As I sit on the plane flying back home, reading Ernest Hemingway’s A Movable Feast, I have a feeling of disappointment.  A feeling that I didn’t make the most of my time while abroad. Like I spent too much time alone and not meeting new people and creating new and wonderful relationships.

When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people, and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few who were as good as the spring itself (A Movable Feast, pg. 41)

Now I disagree strongly with Hemingway’s views of people and happiness. I think that it is our own egos that gets in the way of our own happiness. That is to say we just allow people to get us down when we don’t need to. But where he is right is there are people out there that truly are as good as the spring itself. And I think it’s not just a very few. I like to believe it is most. All this is to say that I think true happiness comes with people and relationships. I forget that often, and I feel that I forgot that too often on this trip to Paris. Of course I was extremely happy and made some amazing memories Biking through the Alsace wine region, and hiking to the top of Ben Nevis in Scotland. But what is sort of amusing that is I found more joy making small talk with the baker down the street from my apartment most mornings than I did summiting the tallest peak in the united kingdom.

I have had the time of my life on this trip and I will never forget the memories I have made and music I have heard. I just want to share that the memories that that made me happier than anything else were the ones that involved positive human interaction.

I am home now and it feels so good! But I am already starting to miss the places I’ve been on my trip. Getting up in this morning I wasn’t able to walk two blocks down the street to the nearest cafe or bakery, or another two blocks to the next nearest bakery and cafe. I wont be able to walk around Olympia at night on any given day of the week and fine wonderful live jazz being played at some random bar or cafe. Also I woke up at 5:00 this morning which is a pain. Stupid jet lag. But It is nice to have the apartment to myself this morning to be able to just sit, sip some (actually good) coffee and write my last blog post for this quarter.

Once again it has been an amazing trip and I look froward to sharing in detail all of my adventures with the class, friends and my family. And what will be even cooler over the next week will be to condense down all that I have learned over the past 6 weeks and turn it into something I can present to all of you.

Thank you all so much for reading this and and keeping in touch. And for leaving such thoughtful and thought provoking comments that helped make my trip so much better than it already was. I hope to see all of you very soon.

With lots of love,

Aaron

The Sunset from my apartment on my last might in Paris.

It has been a full circle. Berlin to Bonn, London, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and now back to Berlin. Plans changed. Ideas changed. Questions changed. Attitudes shifted, weight was lifted, discoveries were found. This crazy idea to go to Europe was realized and now is imbedded in my bones. A shift that is unexplainable and detailed. There is a feeling in each country, even in each city. I can make generalizations, but it feels unfulfilled. I can put it all in boxes and separate the boarders further than they already are, but it seems like all is running parallel. There is a place for each group of people and learned, or unlearned societal norms. I can talk about the history, about the government, war, repression, victories, religion, and bars, but it is all arbitrary when you walk into a hostile at 2am after an emergency train ride to Berlin before ANOTHER train strike, and you get greeted with people that feel familiar immediately. The connection is humanity, seeing a person as a person, an animal as a beautiful soul, and have care for fish. There is an awareness that I have gained of protection. I am less, although still naive that I need to have discretion when it comes to letting people into my sphere of interactions.  There are enough people in the world that I can be met deeply by few, and leave many to the outskirts of awareness. I have been pulled into some peoples spheres on this journey that I did not enjoy. I can’t walk around Germany or France without protection, aka a slightly grumpy face or efficient walk. Nothing negative happened but I was unaware of men clinging for attention to such degrees before entering Berlin and Paris. This was very annoying and I had to be rude to get them to leave me alone. I’d rather just walk fast and not give the chance that that is going to happen. I have met many like minded people at shows that I have attended and this is comforting and inspiring. When I ask what is the difference between America and Europe, the first thing that comes to mind is the transportation system. There is freedom on the rail. I do not feel trapped in a small town when I am in a city like Berlin. I do not feel limited to my own ideas here, people readily have been open to share ideas. I met a friend on the train and instead of continuing separate ways we are meeting up tonight.

I am sitting in my hostile in Berlin. The wifi only works in the main area. The main area is a bar with separate rooms with black leather couches. The table I am sitting at is dark chipped wood, with classic  wooden chairs chairs. It is 12:08 am and this is the first time I am sitting down. The receptionist is telling me to go outside to see the fire spinning show.  How am I supposed to write about what I am doing when I never have time to sit down?

