Western Protest Music

America is composed of a mixture of different people with different ethnicities, cultures, languages, and history. Although, as a country, we may have certain things such as a national anthem and a pledge of allegiance, we certainly don’t have a national dance, music style, song, or instrument which defines our country even though we do have a national flower. Because the American population is so rich and diverse, this can often lead to great differences in opinion. As we have seen in class throughout the second half of the quarter, it is not uncommon for us to see artists and bands in other regions of the world to use their music as a political tool for raising public awareness on sensitive issues. As much as people like to bash different genres of Western music for their lack of originality or depth of meaning, I would like to shed some light on artists from different music genres who have influenced me and many other individuals in throughout U.S. history.

My lecture will focus on relatively modern artists from the genres of folk, pop, and country music. I am assuming that this lecture will take place under a college setting so I would like to keep in mind the relevance of this music for the audience, which will most likely be college students between the ages of 18-24. The types of songs I want to explore are most widely known as protest songs. According to Wikipedia, a protest song “is a song which protests problems in society such as injustice, racial discrimination, war, globalization, inflation, social inequalities, incarceration, and global warming.” Protest songs in America gained popularity during the mid-20^th century and largely originated from folk music. The first artist I’d like to speak about is Bob Dylan.

I. Bob Dylan (Folk)

The 1960s was an extremely sensitive time within U.S. history. The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War gave the public much to talk about. Bob Dylan was a very controversial artist when we first broke into the music scene. Many people didn’t even consider his songs to be real music. While people of the counterculture adored him, many of his critics disliked the verboseness of his songs simply because it sounded as though he was talking rather than singing. His style of songwriting was very rich in lyrical content. When you look at the full lyrics to one of his songs, they very much take the shape and form of a poem. This idea can be applied to any one of his songs. While the instrumentation to his songs are very simple, usually his guitar with an occasional line of the harmonica, it is his lyrics that carry the weight of the song. When he sings, it’s almost as if his lyrics are the melody while his guitar strumming is only a mere accompaniment. Despite what critics say, there is no doubt that the salience of his music struck a chord with the counterculture of the 60s and became anthems for those troubled times.

Songs: “The Times They Are a-Changin” and “Blowin’ in the Wind”

II. Madonna (Pop)

Madonna became an instant controversial hit in the 80’s. She often sang out about topics which were very taboo for society at the time. She sang about very mature material such as virginity, sex, homosexuality, women’s rights. Although probably most likely known for her homosexual-related content such as her dance moves in “Vogue” and music videos such as “Justify My Love,” she has become an inspirational female figure to so many women. Famous pop singer Britney Spears often attributes Madonna as being one of her early musical influences.

Songs: “Vogue,” “Like a Prayer,” and “Justify My Love” (Note: “Justify My Love” was immediately banned from television once it originally aired. For a few days, MTV allowed it to air at late-night but it was ultimately pulled altogether.)

III. Dixie Chicks (Country)

The Dixie Chicks are three Texas natives who have become a massively popular country band in a relatively short time. The content of their early work was not political. In fact, none of their songs really were. The band was more known for their political comments made to the media. The song “Wide Open Spaces” brought them into popularity with the American public in the late 90’s. Ten days following the 9-11 attacks, lead singer Natalie Maines publicly spoke out against George W. Bush. This caused a national boycott against the Dixie Chicks. They came back however in 2006 with their new album sweetly named Shut Up and Sing which garnered them a 5 category sweep at the Grammys.

Songs: “Wide Open Spaces” and “Not Ready to Make Nice”

In conclusion, all these artists make up for a very enriching music experience. Although these artists are technically Western, they are still doing the same thing as other artists and bands around the world through the medium of music.

Coldplay

Although Western music tends to be very mainstream, they shouldn't be discounted for music research. All bands and artists each have their own unique style and individual flare which make them "mainstream."

One of my favorite bands is Coldplay. They are a Brihtish band that has achieved high success wthin the UK and the U.S. In terms of aesthetics, they do not present as many unique qualities as African music, but there are certain elements that become incorporated into their music which gives them their sound. Texture is pretty standard as far as this band goes. They do tend to be very "poppy" so most of their songs are usually homophonic. The instruments support the lead singer Chris Martin as he belts out "emo" lyrics. On another note, the voice is naturally deep and low. It is his somber voice which carries the emotion throughout the song. Instrumentally, their songs often showcase the lead singer with a piano accompaniment. Rhythmically, they are not very complex but rather cyclical. Songs tend to follow the typical song schema with 2-3 stanzas of lyrics, followed by a chorus, 2-3 more stanzas, chorus, and end. However, at the same time, these characteristics which are present in Coldplay's music are common features of many mainstream bands as well. It is these things such as emo lyrics, simple instrumentation, homophonic texture, and rhythmic simplicity which tend to define these mainstream bands. It gives them their identity as this popular British band. People's relationship to their music can best be defined through a live concert. All concerts are like these ritualistic performances where people come together to celebrate their love for a band's music. Lighters sway back and forth, fans mouth lyrics , people wear shirts or other apparel related to the band, etc. This is the classic social pattern we find at concerts.

