Performance Report - Sideshow the Musical

I attended Sideshow the Musical on Thursday, April 15, 2010, at 8:00 pm. Directed by UT Dallas faculty Kathryn Evans, this performance took place in the University Theatre. The original Broadway production of this musical was directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom. The musical was performed by UT Dallas students and faculty. Due to this performance being a musical, the focus was mainly on the performers and their singing rather than the orchestral background music.

Because this was a musical, almost everything was sung, including the conversations between the characters. The singing of the performers mostly reflected on their respective character’s characteristics. The Cannibal King, for example, sung in a fierce and loud voice. He had a harsh timbre quality. Buddy Foster, on the other hand, had a very soft and almost feminine voice, reflecting on his inability to make decisions and act manly. The singing also included lots of vibrato as well as frequent changes in volume and pitch.

The orchestral music, which played in the background and did not get as much focus as the singers, was just as instrumental in the performance. The orchestra featured many instruments including the piano, clarinet, oboe, flute, guitar, trumpet, and drums. One of the most easily recognizable factors regarding the orchestral music was the main theme song of the musical which was played many times throughout the performance. However, there were many different songs and melodies which significantly affected the experience of the musical.

The music was usually slow during the sad or tense parts and fast during the lively parts of the performance. The speed and tempo of the songs changed frequently and quickly during some of the songs. During the introduction of the Attractions, for example, the music changed in melody and tempo for each of the different “freaks”. The music blended with the scene and also changed in accordance with the characters’ emotions.

The performers were almost all students and come from many different backgrounds. This fits in well with the musical because the Attractions also come from many different backgrounds. This also improved the experience of the performance. The performers had to be both good singers and actors because it was not just a concert or a play, but, rather, the combination of the two. Therefore, they made many facial expressions and hand gestures to make the performance better. Most of the time, the performers smiled. The performers in the background (i.e. the musicians) were usually very calm and serious but smiled both at the audience and at each other at times.

The musical also had comical aspects such as the different actions of the scene changers during the changing of the scenes. For example, when the others were doing their job, one of them took out a bottle of “whiskey” and drank from it. Another time, one of them sat on the couch on the set. This helped entertain the audience between scenes. Another thing that caught my attention was that the performance ended right after the “Fat Lady sang.”

Because it was Thursday night, the musical was free for everyone and the audience included students and faculty as well as friends and family of the performers. There were many senior citizens who, one would assume, were grandparents of some of the performers. They really seemed to have enjoyed the musical as I heard the conversation of a couple during the intermission. The husband asked, “How do you like it?” and the wife replied, “Oh, this is good!” Almost all members of the audience, including the elderly, stood up at the end of the performance to applaud everyone who took part in the musical. Throughout the performance, however, the audience was extremely quiet except when something funny happened, in which case, they laughed.

Because the performance took place at 8:00 pm and went on until about 10:20 pm, both the audience and the performers grew tired and sleepy. In fact, one of the performers yawned at about 9:20 because it was starting to get late. Apart from that, the time and place did not affect the performance much.

Sideshow the Musical was performed a total of six times from April 8 to April 17. This UT Dallas rendition of the Broadway musical caught the attention of both the UTD community and the general public. It was met well because of its quality of performance, in terms of music, acting, and choreography.

Works Cited

Sideshow the Musical. By Bill Russell and Henry Krieger. Dir. Kathryn Evans. Perf. UTD Students. Cond. Winston Stone. University of Texas at Dallas – University Theatre, Richardson, TX. April 15, 2010.
(Sideshow the Musical).

Evans, Kathryn. Program notes. Sideshow the Musical. April 15, 2010. Richardson, TX: University of Texas at Dallas – University Theatre.
(Evans).

Music-Culture XII

When it comes to the subgenre of Heavy Metal in the music genre of Rock, there are numerous distinct elements that distinguish this type of music from all others. The first of these elements is the easily noticeable loudness of Heavy Metal Rock music. Because of the use of the drums and the amplified distortion of the electric guitars, this type of music is usually extremely loud. The frequent screaming and harsh vocal singing also adds to this loudness. There are times when the lyrics of a song become hard to make out due to the style of singing. There is also a focus on the lyrics rather than the background music except during guitar solos.

