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Archive for the ‘Classic Music’ Category

Rap music has been around longer than we thought. In the arts everything is recycled (many times stolen and recycled). We have had bell bottoms make a return in fashion, the bringing back of muscle cars on the road, big haired metal bands making come backs in concert and Neo-soul music which is…new soul music. Of course many are aware that the Hip hop culture and its music started in the boogie down Bronx in the 70’s but the style or monotonous melody delivery may have been grand fathered even further back. The likes of social movement groups such as the Last Poets who released a Billboard Charting album in the 1970’s, rhythmic vocals precedes the combining of lyrics over DJ breaks by delivering a lyrical flow of poetry to the beat of ethnic drums and instrumentation. The style which resembles closely the current Def Jam Poetry series or other earlier African American poets is not far off the beat of rap. You can link traces of both to the African Griots oral tradition.

Years ago rap music was considered a fad to vanish like the cabbage patch kids. The genre of rap music has thoroughly spread throughout the entire world and not only reaches, but affects and relates to every culture. Many cultures histories are connected and deeply rooted in some influence of music, and the gap may be bridged closer. Before attending the University of Southern California, I grew up in Long Island, NY. I was a product of the renaissance age of rap music. I grew up along side many earlier influential names of hip hop icons such as Rakim, Groove B Chill and Sweety G. Rakim himself was fond of jazz music and played Baritone sax along side me in marching and jazz band. My own interest and love for music ironically (’cause that’s a whole ‘nother saga explained in the future) lead me to study music at U.S.C. as an undergrad taking a few classes in jazz and classical music history. I once had a debate with a professor and chairman of the Jazz studies program, who refuses to believe and admit that rap is music. On the other side in classical history, I had just learned that Arnold Schoenberg’s Sprechstimme is similar to a monotonous chant rap style flow in which there was no present melody just like that of rap. This style of music dates back to the early 1900’s and is thoroughly supported to be music so much it was kept record of, appreciated, analyzed and taught throughout out the years as part of the expressionist movement in German poetry and art.

Music is studied and broken down. Many composers and musicians learn to write scores of music by dissecting, studying and analyzing music of other composers and musicians. Music theory is derived from the analysis of common practices of that music’s time and genre. Typical elements that are analyzed in music is it’s form, such as intros and cadences, harmonies, rhythm patterns, tempo changes tonality or atonality and melody which are all present in rapping. My highly educated world renowned professor tells the class that Rap is not music because it does not contain a melody. Rap is certainly not musically dissonant as the likes of Pierre Schaeffer’s Mosque Concrète, whose genius attempt at innovated music technology was difficult to notate on paper like traditional classical music, but it may resemble more the expressionistic era as that of music theorist Arnold Schoenberg. Schoenberg’s Sprechstimme was singing in a restricted way to maintain a constant pitch unlike the ups and downs melodic contour most melodies would have when they are played or sung. An example of this would be in Schoenberg’s Gurre-Lieder or later works by Pierrot Lunaire. Rap can be notated the same as Schoenberg did for Sprechstimme. However, rap actually has inflection in its speech delivery. This is relative to some exotic scales in which a micro tonality exist like Burmese or Indonesian music. Today’s rappers like 50 cent and Ja Rule have distinctive melodic flow. Groups like Bone Thugs and Harmony are actually harmonizing in their rap flow. Rappers like Nelly are practically borderline singing or sprechgesang-ing. Not to mention, the entire above named have been Grammy nominated. It is always said “to know where you are going, you must know where you are from.” Rap is today’s urban music. Its techniques are deeply rooted for over 100 years in American music.

History serves as a blueprint that has been forged for us to learn from. Does this mean that Germany is the birthplace of rap music? Not quite, though Schoenberg is Austrian he is a well known early American composer, but it puts an end to the debate for historians or ignorant professors on whether the fad of rap is indeed at all music. In a world in which music is a huge part of every one’s life, many cultures have been influenced by and incorporate rap into their own native language and music. Billions of profitable dollars have been earned from rap, it is not only grandfathered in as a style of music to last, but worthy of and honorary degree in which the success of hip hop can now afford to buy.