In the hostile I am staying in (Berlin) I have met two people who have spoken to me about Darwinism. One attitude was that there was no afterlife, that everything was black. They understood that energy never dies. This to me is like a candle that is lit and blown out. The body is a vessel for the flame of life that holds the fire that will go out, but the potential for fire never dies. Fire can burn any vessel. He was also a very extreme socialist. He believed in the collective, more than the individual. Like a flame, he saw that we are all the same spirit.

The fundamental principle to how a society functions is a moral compass that subconsciously or consciously directs individual actions.

When I read the myths of German folklore all of the characters actions are based on a belief system that is ruling them. What is the difference between a God and a heathen, their perception? What we worship external is a reflection of what is inside.

When I walk through a city I see only what catches my eye. What catches an others eye may be completely different. What I see is built upon my perception. And yes, I have an agenda, without an anticipated outcome.

Some of the oldest houses in Germany were built in the 14th century. The LVR-Freilicht Museum is a great example of the beginning to building a city. Tied by the scriptures carved into the door frames, the tiny cathedral and the wine press, a village turned into a city. Over time technology advanced with investors of interest. What was all cobblestone and dirt before is slowly being paved with smooth streets now. Before sky scrapers the villages were quiet, without cars, beeping transit lines, and the electronic drone.

The ways of the village were simple.

Presses for wine

tools for woodworking,

wooden barrels for butter

dried herbs for tea

crosses for protection

churches for divination

closet beds

drawers for clothes

The road is made of mud and cobblestone

The village is a tightnit space where bread is baked fresh

The beds are tiny and when a person dies the stayed in the house for days

for the family to say their final goodbyes

The steeple is a tiny house

where prayers are lit with candle light

The doors are etched with words

around the outside

The past is praised in museums

We are standing on the shoulders of graves

Moving on with the future

is like trucking the past on the cracked cobblestone

The cobblestones are heavy

and old houses are bought to be moved into a museum.

 

Travel has been the remedy to see all of the invitations

To cast security away and find reverence in every story untold

of the history that lives in the walls heavy with story like a cobblestone

The story of how things are the way they are now

The old is mixed with the new

History is preserved and destroyed

A constant debate

Do we hold the time we have now

With the reverence we have for the past

How can we see what will be missed later?

When we destroy history

As developments grew, society was imbedded with the interpretation of the bible set by the catholic, and now christian moral compass. My thesis is that what people believe, is how they behave.

My time in London allowed me to see the extant of the wealth of the royal families. The wealth of the people also seems high. The people in the subway were more rushed than anywhere I have seen in Europe. It genuinely felt like a race, a place to get out of the way. The people were dressed nice in white and tan colors a lot. They all must work hard if they hardly have time to walk slow. The people pay taxes to both the parliament and monarch.

Under God lives royalty

Drinking from golden bowls

drenched in gorgeous luxury

Diamond crowns

Golden spoons

While peasants pray to have their sins forgiven

While the king changes religion

in search of an heir to the throne

in a wives body

The facade of the church falls away

King Henry’s heir is the daughter

of the wife he beheaded

All books burnt

speak to us now

to be written again

I don’t have any answers about what is right, or what is wrong. Christian, catholic, paegan, monotheism, polytheism, monarchy, patriarchy, socialism or darwinism.

It is clear though, that each country has its own style. Berlin is a place that is not concerned with cacky pants. It is in fact cheap and sexy. When I return to Berlin I feel like the world opens up. One plot of land, several districts and I can’t believe I’m coming back to the states in 2 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The morning of departure in the province]:

 

After an approximate twenty hour trip, I arrived back home last night. I noticed my trip in the Philippines has afforded me new senses to experience my familiar environment. Here I am typing starting this post in a café, back in downtown Olympia, when just yesterday I was pouring a cup of coffee so that I could conjure up my goodbyes at dawn next to my grandparent’s banana leaf garden in the middle of a Philippine province. I greeted my home with a shock, like I had when I arrived in Manila, though a different kind of shock. This was shock of underwhelmingness. The sterility of the “ideal” part of the States is much more evident to me now. Although it is true that America’s does have its myriad of blemishes, we can look at the laws and what is actually enforced to see that a precise and industrial efficiency pervades how it and its general population operates.