The themes of this subgenre of Rock are usually dark and depressing. However, these themes range from fictional stories to death. Many themes, such as sex, drugs, and depression, are directed towards the younger audiences.

The fans and followers of Heavy Metal usually wear dark clothes, matching the dark themes of the songs. Typical clothes include black T-shirts, jeans, leather pants and jackets, and usually any type of clothing with dark colors. Accessories are also important. Chains, metal necklaces with skulls or crosses, and leather wristbands are only a few. Makeup is also associated with Heavy Metal fans, both male and female. Dark colored lipsticks and eyeliners are used by many to add to the music culture.

Another important aspect of the music culture of Heavy Metal music is the actions of the audience. Many listeners like to “headbang”, moving their heads (often rapidly) back and forth to the beat of the song. During concerts, the crowd forms “mosh” pits and the participants push each other around while moving their hands in the air, sometimes dancing, as a form of expression of their entertainment.

One example of this subgenre is Stupify by Disturbed.



0:00 The song begins with the stroke of the drum and the guitar, starting the main melody which is heard throughout the song.

0:09 The vocalist, David Draiman, starts out by reciting, not singing.

Yeah, bringing you another disturbing creation
from the mind of one sick animal
who can't tell the difference,
and gets stupified

0:19 Draiman starts singing.

I've been waiting my whole life for just one FUCK
And all I needed was just one FUCK
How can you say that you don't give a FUCK
I find myself stupified, coming back again
All I wanted was just one FUCK
One tiny little innocent FUCK
And when I feel like I'm shit out of LUCK
I find my stupified, coming back again

Why do you like playing around with
My narrow scope of reality
I can feel it all start slipping
I think I'm breaking down

And why do you like playing around with
My narrow scope of reality
I can feel it all start slipping away

See but I don't get it
Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit
Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it
I get stupified
It's all the same you say
Livin with it, but I don't get it
Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit
Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it
I get stupified(x2)

1:18 The music slows down for a moment.

All the people in the left wing ROCK
And all the people in the right wing ROCK
And all the people in the underground ROCK
I find myself stupified, coming back again
All the people in the high rise ROCK
And all the people in the projects ROCK
And all la gente in the barrio ROCK
I find myself stupified, coming back again

Why do you like playing around with
My narrow scope of reality
I can feel it all start slipping
I think I'm breaking down

And why do you like playing around with
My narrow scope of reality
I can feel it all start slipping away

See but I don't get it
Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit
Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it
I get stupified
It's all the same you say
Livin with it, but I don't get it
Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit
Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it
I get stupified(x2)

2:27 The music slows down once again.

Tefached(x2)

2:46 The music picks up pace. The drum is slower, the guitar is heard more.

And don't deny me
No baby no, don't deny me
And darling don't be afraid

But I don't get it
Don't you think maybe we could put it on credit
Don't you think it can take control when I don't let it
I get stupified

Look in my face, step in my soul,
I begin to stupify! Ah!(x4)

Look in my face, step in my soul(4)
Look in my face, (step in my soul)(x3)
I begin to stupify!!
RAHH!

Music-Culture XI

As is the case with almost all people of African descent, music is a significantly notable part of the daily lives of the Gullah people. Because they were forced to live together during the time of their slavery, they formed very close ties to each other. It is also because of this that the community is very important to them.

After the Civil War, when they lived in isolation from their former owners, they formed communities and took care of themselves. Because of the continuous shipment of African slaves to the parts where the Gullah live, they were able to keep most of their traditions alive. Because their ancestors were mostly from Western Africa, many of their traditions, including their music, are similar to those found in that region.

The Gullah people perform music in many places in their daily lives. Much of their music has religious roots. They sing in church. However, they also have traditional African customs which they have preserved over the centuries. They sing songs while digging graves, preparing food for the souls of the departed, and during the funeral ceremonies. They also sing during celebrations or just about whenever they come together, as a family or as a whole community.

Another important aspect of the Gullah music culture is that they tend to always dance with the music. This tradition, popular among most Africans, is a way to keep the rhythm alive. The music of the Gullah is not limited to singing. They use many instruments, many of which have roots in Western African countries such as Senegal and Sierra Leon.

Although a certain group may be performing, the audience is always welcome to join them in singing, dancing, or playing an instrument.