Copyright 2008 JackDazey free to reprent maintain credit to author and article intact

Whether you are agreeing with it or not but the music impacts on our daily life, complementing the beauty of our thoughts, behavior and nurture the reminiscences. Music is not an entity but a language that we use in our daily lives passively. The history of music, whether it’s classical music, rock music, jazz music, or any other kind of music is always a critical thing to debate. New cadenced patterns are in use and introduced the new ways of exploring the music that reflects on everyone’s scenes.Among the masses, music is an important part of their way of life. Indian philosophers and music experts defined music as those variable tones that were ordered horizontally as melodies and vertically as harmonies to reflect the notion of life. The music enjoys its history in very a broad sense. Indian classical music is one of the most famous musical traditions in the world.Indian classical music is monophonic, and conceived around a single melody line organized through talas. Carnatic music is for the devotional purposes and the majority of the songs are addressed to the Hindu deities. There are a lot of songs emphasizing love, affection and other social stigmas scattered in the social domains.As the time is changing the wings, Music is now composed and carried out for many rationales include aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes and for deliberate entertainment reasons. Professional musicians are now making a huge sum of money by launching their musical shows and musical products. A number of music segments are now the part of musical arena. Classical. Rap, jazz and techno are some of the interesting counterparts of the music loved by the people all over the world.Internet has revolutionized the medium in which the music is traversed to us. Cyberspace is the prominent place where music is living its grand life. The portals like in.com are the lively place where the music is available in all accessible formats. The portal has offered an opportunity to listen, watch and even download the live music from the single click of the mouse. The collection at in.com is pretty huge and arranged in very rational way. You can easily download audio files, enjoy video streaming and download your favorite music.

Gwalior is a district in Madhya Pradesh. The city celebrates a national level music festival called Tansen. The festival is held in memory of Tansen’s great contribution to Indian music.
Gwalior is the city in North India that lies 76 km from Agra. The city occupies a special position in Indian music history. It is one of the places that saw through the tremendous developments in the Hindustani Classical Music genre. Gwalior is also the home of the famous Indian musician, Miyan Tansen.
The death of Tansen is the birth of Gwalior’s Music Festival. It is also known as The Tansen Sangeeth Sammelan. It is held in memory of Miyan Tansen. The festival is celebrated yearly during November and December, within a span of five nights.
Miyan Tansen was a famous musician in India and was admired by the King. He became one of the nine jewels at Akbar’s court of the Mughal era. Emperor Akbar was believed to be the father of music. Miyan Tansen’s fame spread when he joined Raja Ramachandra Baghela’s court.
Tansen died in 1589, right when he was at the peak of his popularity. He was then buried in Gwalior. His tomb serves as a great venue for his contribution to Indian music. His memorial is part of Gwalior’s living cultural heritage. It was built in an early Mughal architectural technique.
The Gujarat government also decided to bring up a two-day music festival in memory of Riri and Tana. They are the two sisters who rendered Raag Meghmalhar, bringing help to Tansen’s illness. Legend says that Tana and Riri had an interpretation of the song Megamaldhar that cured Miyan Tansen. The king was pleased and the court musician Tansen decided to search for the two girls.
The King asked the two girls to sing at Akbar’s court but they ended their lives in a well rather than to refuse him. Riri and Tana did not want to cause war within their town. From then on, the government gave importance to the two sisters in a form of a concert, particularly starting last 2003. From then on, it was held yearly, becoming part of a tradition, to commemorate their death anniversary.
Festival Highlights
Tansen Music Festival is the gathering of musicians and singers performing through five long nights of classical ragas. Inspiring musical numbers are sung by renowned classical and folk song singers like Asif Zeriya, Nidhi Dholakiya, Gargi Vora, Harikant Sevak and Arunkant Sevak. Loksangeet is delivered by Bihari Hemu Gadhvi and Yashwant Gadhvi.
Other attractions in the event are seminars about classical music, a heritage walk and an exhibition of traditional instruments. The five ancient gates are also a tourist interest. These are the Nandiol, Eithodi, Arajanbari, Amthor Darwaza and the Ghaskot Darwaza. The Sharmistha Talav pond is also enlightened with thousands of lamps.
The Tansen Samman award is presented to deserving musicians in the field of classical music. Maestro Ustad Abdul Haleem Jaffar Khan is this year’s awardee.
Dignatories of the government are also witnesses to the program. They are the Revenue Minister Kaushik Patel, Mangaldas Patel (Assembly Speaker), Anandiben Patel (Education Minister), C D Patel (Tourism Minister), Anil Patel (Industry Minister) and ministers from the Mehsana district.
The grand performances attract the young and the old, especially music lovers. Attending the festival is an easy access to all the main cities of India. Places to stay in include Hotel Gwalio Regency, Usha Kiran Place and Hotel Tansen.
These five mesmerizing nights are truly memorable cultural experiences that bring joy to many people. Tansen Music Festival is truly a musical congregation that showcases the incomparable contribution of Tansen, bringing charm to Hindustani music.