Many people tend to hold the opinion that if a band or artist goes mainstream, they have "sold out." Many mainstreamers do are starting to incorporate different culturally-focused instruments from other regions of the world. Although I cannot say that Coldplay uses any special instrumentation, if they did then those instruments can potentially gain recognition through mainstream music. Is that such a bad thing that these instruments begin to grow in popularity elsewhere? Even moreso, how bad of a thing can it be for these other cultures to gain notoriety?

East Meets West

As we mentioned in class, Eastern European music is highly influenced by outside forces. Because the Roma people constantly moved around Eastern Europe, many of the instrumentation found within the movie appear very similar to the many instruments we are most familiar with in the West.



One instrument which was very prevalent throughout the movie was the violin. It was very interesting to see variety of ways in which it was played. Most noteable was the segment where the man produced the long, screechy notes with a single hair of the bow by dragging a single hair of the bow across the strings. I played violin for 6 years and those sounds reminded me of those notes that you accidentally played if your bow didn't have enough rosin on them. There was an aerophone which resembled a smaller type of shakuhachi. The instrument was played by blowing through the top of the flute (like the shakuhachi). If it had to be compared to another Middle Eastern instrument, I suppose it would be closest to the Duduk which was mentioned in Vahe's presentation. The Duduk, however, is still very different from the flute in the movie. It is a double reed flute, which produces very rich, robust sounds. When I heard the music clips of it, I instantly thought of it a Middle Eastern Kenny G. The other instrument from the movie I'd like to point out is the Santur (sp?). The size of the movie one was much larger than the one we were showed in the video example from class. It was played much the same way as in the Middle East. Other things I would like to mention are the rhythmic clapping and the use of household objects. One man was shown slapping his thighs, the bottom of his shoes, and clapping his hands to produce his own rhythm for the song. We saw much of this rhythmic clapping when we were studying Oceania. The small clip with the dogs barking also reminded me of the call and response techniques from Oceania.


I love the fact that there is no presence of dialogue in most of these scenes. It reminds me of Ch. 1 of our World Music text. At the beginning of the chapter, the author dives into David Henry Thoreau's experiences listening to the soundscape at Walden Pond. I feel that this movie is a respresentation of just that--a soundscape. The lack of dialogue forces the listener to hone in on the sounds and voices that are generated in a multitude of ways whether it be from neighbors arguing with each other, dogs barking, or slapping the top of a milk jar. The collage of sounds and voices that come from this movie makes me realize that music is everpresent in my daily life. It doesn't have to come from the traditional forms in which we listen to music to be classified as "music" (e.g., radio, cds, concerts). Music is truly everywhere.

Video Game Music

I would like to throw another medium into the mix—video games. They have quickly proven themselves to be a popular form of entertainment over these past several of years. Although these games are not exactly live performances, huge franchises easily spend a lot of money to hire composers and orchestras to record music for their games. A fine example is the Final Fantasy series. Nobuo Uematsu is famously known for his epic scores he incorporates into these games. They are classically known for being their ability to capture the emotion of the game. These compositions are another indicator of how the Japanese use western influences in their music. If I had to compare Nobuo Uematsu to someone in the western world, I would say he’s like the John Williams of video games. As I mentioned before, his scores are epic. They are very saturated with piano, many string instruments, and brass. They have the very dramatic feel to them which can easily translate into movie music. Video game music is so popular now that there are annual tours where orchestras will sample music across various video game titles. Last year, the Video Games Live event came to the Hollywood Bowl where they played a famous piece called “One Winged Angel” from Final Fantasy 7. Nobuo’s orchestra has even performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. At this event, he solely concentrates on classic Final Fantasy songs from across the years.

Authenticity of Chinese Music

Rees does not think that the type of Naxi music that is played now in the Yunnan province is characteristic to the Naxi culture. Naxi music in the past was only played by a few people and had significant ritualistic meanings. Rees feels that tourism has wiped away this cultural significance that Naxi music once had. Performances are largely catered to the tourists. Commercialism calls for the same set of songs to be played over and over again for the new groups of people who come to see them. Because of this priority to mass market the music, the integrity of Naxi becomes lost. The way the music is experienced by tourists won’t be appreciated in the same way that it could be if fewer people knew about it. “Chinese-authored English literature” suggests that there is an attempt to market the music on a more global scale.