The imageability of roads, of both neighborhoods and expressways, in the Philippines has great diversity and excitement I now realize – insofar as “excitement” denotes an awareness of hazard or other stimulation. After my return, it was strange being in a car and surrounded by others that adhered to their lanes, rather than a semi-considerate free-for-all. And on Philippine roads, there is no shortage of sensuous temptations: carabao grazing in proximity to the remains of a harvested rice fields burning near and far, condos in proximity to squatters, congested business signs, horizontal pillars of pedestrians, and colorful traffic that shares with clouds undefined motion, to name a few. The environment’s visual texture consists of an overwhelming amount of figures, which obscures the ground from which those project against. In contrast, the drone soundscape of the road is barely surprising, although one will hear more distinct human voices from in their car than on a road in Olympia, Washington.

 

[An insect (cicada?) in the province performing its music with no metric restriction (in fact, many native Philippine instruments were made to imitate the buzzing sounds of insects such as these); you can hear karaoke and the occasional car in the background]:

 

As discussed in previous posts, imprecision and indefiniteness are some key characteristics in Macéda’s ideology as a result of his fieldwork in remote Philippine cultures. Upon reflection, I have found that these two characteristics pervade even the modern Philippine environment, more in the daily operations than in the predominant music. The “loose” operation of traffic I described above serves as an analogy for the general lifestyle and, ultimately, the musicality of imprecision and indefiniteness. While many returning retirees and other local residents reside in lavish gated houses ornamented with columns and/or high-rise condos, the majority of the population live on a day-to-day basis. The life of the latter is indefinite, unpredictable. (Certain privileges afforded me this perspective with little to no cost to me).

Macéda found that musicalities in native lifestyles were more than mere analogies, they were directly connected to their relationship with nature. In my (limited) observations of the contemporary life in the modernized regions, there is a different interface between the similar traits of imprecision and indefiniteness, and the predominant Western pop music being sung in the shower and broadcasted on the radio. In other words, these traits appear in a different context and to a less severe degree than the native culture. The aspect of Western-influenced pop culture – and therefore its music – is not only the remnants of Western musical and life values initiated during colonial times, but it also “updates” the aesthetic of the modernized or modernizing regions.

 

Clustered across Manila, massive economic enterprises advertise monolithic-mindsets by their sheer size, and with surrounding cranes foreshadowing even more growth and resource-use. It is not difficult to perceive that for a person whose family’s lively-hood in the city depends on selling flip-flops and single cigarettes in between car lanes, a modern aesthetic, whose grandest advertisement are the towers I described, may be the only viable avenue and also consolation. The “gain”-based sect of the modern aesthetic exploits nature rather than “accommodates with nature”, or at least does not place explicit importance on harmony with it as in the “primitive” cultures of SE Asia. The Western influence on Philippine pop music means that it adheres to “Western idioms” (see top of “April 28th” post), in which strict, precise and closed systems of time and harmony dominate the aesthetic (see also “May 5th” post). A precise and “closed system” mindset can also be seen in imitations of American infrastructure, and far more so, of course, in America itself: the gated community, the blocky expressway and overpasses, the financial district versus the residential developments, mass-producing factories for disposable products.

My goal here is not an ethnomusicological report on modern Manila, but rather extending upon what I have gathered of Macéda’s works, in order to elaborate my interpretation of his ideas. Like I mentioned in the third paragraph, a degree of imprecision and indefiniteness that Macéda said of native cultures can be seen today, just not in the popular music culture; then I noted this caveat as being a key difference between modern Manila and pre-colonial Philippines in the interface between lifestyle and music aesthetics. For instance, though consumer-level automobiles is owed to modernity, a looseness of lifestyle is demonstrated when pedestrians and drivers stop and go in any place on the street or sidewalk (if there are any) at will; and no local is surprised to see five people situated on the roof of a work vehicle. Most to all public transportation has no fixed schedule, forcing one to approximate time – indefinitenes. Free improvisation with what is available – in any aspect of daily life – and indefinite measurements is still present in the life of modern Philippines, and is something I will dearly miss from here in the U.S.

 

Here is a taste, a video of some friends and I interacting with the environment (the friend, a local, who put together the video happened to choose “Western” popular music):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Im Back!

 

That was a wild trip. So much happened and it was an incredibly inspiring thing to do. I have lots of ideas now that i’m back and i’m excited to keep moving forward with them through this project and many to come after. Just the act of displacing oneself can be such a mind altering experience and has brought me so many ideas. This project that I have been working on has also been doing a number on my brain and has shown me a whole new way of looking at things. Like the sketching exercises, following a shot list as I walked through the city helped me look much more closely at everything around me. Finding and framing content was a big part of this new kind of sightseeing experience and in doing so I feel that I really strengthened my ability to understand and capture my personal way of seeing the world. By pointing my camera at the parts of the world that capture my attention I can share (to some extent) my perspective. By structuring that information into a semi chance based story structure with intentional and consistent variable adjustments I am able to animate those bits of the world that caught my attention into a sort of story of feelings and implications where the viewer is taken from realm to realm, descending down a mountain from an unstable summit to a tranquil base. It is a simple concept and a simple video that doesn’t ask for much other than a set of open eyes and ears from the audience.

