: Cumbria, Rhumba, Changui, Nengon, Kiriba, and Regina. Once Salsa reached Havana, it spread like a wildfire! The roots of Salsa (sauce) are in the son. The “son” that you will hear me talk about throughout this learning experience means “the Cuban sound”. The Salsa combines the the elements of Spanish guitar playing with rhythmic complexity and also the call and response vocal tradition of African musical sources. Afro-Cuban music actually spread throughout Latin America to Mexico. New York City then became the forge for its transformation into … wait for it … Salsa! 

So… What is Salsa? 

Musical Background

Some of the earlier music genres that fed into the Salsa were Cuban Son, Cuban Danzon, Rhumba, Guaracham, Cha-cha-cha, Mambo, and Son Montuno. What really gets interesting is how many musicians helped shape the Salsa into its own genre. Some of the earliest musicians come from Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, as well as other places in Latin America. The Salsa was pioneered by Arsenio Rodriguez. In the Early 1940’s, there were more contributions of the orchestra led by Cuban emigre Machito (Frank Grillo) which blended Afro-Cuban styles with jazz and big band approaches. Another Afro-Cuban emigre Celia Cruz was a start dancer and evolved Afro-Cuban dance into the Salsa. Others who brought their styles along into the mix were Tito Rodriquez and Tito Puente a virtuoso timbale player and a vibraphonist and Eddie Palmieri a pianist who brought over progressive jazz. 

Here is a LONG video, but scroll through and give some of it a listen! 

(To view this video, you will have to click “Watch on YouTube”)

Moving onto . . . 

Instruments

There is a lot that goes on musically with Salsa music. When you listen to the music above, you hear an array of different sounds, different timbres, different instruments. This music has so much going on! Before I begin to break down the musical aspects, lets take a look at some of the instruments. 

Classic Instruments Include:

- Vocals                - Piano

- Trumpet             - Guitar or Tres (Cuban instrument similar to guitar)

- Trombone          - Saxophone

- Double Bass       - Congas

- Bongos               - Timbales

- Claves                - Cowbell

- Maracas              - Guiro 

Now for the more intricate aspects of Salsa music

1. Bell Patterns: The percussionists play the bell patterns on claves. The son or rhumba clave (2:3 or 3:2) are the most popular bell patterns in salsa music. 

2. Afro-Cuban Rhythms: Uses an array of Afro Cuban/Caribbean rhythms that trace their roots to Central and West Africa. 

3. Bass Tumbaos: Bass pattern based on tresillo pattern which means it can align with a 2:3 or 3:2 bell pattern. 

4. Spanish - Language (LYRICS!): Vocalists are known as Soneros. the lyric genre is known as salsa romantica which emphasizes love and romance in its lyrics. 

Sources: 

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Salsa. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/art/salsa-music#:~:text=The%20roots%20of%20salsa%20(Spanish,decades%20of%20the%2020th%20century 

MasterClass. (2021, November 2). Guide to salsa music: A brief history of the salsa genre - 2022. MasterClass. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-salsa-music 

Beyond the Classroom: Music of Sub-Saharan Africa

 Before I dive into something crazy interesting, I wanted to first share some information that I ran across when searching for a topic for this blog. Because of how large Africa is, they also have a LARGE list when it comes to genres of music. Below I will provide a preview of the list just so you can see how WILD this is! 

- Afrobeat                                    - Desert Blues 

- Apala                                         - Fuji

- Assiko                                        - Funana

- Bikutsi                                        - Gbema

- Benga music                               - Highlife

- Bongo Flava                               - Hipco

- Cabo-Love                                  - Hiplife

- Chimurenga music                      - Isicathamiya

- Coladeira                                     - Kizomba 

So lets dive in!

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We are traveling to Liberia! 