Performance Report - Shakespeare in Song

On Friday, March 26, 2010, I attended Shakespeare in Song’s 8 pm performance at the Jonsson Performance Hall at UT Dallas. Directed by Kathryn Evans, the event featured the UT Dallas Chamber Singers’ rendition of a few Shakespearean operas. These operas are sung versions of William Shakespeare’s plays which were first composed as early as the late 15th or early 16th centuries. Many famous composers of these operas include Roger Quilter, Matthew Harris, and Robert Johnson.

The performance, which lasted a little over an hour, included pieces from many of Shakespeare’s famous works such as Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night. These pieces included Matthew Harris’s Take, oh take those lips away, I shall no more to sea, Tell me where is fancy bred, and Hark hark the lark; Robert Johnson’s Full fathom five and Where the bee sucks; and Roger Quilter’s How should I your true love know?, Fear no more the heat of the sun, and Come away death.

The songs were accompanied by the piano as is tradition in Shakespearean opera. Before each song, the piano started with a small introduction, then a cadence followed, and finally both the chorus and the piano began the actual song. The vocal and the piano used similar notes which created perfect harmony between the two. The “happy” songs had fast rhythm and were high pitched while the “sad” songs were slower in rhythm and used lower pitches. The words in faster songs were harder to understand than those in slow songs.

There was a fairly large chorus which sung in heterophony but also had good harmony. Many songs sung by the chorus seemed to be melancholic, and the first “happy” song sung by the chorus was When daffodils begin to peer. The chorus, apart from singing normal text, also chanted things like “doo doo doo” or “ding dong bell”. There were many vocal solos which used numerous cadences for the performer to catch his/her breath.

Nothing surprised me much besides the fact that there was more text spoken than sung. Many things about the music were expected such as the constant changes in pitch, volume, and mood, the heavy vibrato, the relevantly short notes (when compared to Italian opera), and that the songs were only a couple of minutes a piece.

The first thing that caught my attention regarding the performers was their clothes. I was not expecting the singers, let alone the pianist, to wear clothes similar to those worn in Shakespearean times. I did not catch any of the performers make many mistakes. However, the first soloist seemed to be a bit nervous. The performers did not get to move around on the small stage, but their facial expressions and body language told the stories well. They seemed to be one with the song and feel the words in their hearts.

During the whole performance, the performers looked around in the audience, perhaps to see familiar faces. There was a late attendee who caught both the attention and the disdain of the performers for noisily walking to the front row and taking a seat. During the intermission, one of the performers came to sit with some of his friends from the audience and stayed there for the remainder of the performance. When the performers reentered after the intermission, many of their friends in the audience cheered for them.

During the performance, the audience was very quiet as the songs were very relaxing. There were many students that took notes for their performance reports. The audience also applauded a lot, sometimes when they should not have. There were also times when the director asked for applause from the audience. At the end of the performance, many members of the audience stood up to applaud.

Overall, the performance was very enjoyable because it was a Friday night and the audience wanted to relax after a long week and because the performers were well prepared for their first performance of Shakespeare in Song. The music was very similar to traditional Shakespearean operas in rhythm, pitch, and other qualities. The performers and the audience bonded well and both sides enjoyed the performance as a whole.

Works Cited

Shakespeare in Song. By Many Composers. Dir. Kathryn Evans. Perf. UT Dallas Chamber Singers. University of Texas at Dallas Jonsson Performance Hall, Richardson, TX. March 26, 2010. (Shakespeare in Song).

Evans, Kathryn. Program notes. Shakespeare in Song. March 26, 2010. Richardson, TX: University of Texas at Dallas Jonsson Performance Hall. (Evans).

Music-Culture X

From the very beginning of the song, which starts with numerous trills and "la la la la's", it is obvious that the song is very lively. Apart from Hampson's singing, the orchestral music is also played very fast which makes the song lively.

The music is polyphonic. There are many cadences, though they are usually very short. Although there aren't any refrains, many words are repeated numerous times. There are lots of accelerandos and ritardandos along with many accents and ornaments. There are also many notes that are stretched for a long time, especially at the end of the song. This is seen in almost every opera.