Scholars felt that authenticity was significantly lost from Chinese music because it incorporated Western elements of music. It took out the more “traditional” instruments of China and replaced them with the more Western instruments such as the flute and keyboard. The Chinese still consider it to be traditional music though since it is still a new form of music. It isn’t copying Western music directly. Rather it is fusing two styles of music together. Music, much like identity, exists on a continuum. It seems as though the scholars are trying to box Chinese music as consisting of only certain elements and nothing more or less. Mr. Fang, however, believes that music is being adapted and developed all the time. As the world becomes a greater global village, communities will find themselves being more and more influenced by outside cultures. I don’t think reinvention is something that can be considered fake. It builds itself on top of something else. Like all musicians, styles are derived from multiple people before them. Reinvention is an art form all on its own. I think when people tend to think of “traditional” they tend to think of it as being something old and not in heavy existence. For something to be “modern” it has to sound new and never been done before.

Gamelan Music Comparison

The most noteable things of difference for both videos is:

• Clothing
• Performance Space
• Instrument Usage

"Ratna Ayu" looks as though it is a ceremonial piece. The focus of the song is on the woman who is in the middle of the circle with the white sash extending from her dress. I think that perhaps it may be a wedding song. Since she is always the focal point throughout the song, she must be someone of significance. When she sits atop the interlocked umbrella-like props, it feels as though she is being given a rite of passage (perhaps marriage). Finally, at the end of the song when all the performers are filing out, the sash on the main woman's dress looks similar to the train on a wedding dress. She is lastly followed by 2 girls in the back who sort of seem like bridesmaids who would normally hold the bride's train (in a Western wedding). The dance arena is very small. The musicians lie on the perimeter of the arena while the dancers take up the majority of the floor. In "Gamelan Bali Nyepi" the dance arena seems small as well. There are no danceers in the number and everyone plays a kethuk. This song is performed all by men. Each person is equally spaced across the arena. This signifies that the kethuk must be a man's instrument. In "Ratna Ayu" the dancers are all women. The instruments used there are bonangs and gambang. The gambang appears to be a female instrument. It has the qualities of a xylophone and has a high pitch as well. The length of the song also suggests that it is a ceremonial piece of great significance. The other song maintains a rather consistent beat, and no one plays a different melody or harmony. This might be a song that has much repetition in a ritual sense. Finally, clothing is very ornate in "Ratna Ayu" as it usually is with most women. Attire consists of a long skirt, a boldly colored top, a headdress, and immaculate hair. The men in the other song are shirtless and have matching pants and headbands. If this song had more significance as a ceremonial song, I think the men would be dressed up a little more.

Making the Scene

I am a second generation Chinese-American. In terms of cultural practices, my family is very traditional as a whole. However, I have always found myself to be somewhat outside of that circle. Even though I do participate in those family traditions, if it weren’t for my parents, I most likely would not be doing them at all. In the past, we have gone to a couple of Chinese New Year festivals where we’ll watch the lion dances, fan dancing, Chinese opera singers, fireworks, and so forth. My aunt, at least from what I know, used to perform in Chinese opera when she was younger. When I was growing up, I would always hear opera music emanating from her kitchen walls whenever I was at my aunt’s house. To her, the pitches probably flowed through her mind and whisked her back onto the stage, but for me, the voice pitches were unbearable. I mostly considered that type of music to be very shrill to my ears. It is times like those where I have always felt like an outsider. I can’t understand the beauty and significance of certain Chinese practices because I have been so accultured to the western style of music. For most of my life, I have just appreciated Chinese music because it is a part of my ethnic identity, but I have never had any significant interest in it. However, as I get older, I am starting to see how much more I want to integrate my culture into my identity. In general, age induces a desire to gain a much more global perspective.

Clubbing is definitely an AWESOME example of an environment where music is the central element. In fact, sometimes just hearing a very upbeat song on the radio is reason enough for me to spontaneously throw on some clubbing gear and hit up Sunset. This was actually a topic of conversation between my friends and I just recently. There are many different kinds of clubs. Clubs can have themes throughout the week such as Asian Fridays or 80’s Night to promote the venue. The atmosphere can also depend on the quality of the DJ. Some prefer more remixes or straight tracks.

For me personally, my entire clubbing experience can be ruined by the music. I tend not to prefer techno music because I simply do not know how to dance to it. Hip-hop and R&B music is my cup of tea at a club. There generally is a consistent beat that I can move my body to. This is not to say that techno music does not keep beat either. Techno tends to exude a more fluid rhythm that changes many times throughout the course of the song. In short, the music makes the club.