By Daniel Smith
On May 1 I attended the FASSU (Filipino Association of Sonoma State University) Pacific culture night. The show took place in person theater and showcased Asian traditional dance. But included in the show were performances of contemporary dance and other cultures. For example The Tribe, a step group, made a great performance. The night began with the American National Anthem sung in duet followed by the Philippines National Anthem sung by all members of the FASSU club. Although I personally do not speak or understand Tagalog, there were many people in the auditorium who could and it was very apparent that the group had made a great effort to produce clear diction. Then began the dances. If had to mention one amazing thing about the whole night it would definitely be the costumes. Each dance had a different costume and they were all made by either members of the club for their families. It was very impressive and interesting. There was great variety in the dances. Many traditional dances from multiple Pacific Islands were features such as Hula from Hawaii and dances from New Zealand and of course the Philippines. The dance to steal the show however was the very last one. It mimics birds as the step between twigs and stick on the ground. Some of the dancers beat bamboo sticks and snapped them together in rhythm while others would dance around and in between the sticks. After one of the performers mentioned the pain of screwing up in practice, my observations were confirmed: the danger of the performance is very real. Another risky dance also took the spot light that night. It was a wedding dance that portrayed the trust a wedded couple has. They dance on benches and hop from one to another. The end of the dance concludes with the benches stacked three high and the performers jumping on and off them blind folded without a single misstep. I learned a ton about cultural dance and music from the experience and I enjoyed it a ton. I will definitely return for their annual performance. I expected to be surprise by what I saw that night and I was. Everything about it was fun and excited and a great experience.
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By Daniel Smith Copland's book "What to Listen for in Music" originally published in 1939 is a fantastic book for any listener of instrumental western music. The book has two large parts: "The Four Elements of Music" and "Fundamental Forms." There are also smaller chapters on other topics like opera and texture. The book is presented mostly in layman's terms but contains a full appendix with numerous examples for those who can read music notation. His central thesis I think is presented in this passage: "Take seriously your responsibility as listener. All of us, professional and laymen alike, are forever striving to make our understanding of the art more profound. You need be no exception, no matter how modest your pretensions as listener may be. Since it is our combined reaction as listeners that most profoundly influences both the art of composition and interpretation, it may truthfully be said that the future of music is in our hands. Copland describes the expectation of values he has for the listeners of music. Elsewhere in his book he describes the system that is Composer -> Interpreter (Performer) -> Listener. He explains that the listener has a responsibility to listen "intently... consciously... with one's whole intelligence..." In this book he give you the tools to do just that.
Having taken a Musical Form and Analysis course concurrently reading this book I found it to be very helpful. However I found myself, as a music major, wanting to go deeper than what Copland presents. I would recommend this book to anyone who is an avid listener of classical or instrument western music. I think book is an excellent starting place for anyone wanting to learn and it will certainly sit on my shelf as inspiration and reference for years to come. by Daniel Smith
On Saturday, April 19 I volunteered in a fundraiser for the Suisun Valley 4H club. The fundraiser took place at Suisun Valley Elementary School and included games, a photo dress up booth, BBQ dinner, slide show, and auction. It was a fun night that raised a lot of money for the 4H club which leads many community projects and provide unique learning opportunities to youth. Here is their website: suisunvalley4h.com Before the fundraiser began we set up tables and chairs and other various activities. We filled a box next to the photo op. with different hats, wild sunglasses and other goofy things. Someone brought a elastic launcher toy and some buckets. The kids would try to launch their favorite small stuffed animal into one of the buckets. Although the activity became less a game of who could make it into the bucket and more a game of who could make it over the far fence. We also set up the display tables for the items that would be auctioned. It was amazing to see the level of creativity involved in the making of some of the items. There was everything from a set of custom dog birthdays cards, to 4 tickets to an As game, and even a cord of firewood! These items were all made by 4H members. But they that's not all they had to auction. There was also the desert auction. People made pies, cakes, cookies, macaroons, and all kinds of creative deserts. In the end the items, baskets, and deserts were all sold and some for many many times there actual value. The auctioneer was fun to watch and they managed to raise a lot of money. The food was both food people brought plus freshly barbecued meat. All of it was excellent. I got to eat with the attendees and talk with several members of the club. Not a club member myself, this was extremely interesting. Members can join different projects each year like community services, public speaking, welding, livestock, and loads others. They experience educational opportunities beyond that of a typical public education. Overall the event was a large success and I was very excited to have been a part of the fundraiser for 4H which is an excellent organization. Fundraisers are excellent way to benefit many causes in the community and with the amount of involvement required to produce one there are always great opportunities to be a part of one. I enjoyed my experience and learned a lot from it and think that it's a great way for anybody to spend their weekend. Do you get a ton of satisfaction from doing something yourself rather than buying something someone else made? Are you musical? Do your hands turn green at even the sight of silver? Then this DIY project is the one for you. Even though PVC flutes aren't solid silver or wood they're certainly no joke. In fact, they're the lively hood of a handful of artisans (http://tippleflutes.com/ for example) and can produce, when crafted correctly, a surprisingly good tone and multiple octaves. Usually they are confined to a specific key and mode. The one I will be making in this how-to will be in D Ionian which is the typical key of the Irish Flute. The materials for this project are extremely reasonable. The tools are also reasonable although you will need larger than are typical drill bits. Keep in mind this project, regardless of the key of the flute, can be made with varying degrees of accuracy and no one factor is quintessential to the making of the "perfect" PVC flute. What I'm saying is: do what you can... with what you got... in the time you have... and you'll have the satisfaction of playing your very own flute with surprisingly little cost and time. I'm following the measurements provided by this website for the Irish flute in D. However if you want to create your flute in a different key you can use this online calculator to calculate the measurements for your specific flute.
Et VoilaMy Irish D flute and C piccolo flute (spray painted) next to eachother Congratulations!! You have created your own Irish Flute!! Now go practice and show it off to everybody you know. Bring it to parties, play it on the bus, bring it to class, bring it to work, sleep with it, eat with it, watch tv with it. Enjoy it!!
Here's a little sample of my smaller one https://youtu.be/2IpHC4S1VPM Here's a little chart to help you practice and read music: |