To see a Broadway play or musical is to step into a world that envelops you with an experience you cannot find anywhere else. Theatre has been around since ancient times and for good reason. There is absolutely nothing like watching the actors, hearing the live musical scores and going on a journey with fellow theatre-goers. It makes movies seem like flimsy comic books in comparison.
Fortunately, there are many excellent shows on Broadway and in major cities across North America today. The following list is the top ten plays you might consider attending with a date or a friend. Each one of these delivers an experience you won’t soon forget.
One of the most popular mega-hits of Broadway is Wicked. Wicked is a musical taking the witches from the Wizard of Oz and recasting them to reverse the loyalties the audience feels in the movie. The play follows the women from school to their eventual fates. The emerald skinned Elphaba, studious and misunderstood, and the beautiful and ambitious Glinda, as they move from unlikely friends to the classic opponents of the movie. The magic lies in the witty recasting of the backstory of the Wizard of Oz, to challenge assumptions and present a tale of friendship and love. And now Wicked is touring the U.S., so there’s a good chance it’s showing in a city near you.
A relatively new show called Tarzan, is a musical about a baby raised by gorillas as he encounters humans, and Jane, forcing him to choose between his two heritages. Tarzan is very popular, with many theatergoers looking forward to seeing the Disney version brought to stage. A show for all ages, the search for where one belongs in the world is a weighty subject for such a deceptively light show. Phil Collins extended his musical score from the Disney movie into a complete theatrical score.
The Lion King is a musical about Simba the lion cub and his journey to adulthood and acceptance as King. A play for all ages, the story of a youth growing to accept responsibility and duty is one of the most enduring themes in fiction. The animal puppetry is nothing less than brilliant. If you’re looking to instill a little culture in your child, this may be just the ticket. And again, The Lion King is showing in many cities.
A disfigured musical genius haunts a theatre and exerts a mysterious control over a young singer. The Phantom of the Opera is a modern classic musical, long-standing show and one of the most well known Broadway plays of the era. The classic music of the show is one of the main draws, with more than one piece from this show recognizable to almost any adult. This is the longest running play in Broadway history, and made Andrew Lloyd Webber a household name. Phantom of the Opera has played in 22 countries, 113 cities and to a combined audience of 10 million.
Les Miserables is a musical based on the classic novel of the same name, in which the obsessed policeman Javert pursues the prison escapee Jean Valjean over decades in Revolutionary France. A classic tale of obsession and redemption, this play investigates the big questions like right and wrong, vengeance and justice, and what it takes to achieve redemption, while putting a human face on the issues. Les Miserable originally ran on Broadway for sixteen years, and is back with a fresh cast to renew the magic.
Spamalot is based on the legendary Monty Python and the Holy Grail, featuring King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as they face such dangers as the dreaded bunny rabbit. The occasionally eccentric Monty Python sense of humor is in full fury in this tale, with jabs at politics, religion, chivalry, bravery, intelligence and the French. There are limbless knights, men in tights and a chorus line of dancing divas. Spamalot is a favorite of audiences and critics alike, and won the 2005 Tony for Best Musical. If you liked the Monty Python’s TV show and movies, then this musical will sure to please.
Chicago the Musical is another famous musical, in this case about a murder trial. The Fosse choreography is iconic. While the music isn’t as iconic as some others, the odds are that most will recognize several pieces they’ve heard before, such as “Razzle-Dazzle” and “All that Jazz.” Chicago returns us to the time of Vaudeville, satirizes the justice system and shows us what great theater is all about. Definitely check this show out of you liked the movie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere.
Rags to rock to riches, Jersey Boys is the musical story of four blue-collar boys who become the Four Tops. It follows them from their start in the Hood to their apotheosis as one of the greatest music groups of all time, with emphasis on the characters involved. This show has really taken off and become unexpectedly popular on Broadway. Now the Jersey Boys is touring America.
Mamma Mia! is a musical built around Abba staples of the seventies, dealing with a single mother whose daughter is about to get married on a Greek island. The daughter invites three of her mother’s old boyfriends to visit, hoping to find out which one her father is. The play is built around Abba music, but is an engaging story in its own right and is advanced by the music rather than providing an excuse for it. This is a play where almost everyone attending knows the music.
Rent is a musical that explores poverty, disease, and drugs in New York City. It’s a modern rock version of the 19th century Italian opera “La Boheme,” and is set in New York City’s East Village. It is a moving musical where young people strive to make it in a difficult world.
Plays are one of the most enduring human entertainments, and Broadway is the big leagues in an art form thousands of years old. Plays speak of where we come from, where we are, and where we would like to be. If you want to do something different and you value culture, entertainment and enlightenment, going to a Broadway play is something you may want to experience soon.