 

I’m going to finish out the shot list in olympia. This includes going back and filling any missed shots from along the way as well as filling in a large section of lost shots (there were about 120 shots that got lost while transferring files). Im not too worried about it at this point and I think that this will turn out to be an interesting project. I think it will work to have shots of olympia appearing seldomly dispersed among shots of barcelona early in the video, followed by a section of shots from olympia, returning to shots of barcelona, then again to shots of olympia for the end. The shots that were lost were of the alleyways. The doors, the shops, the graffiti, people, tourists. Its kind of a shame to lose all of that but that’s the way it goes when you’re working with bad computers. I’m editing what I have so far now so that I can see how it looks and figure out what I need to go back to shoot. There were about 150 shots that went into the first three minutes. The pace of the film slows in the later section though and 150 shots will be more like ten minutes.

 

I have started working with a singer to get one of the parts done and there are a few others that I am in communication with (fingers crossed). Some people are also interested in making a version of the song that could be performed live (something I am very interested in) but for now I’m mostly interested in getting a recording. I’m beginning work on rewriting the music so that it will be easier to read and a few mistakes will be corrected. This is the first time that I have tried writing music and though the organization came pretty quickly to me, I’m tripping up on some of the finer details. Luckily I have some good people around me showing me the right way to do things and helping me get this done. If you look at my last post you will see that the way that I wrote the music, though legible, is weird and doesn’t conform with alot of the basic rules, When some people look at it they immediately say “oh you did ____ wrong”. Basically I’m trying to polish it up.

As for now I’m focusing my attention on pulling something together for final presentations. I have video clips to show and will have audio recordings as well. Aside from the project that I have been posting about I have done some other things this quarter too. I made a birthday gift for my little sister in the form of a song a video that I am thinking about presenting. I also had so many great experiences and learned about so much while I was in Barcelona so I’m sure that I will be able to fill a lot of my time talking about that too. I’m really excited to see everyone’s projects and hear about everyones experiences!

In my last post, I tackled my thoughts on why I want to consciously realize my philosophy, and why I think it’s important that everyone pursues their individual philosophy. This week I’d like to get into some of what I’ve learned from other philosophers, as well as share some of my own thoughts on the ideas they bring up. I had hoped to do this in a separate post, but, as I’ll explain later, I’ve been very busy this week. Regardless, I hope that the ideas I’ll be writing about can stimulate you to think about your own philosophies.

After I decided to tackle my philosophy in a broader respect rather than simply exploring how I thought of music (though, to be fair that itself is not exactly a simple topic), I realized how important it was to build a philosophy from the bottom up. If you are going to build a stable building, it’s a good idea to ensure you are building on solid ground. Likewise, a stable philosophy necessitates a solid starting point. Thus, we begin by looking at metaphysics.

Philosophy may be seen as a series of questions (a la Alain de Botton) as well as the rational development of answers to these questions. Metaphysics begs the question: “What is?” Thus, it’s not hard to see how metaphysics makes up the foundation of a philosophy. Let’s then take a glance at the metaphysics proposed by two of the most influential philosophers of all time, Plato and Aristotle.

Plato’s theory of forms posits that there are two planes of existence, the material realm (with which we interact) and the higher realm of forms. Plato put forth the idea that the material realm is imperfect and constantly changing. If you look at a book, you may notice its shape (probably a sort of cuboid), or perhaps the color of its  binding (let’s say it’s red). When you take these aspects of the book and think of them separately, you are thinking of the form of a cuboid or the form of the color red. Plato argued that these forms presuppose the book or even your ideas of them. He thought that there was another realm, which we could perceive with our minds, in which the forms existed in permanent, perfect states. Our material world was thus created by this world of forms, and all objects in it were simply imperfect representations of these forms.