1. About Liberia

    Liberia received its independence on July 26, 1847 and has a population of around 3.9 million people. The size of Liberia is 43, 000 square miles and the capital is Monrovia. The ethnic groups that live in Liberia are the Kpelle who are located in central north (Bong County) and in Guinea and their language is Mande family. The Bassa who are located in central coast line counties and their language is the Kru family. Lastly the Gio who are located in central north (Nimba County) and Cote D’lvoire. Liberia is home to multiple genres of music, one that we will dive into is the Chantefable genre. Along with that genre there is the Tan (dance song genre, polyphonic), Zloo (praise song, heptatonic, shout-singing), Gbo (funeral lament), and HipCo (unique to Liberia, Liberian English or local vernacular, political subjects about life in Liberia, features simple synthesizers). There are also different instruments that are known to Liberia, but we will get to them later! 

2. Chantefable

    Chantefable is a genre of music from Liberia. It is a Kpelle traditional music/performance. The storyteller uses recitative during musical sections and the music often has pentatonic and rhythmic patterns based on unequal beats. As for other information on this, background is very limited, but from what I found, it seems as if the Chantefable is actually a medieval tale of adventure (so the story) told in alternating sections of sung verse and recited prose. While I couldn’t find a specific song or any song for that matter to represent the Chantefable genre, I did find traditional music from the Kpelle tribe, so give it a listen. 

 
 3. Instruments 

    So for the instruments, we four main ones that are found in Liberia I think it is pretty interesting that these countries have all of these instruments that I have never heard of, if you have heard of one of these instruments before let me know! First we have the Turu, the Turu is a side-blown horn and it is played in hocket style. Next we have the Koning and it is a triangular frame zither. The Koning has about eight or nine strings. Next is the Kongoma or Donduma, this is described as large lamellophone with only a few keys and it is actually played by people of the Kpelle tribe. Lastly we have the Balance, Gio, Blande, and Balau which is also known as the xylophone or also free longs on banana stalks (how cool!) and these are also played by the Kpelle tribe, but also the Mano tribe.

Here is a video that I found of the Kongoma, it is very similar to the Mbira.  

Sources:

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Chantefable. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/art/chantefable 

Liberia. African Music. (2013, April 30). Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://africanmusicuga.wordpress.com/west-africa/liberia/ 

Music & Rites

 Everywhere you go, there is music. For me I find most of my music at church or at my favorite place, Delaney’s Irish Pub. When I think about all of the music that is played in these different locations, I often wonder why do they choose a specific type of music. Now, for church, it is obvious as to why they would choose spiritual songs, but if you are really into Christian based music, there are different genres of that as well, so depending upon the style of the church will have an effect on the specific type of music played. 

I go to a southern baptist church, and we have what we called a “blended” worship service. Basically what this means is that the preacher has asked the worship leader to make the elderly and the young adults happy. We do hymns, and we do Hillsong, all in one service. So the music that is present on Sunday mornings is very much a blend between original hymns, and then Christian pop music. The music is essentially used for worship purposes, but often times it feels like a performance. (I am in the church band) Because I go to a southern baptist church, it is very common for people to be “stuck in the ways of the past” and not want change, therefore if we play a Chris Tomlin song, those people are looking at us more as if we are performing that providing them with a song of worship. 

So, depending on the Sunday that you or anyone decides to visit my church, will depend on what they hear more of. By that I mean that one Sunday you will be prepared to sing a hymn and then another hymn and then a hymn medley, but have an invitation that is a modern Christian pop song. HUH?! But, next Sunday is all modern Christian pop… So, song choice is never consistent, but you want to know what is consistent? The order. I will give you a little insider as to what every Sunday looks like. 

WELCOME

-Song

Prayer/Offering

-Song

His Kids (Children)

-Song

-PREACHER

-Song

DONE

So there you have it, a typical southern baptist Sunday. 

So as far as what the music sounds like, there is very little instrumental music. When we have it, it is usually just a few chords being played on a keyboard underneath the preacher praying to make the transitions a little smoother. Typical church music is always sung. At the moment, my church does not have a choir, but a praise team. The praise team consists of 2 sopranos 2 altos 2 tenors and 1 bass. Our band consists of the pianist, a cajon player (me), and a keyboard player (also me ). So, when we sing hymns, it is usually the standard piano and melody. The older music really has no harmonies and nothing intricate to make it interesting. When we do the modern style, that is where the harmonies come into play as well as the cajon and keyboard. For those who may be wondering why there is a piano and a keyboard… My keyboard is set to a strings setting, so I play chords to provide harmony to whatever the pianist is playing. Depending on the song, this can really give a worship song a little more emotion, which is want you want in a religious setting. You want people to feel that emotion and to fully worship who they have come to worship. 