Indian musical instruments can be generally classified into three categories, mainly classical, western and folk. Every country has its own kinds of music and musical instruments that are unique to its culture.

In present day modern and classical singers forever use traditionally designed instruments for old songs. The craftsmen who make these instruments are also different, having inherited the art from their ancestors. However, there are also newer manufacturers of musical instruments who make them for commercial sale. Most of them sell the instruments directly or through dealers, online shop and music stores. The main categories of musical instruments are strings instruments, keyboard instruments, woodwinds instruments, and brasses instruments, and percussion instruments.

The instruments are further sub-classified into the type based on the science behind the same.

Veena: Veena is a plucked stringed instrument used mostly in classical music. There are several variations of the veena, which in its South Indian form is a member of the lute family. There are three major types of veena popular today in Hindustani music, The Saraswati veena is an Indian plucked string instrument. It is named after the Hindu goddess Saraswati, who is usually depicted holding or playing the instrument. The others include is vichitra veena and rudra veena and also rudra and vichitra veenas are used in Hindustani music.

Sitar: The sitar is one of the most popular instruments in Hindustani music instruments. In modern times sitar is the most famous Indian instrument in world wide due to Pandit Ravi Shankar. He is a leading Indian instrumentalist of the modern era.

Harmonium: The harmonium was invented in Paris in 1842 and harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. It has remained popular to the present day, and the harmonium remains an important instrument in many genres of Indian music. It is generally found in Indian homes.

Tambura: Tanpuras come in different sizes and pitches: bigger males and smaller females for vocalists and yet a smaller version that is used for accompanying sitar or sarod, called tamburi or tanpuri.

Tabla: The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in the classical, popular and religious music of the Indian subcontinent and in Hindustani classical music. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres.

There are discount musical instrument stores, as well, that offer attractive discounts, lowest prices, free-financing options, and easy return policies. They also give away some accessories for free with the instruments. The Internet is also a very good source for knowing about the latest offers, as well as for viewing and comparing products and products deals online. The instruments can also be ordered online.