Aristotle, who was Plato’s student, agreed with Plato in thinking that an object consisted of forms, but he differed in thinking that the forms were inherent aspects of the object, rather than existing separate from it in another realm. To put his argument in simple terms, a thing is what it is. Aristotle explained this idea by breaking objects down to their causes. Let’s think about that red cuboid book again. Aristotle would say that it’s material cause is the paper, the ink, etc. that constitute it. It’s formal cause is its blueprint or design, the structure of it. It’s efficient cause is that which predicated it, its author, those who turned the wood into paper, etc. In effect, the reason it is. Finally it’s final cause is it’s purpose, that which it aims to become (something to be read by someone).

Now, some will say that these philosophies are mostly grounded in epistemology (which we’ll get to a little later). I agree, but each of these arguments has, at its core, an easily discernible metaphysics.

Plato (left) walking alongside Aristotle (right).

 

In Raphael’s famous painting, The School of Athens, Plato and Aristotle are placed in the center- each is carrying a book of their own philosophical writings, and facing the other as if in conversation. They are also each gesturing with their free right hands. Plato points up, and Aristotle holds his hand out in front of him, horizontal to the ground. Plato believed in a higher realm, whereas Aristotle argued the importance of this realm. Plato was an idealist. Aristotle was a realist. Thus we arrive at the ideas which lay at the core of their philosophies. Plato held that ideas are absolute. Aristotle held that reality is absolute.

So… what is? René Descartes’ famous phrase, “I think, therefore I am,” seems to answer this question. To argue against the statement is to contradict yourself, and thus in my studies I have not come across any philosophers who have not accepted the truth of this statement. Thus many have used this as their axiom.

I plan on adding more to this blog post, but midnight is fast approaching. I’m also very tired, so I’ll complete my train of thought on this subject, as well as include updates about my latest goings on, tomorrow.

 

Work Cited:

 

Raphael. The School of Athens. Digital image. Museos Vaticanos. N.p., n.d. Web. May May 2015.

As mentioned in my previous post, I have a show coming up on Saturday May 23rd at Obsidian that I have been working on in one way or another everyday. There are more than 10 performers to consider, and my collective has been incessantly working through emails and meetings to figure out what each performer needs for their stage setup, who is gonna do sound, who is gonna set up and break down gear in between sets and how we are gonna pull it off in the time allotted. (Not to mention the things that have already thrown our plan off course.) The other side of it is that I’ll be performing during the late part of the event, so I also have my DJ set to practice now that I’ve prepared it for/with the visuals my friend Krysta has created for me. Plus, I have been exchanging texts, emails and meeting up with her to discuss new ideas and show each other what we have thought of since we last spoke. I’m excited to have a DJ set where it will be more of a concept performance piece than a traditional DJ set, because I have planned every song and the order of songs specifically to go with the visuals, and will not be leaving room for change as I usually do. Since there will be visuals, and it’s not a typical dance set that I will be playing, I am curious to see what it feels like for myself and the audience.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend John K, one of my favorite DJs who goes by Rap Class and lives in Portland; of course, he used to live in Olympia and went to Evergreen. We spoke on the phone for an hour based on 4 main questions/prompts, and at the end, he turned it around and asked a question of me which was fun. Also, he happened to be playing a show that night with Garlic Man & Chikn, my friends who I apparently can’t stop raving about! I would like to transcribe the entire interview, but since we spoke for so long I will try and make a concise summary that hopefully does justice to the conversation.

 

My questions:

1. How often do you perform each month?
2. Do you get paid for every show you play/is that something you are looking for when you play?
3. Do you have a planned trajectory for each set before you play?
4. DJ Spooky says the DJ is more than just an entertainer; that the DJ manipulates time, subjectivity     and memory. He talks about songs as constantly becoming…because you’re taking it and putting it in a different context and it becomes something different. For me I think the DJ’s role is to create an atmosphere.  Do you identify with that or not? How so?

Answers from Rap Class:

1. Between 5 and 10 times
2. It is…like tonight if I think it’s gonna be fun and a good experience, I’ll just be like ‘yeah whatever’ ya know? But like if it’s something for a stranger…I like to work for money…also I won’t say yes to something if it’s uncertain if I’m gonna get paid or not and I know that I am not 100% wanting to do it.
3. Yeah I mean you have your technical skills and when you’re playing out at least once a week, twice a week…and I’ve been DJing with turntables for 10 years, you kinda have an idea of like ‘yeah this is gonna work together’. I think that every DJ  that plays a set in a specific genre, no matter how many different genres or whatever you wanna call it you play out, um, they’ll cycle through 4-5 different mixes of a certain set within like a 12 month period or something. You have your songs and then you’re slowly adding throughout the year, I slowly add…you have a solid mix and then there’s variations of that mix…I really do think it takes a couple months to really understand the power of a track in your set.
4. I do identify with that…in that DJ Spooky quote. When you’re taking the songs out of context…and you’re turning people onto it [therein] lies the artistry. One of my big goals when I go out to DJ…I just look at the scenario, I look at what’s going on and I try to play the songs that hopefully…you know if they’re gonna ask me for Snoop Dogg– well, I’m not you know necessarily gonna play Snoop Dogg, but I’ve figured out that that’s what they’re sorta into and the songs I have– hit that area for them. And theres nothing more satisfying. This happened the other weekend, someone came up and was like “I don’t recognize one song you’re playing but I’m completely into the vibe that you’re putting down.” To me, that’s what it’s all about!