There is only one person singing and that is Thomas Hampson. However, he is not the only performer. The orchestra is also extremely important in opera. Unfortunately, this video does not show the musicians playing the instruments. One important thing to notice about the singer is that he does not just stand in one place while singing, he moves around during the song, looking at different parts of the audience.

While singing, he uses many hand gestures to accompany the words. The body language adds significantly to the performance. The facial expressions change greatly throughout the song which also adds to the experience. The performer seems to feel the song all over his body.

Below is a piece from Gioachino Rossini's The Barber Of Seville.

Music-Culture IX

As in almost all action movies, especially those with lots of fighting and war, Avatar’s soundtrack has lots of epic songs. The two types of music, the film score and the Na’vi music, have lots of differences as well as numerous similarities.

The film score seems to be done by an orchestra because one can easily hear the many instruments, especially the chordophones, which are found in orchestras. Apart from the usual orchestral instruments, James Horner also included many special instruments and computerized sounds and effects to give the music an “otherworldly” feel. Most of the music is also very upbeat. There is a very effective use of drumming in most of the film score which helps in two ways. The drum beats make the music very upbeat and give a rhythm to it while giving the music a very tribal effect. This makes sense because the Na’vi are a tribal people and they have many drum-like instruments due to their primal living.

The Na’vi music can be distinguished from the film score in two ways. Their music has a chorus which chants throughout the songs. Also, their songs do not have the orchestral instruments found in the film score. There are many new instruments that the Na’vi use to make their own music which gives their music an “alien-like” or “otherworldly” feel.

The biggest similarity between the two is that they both sound very epic and really have a way of drawing the listener to the movie.

Musical Ethnography - Musical Aspects of Qur'an Recitation in the Turkic Community

Introduction

The music-culture I have been studying and researching for the past month is one I have been a part of for a long time. I decided that, for this project, the best music-culture for me to study would be the one I am closest to, so I chose qira’ah (Qur’an recitation) in the Turkish Sunni Muslim community in Dallas. Although the recitation of the Qur’an does not vary too significantly among different Muslim cultures around the world, there are a few specific differences in this music-culture in Dallas with regards to the community’s background, population, and values.

As it stands, over 99% of the population of Turkey is composed of Muslims, most of which are Sunni. Therefore, almost all Turks in the United States are Sunni Muslims, like me. In Dallas, there is a small but growing Turkish community comprising first generation Sunni Muslim immigrants. Although most of these people are from Turkey, there are also many people from other countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, it might be better to say that this community is more of a Turkic community of Sunni Muslims.

The Qur’an, as many of you know, is the Muslim holy book, making it one of the most important aspects of a Muslim’s life. The recitation of the Qur’an is especially important because it is believed by Muslims to have been sent down by Allah (God) to all of mankind through the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad. One interesting point is that the Qur’an was sent down verse by verse (as opposed to being sent as a whole book) and the first revelation was the verse “Read…” This made it obvious that the Qur’an was not sent down to be written and archived, but to be read. Also because the Prophet Muhammad is quoted to have said he likes “to hear Qur’an from others” that Muslims find it important to recite the Qur’an in the most beautiful way possible.

Just as every other Muslim community in the world, the Turkic Sunni Muslim community in Dallas continues the tradition of Qur’an recitation both as individuals while praying the required five-time daily prayers and as a community when they come together for meetings, Friday prayers, and religious holy days (eids).

Methodology

Because I am a part of this music-culture, I did not use too many outside sources for my initial research. I did, however, look up hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) regarding Qur’an recitation on the web. Most of my research was done through my fieldwork including my interview with Hamidullah Qeyam, the Afghan imam (religious leader, not to be confused with clergy which do not exist in Islam) of the Turkish community center in Dallas.

As a part of this community, I visit the community center every week, especially on weekends. So, I have actually been observing this music-culture for months. However, as a part of this project, I attended an event on February 26, 2010 as the Turkish community center hosted a program celebrating the Mawlid an-Nabi (Blessed Birth of Prophet Muhammad)(2). During the program, Imam Qeyam recited verses from the Holy Qur’an. The audience consisted of over a hundred members of the Turkic community. After the event, I interviewed the imam for questions regarding qira’ah.

The interview was quite casual as Imam Qeyam also happens to be my Qur’an teacher on weekends as he teaches many students, like me, how to read the Qur’an better to follow Prophet Muhammad’s hadith: “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.”