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Before I end, I just wanted to touch on Delaney’s since I mentioned it earlier in the blog. I go to Delaney’s with my fiancé all of the time! I don’t necessarily go there to drink or to eat, but I really enjoy seeing the LIVE music that they have. To me, it doesn’t matter what band they have or which style they play, it always fits the scene. Bar Music. I’ve previously voiced my opinion about country music and there are bands who often play country music at Delaney’s, but it’s something about the atmosphere in which they are playing that it bothers me a little less. The function of the music at Delaney’s is not meant to be spectacular, it needs to be decent because these people are being paid to perform, but it is good enough for having dinner, having a drink, and seeing someone yell at the TV. It fits. 

Beyond the Classroom: Music of the Indigenous Americans

 

Recently we have been learning about the Indigenous Americans, even more specifically, Native Americans. Native Americans have such a powerful history between their music, dance, and way of life! In learning about the Natives, I found three things interesting that I would like to know more about and would also like to educate my viewers at the same time! 

    1. The Fancy Dance 

The Fancy Dance is also known as the Oklahoma Feather Dance. This dance is the most popular style of dance at modern powwows. The Fancy Dance originated as a Fancy War Dance by a society in Oklahoma. It is interesting that the individual who invented the dance, Gus McDonald (Ponca Tribe), also invented the "feather pull". This is another contest of the fancy dancer's agility and ability to be able to keep time with the drum. The style of dance consists of two different types: a basic simple step while dancing around the drum, and a "contest" step with fast and difficult footwork which is combined with spinning. Not only with the dance being so interesting to watch, but I also really enjoy the regalia as well as the music. 

Enjoy this short videos of the TOP 3 Fancy Dance Videos 

        2. The Regalia

So, by now you have read about the Fancy Dance, and you have seen the video. So here is my question. Why the feathers? Why the regalia? Make that a few questions... After doing some research I found that regalia in general tends to tell a story or transmit heritage or serve as badges of honor. The regalia can reflect the individual's connection to their ancestors, family members and clan. The dancers make their outfits as colorful as possible for entertainment. The regalia mainly includes loom beaded sets of suspenders, belt cuffs, headbands and armbands. Occasionally a breastplate will be used in place of the beaded suspenders. The main attraction to the regalia is the feathers which are dyed to match the beadwork. The shoes that are worn are moccasins with a rawhide sole, it may be partially or fully beaded. Also! These dancers have bells mounted on them, so it adds more excitement and sound to the experience! 

Here you will see each aspect of the regalia! 

        3. The Music 

The songs that are sang for the Fancy Dance are collectively called "The Trick Song". The Trick Song is actually a contest between the dancers and the singers. It is interesting because the drummers, who are also apart of the musical experience are actually playing more for the dancers than the singers. The drummers use their beats to try to fool the dancers into missing their beats! The music for the fancy dances is upbeat and they use a lot of tradition sounds of other native music. Because the style of this dance is to dance in cut time, the music must be upbeat! If you listen to the music, you can hear that the singing is actually LIVE as well as the drumming, it is not recorded! In this recording that I am providing below, you can not only hear the steady drumbeat, but you can hear the shakers on the ankles of the dancers! Whenever the drum drops out, you can still hear the bells on the dancers' ankles keep the steady beat! 

Listen to the drum as well as the shakers! 

Sources: 

G, A. P. (2020, February 1). Native american fancy dance: What is fancy feather dancing? 

            PowWows.com Retrieved January 9, 2022, from https://www.powwows.com/fancy-feather-                         dancing/

Indigenous Regalia in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved January 9, 2022, from 

            https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/indigenous-regalia-in-canada

McCluskey, M. (2009). Your guide to understanding and enjoying Pow Wows. Office of Public Instruction.

