Hop in my time-travelling Juke box and come with me on a journey through time as I look back on five weeks of Music Appreciation Classes!
Prepare yourself for a white-knuckle ride, from the haunting Gregorian chants of the middle ages, to the catchy tunes of modern popular music.
Let’s take a whistle stop tour through the innovative sounds and harmonies of the Renaissance period, to the rushing symphonies of Baroque music, float on the lighter, simpler chords of the Classical era, and bask in the energy and passion of Romanticism.
Now we find ourselves approaching the 19th Century and contemporary music is pushing the boundaries. Like the softer shapes and brush strokes of impressionist paintings, this musical era exchanges standard forms and clear rhythms for blurred harmonies and delicate shades.
Strap yourself in because here comes Modernism, and it’s going through more changes than a hormonal teen! As musicians and artists battle with turbulent times, the rule book goes out the window with Primitivism, Expressionism and Avant-garde taking to the stage. It may feel like an awkward silence, but don’t worry it’s just the sound of John Cage’s master piece 4’33 on the radio.
Duuurrrrr…..Duh…….Whats that?…….Duuurrrr……. DUH……… Duurrr …..DUH……… Duurr…..DUH…. DURR DUH DURDUH DURDUH DERDUH – It’s a leitmotif! Just one of the tricks modern film music has up it’s sleeve!
But this Jukebox doesn’t just travel through time, it also travels the world, and now we’re off to explore the music of Asia!
In Indonesia we’re exchanging Western orchestras for gamelan; an ensemble of metallophones, drums, gongs, spike fiddles, and bamboo flutes!
Now Chinese music crashes in like a roaring river, slowing to a trickling stream (listen out for a pentatonic scale), now gaining speed and cascading into a grand finale!
Listen out for the raga, tala, and drone of classical Indian music! You may recognise the distinctive sound of Gamaka singing.
All this and we’ve barely scratched the surface of the complex history and culture of music covered in the music appreciation course! The course has certainly increased my appreciation of music and my curiosity to learn more! Looking forward to future musical adventures with Converge Connected!
I hope you all enjoyed this little adventure, thanks for coming along!
Best wishes,
Eleanor 🙂