Contra Dancing

                In the United States, participatory dance scenes like contra dances are becoming less prevalent. This is because the American people are developing more presentational ideologies. Having been raised with this mindset, I never appreciated these kinds of participatory events until recently when I had the pleasure of being invited to a Contra Dance in Bloomington, Indiana. Without previous experience in any type of dance such as this, I can honestly say that I enjoyed this refreshing and new social activity. For the most part, the regulars at the dance acted very pragmatic and were understanding and helpful to the first-timers. None of the experienced dancers appeared disappointed when beginners made an obvious mistake—instead, most went out of their way to help teach the clumsy newcomers (such as myself) the correct moves. This made me feel included and comfortable. There was no criticism or judgment; everyone regardless of skill level was welcomed and encouraged to participate.  

                The opposite of this experience is often had at places such as night clubs. Even though I have not personally experienced dancing at a night club, in popular culture in the United States, clubs are depicted as being competitive, exclusive, and presentational. At a club, everyone is conscious of how they are being perceived by those around them and also judging others based on their skill level. My experience at the contra dance directly opposed these behaviors. Anyone was encouraged to participate from those in their 70’s to teenagers and it was not uncommon for an older more experienced dancer to partner with a young beginner. During the dance I often reached a flow state and became unaware of all the other dancers, I was concentrating on my role and being thoroughly challenged so it was neither too easy nor too difficult.

                One of the main reasons I loved the Contra Dance so much was because the music was iconic of a simpler life—one in which neighbors came together as a community to participate and have fun. I felt as though I was a part of this community and that I had an important role in something larger than myself like a cogwheel in a grandfather clock. Everyone I danced with had a huge smile painted on their faces and I did not notice anyone sit out more than one song in a row. I plan on going again next Wednesday with some friends of mine because we had such an enjoyable experience the first time. After this incredible bonding experience, it is difficult to understand why societies such as the United States do not value participatory music such as Contra Dancing as much as high fidelity or presentational music.

The Punks are Alright!

In today's world, punk music seems to be a relic of the period of time in American history when people felt oppressed by the government and the corporate leaders. Since that period (late '80s - early '00s), punk music has declined in popularity in the United States due to the off-shoring of industrial jobs. This does not mean that punk music is dead—in fact, in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia it is alive and thriving. After watching the documentary, The Punks are Alright!, my perception of the youth culture in these two countries has been rectified. For many of them, punk music could be their salvation.

Punk music may be seen as aggressive and combative, but it is actually the voicing of a political statement in which it unites people to fight against "the man". In a third world country such as Brazil, punk music provides a platform in which the oppressed citizens can speak out against the corrupt society and unfair labor laws. Before watching this documentary, my perception was that punk music was just pointless negativity and an attempt to spread anarchy by the youth; however, after watching how punk music effected and enhanced the lives of the people in these countries, I believe it is a beneficial and valuable part of their society. The children who are growing up playing punk music are the keeping themselves from being involved in things such as the drug trade and other illegal activities. These are sometimes the only option the youth of Brazil and Indonesia have—a reality that most of the first world ignores.

Their lifestyles are so different from me, in the first world, I couldn't possibly fully comprehend the troubles and the struggle the artists in this documentary deal with on a daily basis. I admit to being content in my ignorance and knowingly overlook the unrest in distant regions of the world such as Indonesia. I live such a comfortable and blessed life that it is easier at times to not focus on other people's problems when I can avoid it. I have unknowingly been supporting this unfair and corrupt system my entire life by choosing to live in ignorance. By choosing to purchase products that were manufactured overseas, individuals like Dolly will continue to be unable to support themselves and their families.

Dolly is a factory worker living in Indonesia whose life is directly interrelated with consumers in countries such as the U.S.. Since labor unions and a minimum wage are in effect in the United States, factory and industrial jobs have been outsourced to third world countries where cheap labor can be provided. There are no laws in place that protect workers from unfair treatment, hours, or wages. This means that as long as consumers buy products that were manufactured in these countries, the laborers will be unable to live happy, fulfilling lives. That is why punk music is important to those in these regions; it provides a way to release aggression, have fun, and voice their disgruntlement with their society.

Punk music originated in London, New York, and Detroit and spread all around the world. It was so powerful that a Canadian band (The Forgotten Rebels) could make an impact on a young Brazilian boy's life. In turn, that young boy would grow up and form his own punk rock band (The Blind Pigs) whose music and message would help and inspire people across the globe—like it did for Dolly. Indonesia (where Dolly lives) has the largest Muslim population in the entire world. Brazil has the largest catholic population in the world. Any religion or any group of people who are feeling this way can identify with punk music; it transcends issues such as religion and unites people with very different lifestyles and ideologies under one banner. For people like Dolly, this is the only banner that they associate themselves with.

