Listening to music in a language or culture other than your own is like watching a film with subtitles; you either love it or you don't. I am trying to think of analogy for why we might not like different sounds found in music. Is it as simple as: we like what we like or is it more complicated than this? I recently listened to a podcast, Here's The Thing, with Alec Baldwin interviewing Paul Simon. Simon was researching the work of a man named Harry Partch who according to Simon realized that on a traditional music scale there were sounds (notes) that were often not heard or used in composition and that there were a wealth of other sounds to be heard and used. When I heard this I had a Eureka moment because living here in Mexico I often perceive Mexicans singers as singer 'off key'. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps Mexican singers where hearing or using a different scale that my ears were unaccustomed to. We understand this when we listen to traditional Chinese music which uses a Chinese pentatonic scale while most of us are used to hearing a Pythagorean scale. Think about it. There are a multitude of sounds that are not used. We may hear them but rarely do we hear compositions using these different pitches.
I recently watched a documentary titled: Music With Strangers. It was about an international ensemble of musicians from all over the world put together by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma called Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. Ma had collected musicians from various parts of the world who played instruments that produced sounds we are not accustomed to hearing. He collected musicians that were master performers on instruments native to their specific country and combined them with classical instruments such as the cello or violin to create new sounds. The collaborations where at times stunning. I saw instruments that I had never seen before and that got me thinking about how we are often limited, based upon where we live, to what it is we hear. All of the performers appeared to be using their native instruments in non traditional ways, (to their native countries).
One of the musicians, Wu Wei, performed on the most bizarre looking instrument which I later learned was called a Sheng. It looks like a miniature compacted organ to me and indeed it is reminiscent of an organ. Here he is demonstrating its sound and the various blowing techniques necessary to create its unique sounds.
The sounds he gets from the Sheng are almost endless and one can easily see it working in Western music. It is an amazing instrument. The following video concert we hear the Hulusi gourd flute, (Hulusi meaning gourd silk for the tranquil smooth sound it gives).
It produces a heartbreaking sound and one can easily imagine it accompanying lyrics about love lost or songs of hope. Here is a concert where the soloist, Hou Yanqiu, plays this flute with full orchestra. Another stunning display of sound that introduces a new beauty to the repertoire of sound.
Then there are instruments, the Jew Harp, that we hear in our culture and may think nothing of it, but in another culture it comes alive and we listen to it as if we have never heard it before. Or we see that the same name is given to an instrument but it looks completely different and it played differently yet produces a slightly different tone. Such is that which we find with the Mongolian ensemble embedded here. There is also the singing style using Overtone which creates, its difficult to explain, a sound that is a cross between a hum,(resonance), air sound, and more than one tone. This ensemble which I have included here is worth a listen to. They inject life into the music in such a way that is not often heard or witnessed in a recording.
When researching music, new music, I do simple search terms. Classical Chinese music instruments and away I go finding wonderful things that I had not seen or heard before. I really encourage people to listen to music from afar. Music produces worldwide inspiration and I think that sometimes when we listen to music from elsewhere, in a language different from our own, it has the capacity to open up our ideas the same impact at the music we are more familiar with. It can open up idea box, reanimate the ears and soul, and give comfort as only music can do.
Another treat is, Water Drumming, which is performed only by the women of the Baka people with the last video perhaps be the best example. I originally confused it with water drumming which is an entirely different entity and uses gourds sunk in water resulting in a steel drum sound but much more subtle. Water drumming, which you have to admit looks fun, is done entirely with a cupped hand hitting the water. The last clip of water drumming I've included because at the very end you get a shot of a little baby participating from the shore. The Baka encourage and teach through enculturation and you can see this so vividly with the mimicking the little child does. Water drumming is known as Liquindi in the Baka language. Enjoy!
I recently watched a documentary titled: Music With Strangers. It was about an international ensemble of musicians from all over the world put together by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma called Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. Ma had collected musicians from various parts of the world who played instruments that produced sounds we are not accustomed to hearing. He collected musicians that were master performers on instruments native to their specific country and combined them with classical instruments such as the cello or violin to create new sounds. The collaborations where at times stunning. I saw instruments that I had never seen before and that got me thinking about how we are often limited, based upon where we live, to what it is we hear. All of the performers appeared to be using their native instruments in non traditional ways, (to their native countries).
One of the musicians, Wu Wei, performed on the most bizarre looking instrument which I later learned was called a Sheng. It looks like a miniature compacted organ to me and indeed it is reminiscent of an organ. Here he is demonstrating its sound and the various blowing techniques necessary to create its unique sounds.
It produces a heartbreaking sound and one can easily imagine it accompanying lyrics about love lost or songs of hope. Here is a concert where the soloist, Hou Yanqiu, plays this flute with full orchestra. Another stunning display of sound that introduces a new beauty to the repertoire of sound.
When researching music, new music, I do simple search terms. Classical Chinese music instruments and away I go finding wonderful things that I had not seen or heard before. I really encourage people to listen to music from afar. Music produces worldwide inspiration and I think that sometimes when we listen to music from elsewhere, in a language different from our own, it has the capacity to open up our ideas the same impact at the music we are more familiar with. It can open up idea box, reanimate the ears and soul, and give comfort as only music can do.
Another treat is, Water Drumming, which is performed only by the women of the Baka people with the last video perhaps be the best example. I originally confused it with water drumming which is an entirely different entity and uses gourds sunk in water resulting in a steel drum sound but much more subtle. Water drumming, which you have to admit looks fun, is done entirely with a cupped hand hitting the water. The last clip of water drumming I've included because at the very end you get a shot of a little baby participating from the shore. The Baka encourage and teach through enculturation and you can see this so vividly with the mimicking the little child does. Water drumming is known as Liquindi in the Baka language. Enjoy!
Comments