Powwow dance styles for men. St. Joseph's Indian School. (2021, March 10). Retrieved January 9, 2022,                 from https://www.stjo.org/native-american-culture/powwow/powwow-dance-styles-men/

My Musical Cultures!

 Hello! 

My name is Sarah Beth Martin. I am a 21 year old female from a small town in South Carolina called Gaffney. I grew up with two younger siblings, my brother, Ashton, and my sister, Mary Kate. Gaffney is a small town known for its BIG PEACH, and by that I mean a big water tower that looks like a peach, but yet Georgia is deemed the peach state? Growing up, there wasn’t much to do in my town besides go to school, go out to eat, go to church, or find some extra curricular activity to do in the meantime, mine was dance. Over the years I attempted to do sports, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, cheerleading, you name it, I tried it. I was never athletic enough to continue sports, luckily my younger siblings inherited what I didn’t. To be fair, I inherited the musical genes in the family as well as the dancing genes, because no one else in my family will EVER look normal dancing. 

Moving forward…

I grew up loving music, but I used music through dance. For 17 years I danced at Southern Dance Academy. I began when I was 2 years old and started out with tap and ballet, but found that boring, so I began clogging. This type of clogging is not and never will be the wooden shoes or that random commercial of a clogging family that aired on TV for a while. This type is like a mixture between hip hop, and tap, but unlike both of those, it is very structured. I have been dancing competitively for over 10 years. Throughout those 17 years, I have won multiple National titles, Championships & performed on National Television (America’s Got Talent). Around the age of 15, I then decided to become a teacher and I worked as a dance teacher for about 5 years. 

If you’re interested, here is a video of one of my teams at one of the biggest competitions of the year. 

After all of these fun experiences, I then decided to pursue music as a career, so I decided to go to Spartanburg Methodist College for 2 years where I received an Associate’s degree in the Fine Arts and met my now Fiancé, Zach. After leaving SMC, I then transferred to Converse University where I am pursuing a major in Music Therapy. 

So, back to the music!

I love listening, playing, or dancing because it always involves music. A song that I like right now and that I like dancing to is “Oh My God” by Adele. It is one of her newest songs and it is just a BOP! I think I like this song because it reminds me of some of the styles of music that we would use for dance routines. I don’t ever really listen to Adele, but I am super into the Pop genre and this fits right into the genre. After listening to this song, you may get an ear worm because it is addicting to listen to! I think it is the faster chorus that really makes this song interesting as well as the instrumental parts, which include the hook of the intro. This song is so upbeat and her vocals are just amazing! It is one of those songs that you could listen to on repeat, I know… because I do

Go on, Press Play!

Now, as a music therapy major, I am very aware that music can provoke emotions, feelings, memories… A song that is deeply important to me is “Let It Be” by The Beatles. This is the song that we played at my dad’s funeral. This song does not provoke feelings of sadness whenever I listen to it, but happiness. This song allows me to reminisce about my father and all the things he enjoyed in life… which was The Beatles. Wanna know a secret? My dad was a Beatles collector! He has so many valuable items in his collection as well as a golden record! 

Give it a listen! 

While I love music, there is one genre that I don’t enjoy or connect with and that is COUNTRY. I am not sure if it’s the music (instruments) or the lyrics, or both! It’s hard to describe why I don’t prefer country, it is a popular and well respected genre, but my ears do not enjoy listening to Morgan Wallen or Blake Shelton or Josh Turner. I think because I come from the South and that my accent is so strong that people assume automatically that I would like/LOVE country music, but that is not the case. I am not one to listen to lyrics in a song, I typically only listen to the instrumental aspects as well as the type of rhythmic structure that it has and country just does not give me the same feeling that a pop or hip-hop song would. I do think that the lyrics in most, if not all country music are either sad, or destructive, which in my personal opinion doesn’t make for a great song, but other genres do the same thing, so at the end of the day, my brain likes what it likes. 

Here is an example of a country song that is just…. Well… Here.