In the documentary, Dolly stated, "Punk is the remedy for my sickness." This statement pertained to the unfair and unfulfilling life he was living. This creates a paradox—the ones who originally provided his remedy, (Punk music), also administer his poison; allowing unfair and unjust practices to take place in these offshore factories. If these unfair practices did not exist, people like Dolly wouldn't be able to identify with the music and it would not have such an impact. Dolly says that if everyone in the world were "punks", there would be no wars or oppression. Without injustice, there would be no punk music. Since there will inevitably be injustice, all forms of punk music will never just become a relic of times past.

Bloomington Farmer's Market

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Bloomington Farmer's Market. Although the weather was gloomy and the overcast seamed to drain my energy, I couldn't help being uplifted by the high spirits and joyful people at the event. The food was delicious and the crafts were creative and unique but the music at the event was especially exceptional. It was very clear that the live performances by local artists brought in a large number of people. Families with children of all ages were enjoying themselves and seemed to congregate around the artists and musicians. The atmosphere was very lighthearted and comfortable— one of the musicians stated that he had been performing at the Bloomington Farmer's Market since 1979 because of the wonderful people he had met and friendly atmosphere associated with it.

The market is a great asset to the society and culture of Bloomington. Being the largest farmer's market in the state, it draws in a large number of people and publicity to the city. Even on the rainy day I visited, there were numerous people and none of them seemed disappointed. It seemed more enjoyable and personal because there was a face to face interaction between the person who created or grew the product and the consumer. In this aspect, the market was similar to participatory music. 

In participatory music there are no boundaries between artist and audience, similarly, there is no boundary between producer and consumer at the Bloomington Farmer's Market. Grocery stores such as Kroger are the primary way people of the United States purchase their  produce and there is no actual interaction between the farmer and the consumer. Just as grocery stores like Kroger are becoming more popular, high fidelity music is more common in the United States—where there is no interaction between the performer and the audience. I'm not surprised people enjoy coming to the farmer's market and experiencing this radically different (participatory) way of food buying. There is a more social and enjoyable environment with things to do such as the D.I.Y. craft section, viewing the parrot, and listening to live performances. Farmer's markets are not meant to be quick and convenient—but rather a more fun, social shopping experience that the whole family can enjoy.

Map

Artists and performers are identified by the musical note.
Location of the parrot is identified by the parrot symbol.
The radio broadcast booth is identified by the microphone.
The informational kiosk is identified by the "i" symbol.
Family/ Children traffic is identified by the teal.
Prepared meal stands are identified by squares.
D.I.Y./craft stands are  identified by triangles.
Produce stands are identified by the rectangles. 

Four Musical Domains

Music is a very broad and abstract concept. Even though the definition of "music" varies from country to country and region to region, it is universal. Music is inescapable and interminable. Whether listening to music in the car on the way to work every morning in New York City, or singing songs with fellow farmers in the rice fields of China, music is a part of everyone's life. All forms of music, however, are not the same. Music making can be divided into four groups; participatory, presentational, high-fidelity, and studio audio art.

Participatory music making is classified as having no clear distinction between the artist(s) and audience members. An example of this is a drum circle in which all members are participating and contributing to the song. This type of music is usually highly repetitive and anyone, regardless of skill level, is encouraged to join in. There is little to no rehearsing or practicing, it is all improvisation and coordination with fellow members of the group. Since skilled players/singers/dancers along with neophytes are performing together, the overall quality and virtuosity of the piece is diminished; however, participatory music is not judged on the quality, but rather the amount of participation and level of social bonding that takes place. Those cultures less focused on overall talent and competition have more participatory, whereas a country like America which is more cosmopolitan values presentational music more.

Presentational music is intended for listening, not doing. It is directed towards providing and sustaining interest of the audience members. An example of this is an orchestra which performs for a seated audience. Only the talented players/performers take the stage and those who are less experienced are excluded. The effect of this is a competitive environment and the encouragement of artistic expression. This type of music does not create the same social bonding of those involved like participatory music does, but there is more extensive variation available and less repetitiousness. These musical performances are less redundant and require practice and rehearsal. Entire performances are scripted and rehearsed prior to the show. If going to a live performance is not an option however, high-fidelity recordings are a valuable alternative.

