Shelemay, K. K. (2017). Sound: The materials of music. In K.K. Shelemay (Au.). Soundscapes: Exploring Music in a Changing World. Ch.1. Pp. 26-76. New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc.
January 20th, 2019
The Accordion
I chose to look at the accordion instrument that is mentioned in the Shelemay reading that was assigned because the accordion is a musical instrument that I know of but don’t know much about. I thought it would be fun to look into it and learn about its culture as well as the practices surrounding it. I learned that it is from Germany and from listening to recordings it had quite a unique sound. At first I thought I would not like the sound, before listening I assumed it to be quite obnoxious and an acquired taste. After actually taking a listen the instrument it really sounds quite fun and I found a variety of musical genres being displayed through the music that can be played on the accordion. Some of the music I found was covers of popular movie soundtrack pieces and other songs but there was also some minimalistic or modern style works. The composers seem to effectively use the drone sound that is attainable with this instrument to create that unique character. I have learned that this instrument is much apart of many cultures, even featured prominently in Russia as well, to create all types of music.
The Sitar
I chose to look at another instrument mentioned in the Shelemay assigned reading because I want to discover more about it, similar to my interest in the accordian. Quite different from the other instrument that I examined, the accordian, the sitar was of Indian heritage. This instrument is featured quite frequently in the music found in the same area and it has quite a unique sound. The sound I heard when listening to different video recordings of the instrument was what I expected and was not different from what I thought before listening to it. Not all was what I thought the sound would be, I had the preconceived idea that the music I would find would only feature the sounds of indian heritage but I was incorrect. What I also found in addition to this heritage music was modern music such as metal genre music being covered by a sitar player. This cover style brings a whole new idea for myself of what this instrument can be used for and how it can be used. I have learned that all though this instrument is a prominent part of Indian culture, it does not only belong to that culture but has the potential to travel through others to create all kinds of music.
Written by Jessalyn Shein
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