Aspects of This Music-Culture

Ideas About Music

As I have explained before, this Turkic community is composed of Sunni Muslims. Because this is a community in modern America and its members are mostly young, the first thing that comes to a member’s mind when the word music is mentioned is popular music, whether American or Turkish. Perhaps no member of this community would think of Qur’an recitation as music, but only a few would argue that the qira’ah does not have any musical aspects.

Because Qur’an recitation can be seen as an art form and it has many rules, both with regards to pronunciation and vocalization. The pronunciation rules, called tajweed, make sure every letter is clearly pronounced and every word is vividly understandable (1). These rules were established when the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad circa 610 CE and passed down generation to generation through hafiz (‘guardians’ of Qur’an who memorize it cover to cover). Although these rules are extremely important for correct recitation and the members of this music-culture give importance to it, many people do not know tajweed well enough. This can be attributed mostly to the period of religious downfall after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Because of this, many members of the Turkic community do not pay great (or enough) attention to tajweed when listening to qira’ah.

More value is given to the vocal qualities and maqam of the reciter as well as his ability to evoke spirituality among the audience members. Those who know tajweed usually have a better experience when listening to qira’ah because they recognize every detail in its beauty. However, qira’ah is not only done in front of an audience. Every recitation of the Qur’an is considered qira’ah and every Muslim does this at least five times a day in the mandatory prayers because qira’ah is a requirement of prayer. Another factor that distinguishes this music-culture from its origin is that the Turkic community has members from different countries that bring in their own style of recitation and add to the cultural experience apart from the religious.

Activities Involving Music

Qur’an recitation is an art that has been passed down generation to generation for centuries. Although traditionally shared in live performances, there have been many recordings of qari (readers/reciters of Qur’an) in the past. What began in the late 20th century with cassettes, continued in the 21st century with CDs, and later, with the internet. However, the traditional qira’ah is still performed in places of worship (i.e. masjids and mosques) all over the world, including the Turkish community center. These performances are not only done by professional qari who study for decades, but also by students of the Qur’an. Many of these students try to mimic the professionals in terms of style and, sometimes, timbre quality (1).

The audience usually only listens or whispers the verses to themselves as only one person recites aloud in front of the audience (i.e. there is not chorus). Because the Turkic community in Dallas is very broad with respect to race, ethnicity, color, etc, and because segregation and discrimination is completely forbidden in Islam, anyone can recite the Qur’an. However, because the female voice can be seductive to men, women do not recite the Qur’an aloud in front of men; although they may recite it among other women and children. Just the same, this music-culture does not look kindly upon seductive music such as many forms of hip-hop seen today.

Repertoires of Music

Because this music-culture is based on the recitation of a holy book, it might be considered part of the religious music genre. The “music” itself is the recitation of the text of the Qur’an and the style used for the recitation has been developed over the centuries since the revelation of the Qur’an. However, many professional qari also develop their own style. To show respect to the holy book, movements such as dancing or applauding are not allowed and talking during the qira’ah is highly frowned upon (1).

Material Culture of Music

There are only two kinds of materials used for Qur’an recitation, both of which are optional. The first is the Qur’an text in book form which is often put in front of the qari either for him to use as reference if necessary or, if he has not memorized the verses he is reading, for him to read directly off the book. The second item used is the rahle, a wooden book-rest to keep the Qur’an from touching the ground which is considered disrespectful. Both items can be purchased online or at most Islamic bookstores.

Conclusion

The religious music-culture of the Turkic Sunni Muslim community in Dallas is based on the recitation of the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an. Great importance is given to the art of qira’ah both in religious as well as traditional aspects. It is a very serious matter for the members of this music-culture; and, for religious reasons, they give it their utmost respect. What distinguishes this music-culture from its roots is that it is shared by the people of different countries in a non-Islamic nation. This makes this music-culture that much more important for its members as they continue the tradition that has survived for 14 centuries.

Works Cited

1) Qeyam, Hamidullah. Personal interview. 26 Feb. 2010.
2) Qeyam, Hamidullah. Qur’an Recitation. Dallas Islamic Center. Turquoise Center, Richardson, TX. 26 February 2010. Reading.