High-fidelity recordings are meant to be indices of live performances. These recordings are readily available for download or purchase, which distinguishes this type of music from participatory or presentational. The production of the recording is designed to preserve the feeling of the performance— although there is no social aspect involved. The overall goal of these recordings are to create revenue via record/ CD/ cassette/ itunes sales.While the studio engineers maintain most of the control, the artists still play some part in the music-making process— unlike with Studio Audio Art Recordings.

Studio Audio Art is abstract sonic artwork. This type of music is a different type of recording which is also focused on sales. Studio audio art is completely controlled by the studio engineers and there is no expectation that it could be performed live. This form of music has recently been popularized due to the internet and advances in technology. An example of this type of music is Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. It contains abstract, computer generated sounds and beats. 

Emotion and Meaning in Music

On my 18th birthday this year, I was given the opportunity to see one of my favorite emerging artists: Twenty One Pilots. I had only just heard their music for the first time in the previous few months and knew very little about the band. Nevertheless, I was very excited to go with my friend—and fellow Twenty One Pilots listener—Nick, but he had a familial matter to attend to at the last minute and had to cancel. With an extra ticket to the private concert, I asked around to see if anyone wanted to come along with me. The concert happened to be on an inopportune date and none of my other friends were in town at the time. Eventually, the day was drawing near and I was preparing to go by myself when my sister offered to go with me.

Me and my sister had always been close but had never shared similar musical interests. She was more into heavy rock and "emo" rock and I listened to more indie rock and hip hop. We had never been to a concert together—we hardly could even stand listening to music together because we would end up squabbling over it—but she was interested about this group and I didn't want to waste the ticket. We got ready and had to hurry to get downtown Indianapolis to avoid being late. The bickering had already begun and I figured that it was about to be a long night until we stepped inside the building and heard the music drifting down the hall.

Instantly, the vibrations of the drum created an iconic process. It felt like an earthquake and the excitement and frenzied crowd only increased the flow of adrenaline in my veins. I immediately forgot about the fact that I was with my sister—who I had not expressed myself in front of in this way before. The frame had changed and I was simply one of the ants trying to push forward to get a crumb of bread. I had dove into the crowd and became one with the people around me, jumping up and down, singing and dancing. I was completely focused on the music and the moment—in a flow state. The music and excitement served as indices and the interpretant was joy and comfort; I had only had an experience similar to this at church where I felt that way, so I associated those feelings with it. 

Every time he raised his hands and formed the Twenty One Pilots' symbol, we all did the same. We had all agreed that that is what he wanted us to do. We knew that the symbol represented this amazing artist and we felt like a singular body when we all held it up together in silence. When he began to sing his final song, the lyrics and the instrumentation was the sign and the object was the meaning behind the lyrics and instrumentation. The slow, rhythmic beats and the empowering lyrics gave me chills and me and my sister connected that night like never before. We left that venue in a completely different state of mind. It felt as though our whole relationship had been changed and made more personal. 

Grizfolk- The Struggle

"The struggle you are up against makes you what you are." This profound statement is something that I can really identify with. Growing up, I had to overcome many obstacles such as balancing school and sports with my need to be home to take care of the house and my mother while she was in surgery or physical therapy. Every single challenge I faced, every trial I passed, became a part of me. When I excelled at things such as football and academics, it gave me a sense of pride and confidence. When I had failed in certain sports such as basketball, relationships, and other areas of my life, those also became a part of me. Falling short has only ever encouraged me to work harder and prove to myself and everyone else that I could succeed. 

Frank Sinatra- My Way

I am certainly not proud of all the decisions that I have made in the past, but I can proudly say that through it all, I stayed true to myself and who I was. I value poise, determination, and honesty. It takes poise to go through challenges and hardships and do it with character and class. It is so easy to conform. It is easy to be pressured--to be molded. I have done whatever I needed to do to be the best that I can be and I will continue to push myself to new limits as long as I am determined, poised, and honest to myself.   

Tinie Tempah- Wonderman

I can relate so much with the things that Tinie Tempah sings about in this song. I had so many times early in my life when I just wanted to know what I should do for people to accept me. I once got in an argument with my mom because she couldn't afford to buy me the Hollister jackets everyone else was wearing to school. I look back at those times and I feel remorseful. I never conformed, I never changed who I was or what I wanted to be, even though it was tempting at times. Over the years, people no longer bullied me for being different, they respected my individuality. I have certainly not made it to the top like Tinie has, but I plan on working until I achieve my goals, just as he did, one way or another.