Week Two: 30/09/2014

What is Music?

Continuing from the explored session on music last week and thinking about personal views on music it has helped us to influence decisions made in this weeks lesson. Given the task to create our own music, we have decided to follow on from last weeks music task and create it from everyday objects and technology. The influence we have taken is African and 'The Lion King' musical soundtrack.

The reason for this is the speech we were given by Martin Luther King, we wanted to embrace the African culture and the way they created music from nothing and still brought something beautiful to it. Using only sounds and dynamics in their voices and instruments it was clear that the African Chant is an ancient, soulful and natural tradition. The speech was very influential as it spoke about racism and the fight against it.

'And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!'

(http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm)

The section of the quote given to us filled us with the ideas of culture, nature and beauty. Personally I related this back to last week when speaking about how natural music is and how easy it is to find, create or listen to. There is no avoiding it, and with using this quote and the speech it has proven to me that even when African culture was in its most deprived state they still found the energy, equipment and positivity to make something beautiful which gave them life and hope.
Using a laptop as the only technical part to our composition we have enforced tables, created shakers and loaned sounds that will give our music the soul that has infused this cultures music for generations.

American Rhetoric [online]. (2014). Available from: <http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkivebeentothemountaintop.htm>. [Accessed 04/10/2014].

Nikki Francis (2011). The Lion King on Broadway - Grasslands Chant. [online]. Available from: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0xW6xtEmdw>. [Accessed 07/10/2014].