Find Rap Class on Facebook or at:

http://www.droppinggems.com/rap-class/

 

Chapter 10: The Rhythmic Process of Chord Generation: Suspension Chords

 

Suspension Chord: A transient chord formed by carrying over a note from a previous chord. This note, which displaces a note of the prevailing harmony, is called a suspension. A suspension chord is entirely dependent on the chord which it temporarily displaces. A suspension chord does not alter the harmonic function of the chord which it displaces, it instead serves to develop/intensify the rhythmic texture.

Chord of Preparation: The chord which contains the note (or notes) which are about to be suspended.

Chord of Resolution: The chord to which the suspension chord resolves. It occurs on an unaccented beat. The suspended note must resolve stepwise to the note which it has displaced.

Bass Suspension: The bass may be displaced by the note above it, the 2nd. The bass note of a parent 7th chord cannot be displaced.

False 6th Chord: A suspension chord which simulates a 6th chord. Though the tones are the same as a 6th chord, the harmonic function of a chord is still as a suspension chord.

Triple Suspension Chord: A suspension chord may have multiple displaced notes, as in double, triple, or quadruple suspension chords. Each note of suspension should resolve exactly as if it were a single suspension. Each of these displaced notes may resolve independently of one another, so long as the rhythmic qualities of the piece comply.

Interrupted Resolution: The use of submetrical embellishment to interrupt the progression of a suspension to its resolution.

Abbreviated Resolution: A resolution of the suspension which takes place on an isolated short note which stands in place of a longer note.

Anticipation Chord: A partial change of harmony before it is expected. Wherein a suspended chord features a displaced note which resolves, an anticipation chord is a shift away from a harmony.

 

Chapter 11: Linear Chords

 

Linear Chord: A dissonant harmony which acts as a transient and melodic movement. They have only a local effect on the harmony, and are classified in two groups: Diatonic and Chromatic.

9th Chord: A chord which includes the interval of a 9th in relation to the root note of the chord. These chords can be dependent or quasi-independent. If the 9th is a suspended note, or is used in passing to connect two chords, it is entirely dependent on the harmony over which it is creating a melodic movement. A 9th chord may be considered quasi -independent when it is voiced on an accented chord over a change of bass.

Appoggiatura Chord: An appoggiatura is an ornamentation or embellishment note. Allen Forte defines the appoggiatura as an “incomplete auxiliary note which recieves metrical or rhythmic accent” (p. 345). It is often written as a grace note. A linear chord which features an appoggiatura is called an appoggiatura chord.

Consonant 6/4: The 6/4 (in figured bass) or the second inversion cannot usually represent its parent chord because it contains the interval of a 4th (which is considered dissonant by Allen Forte). It can, however, represent the parent chord (and be considered consonant) when it immediately follows the parent chord.

Passing 6/4: The second inversion is often used to connect a sixth (or third inversion) chord with its parent chord.

Linear 6th Chord: A 6th chord which is not derived by means of inversion should not be considered related to the parent chord. Thus a 6th chord developed by suspension or through linear movement should not be considered representatives of the parent chord. They serve as dissonances (false consonances) and should be resolved.

Parallel 6th Chords: When linear-6th chords occur in direct succession and in parallel motion, they serve one of two purposes: (1) they neutralize an otherwise dissonant passage: (2) they expand the harmony or a harmonic connection in a highly fluent way.

Italian 6th: An augmented 6th chord (or first inversion) which is derived from the the dominant preparation of the IV^6 (in the minor mode).

French 6th: An augmented 6th chord derived from the dominant preparation of the II^4/3 (in the minor mode).

German 6th: An augmented 6th chord derived from the dominant preparation of the IV^6/5 (in the minor mode).

Linear 4/2: A chromatic dominant preparation that simulates the third inversion of a dominant-7th chord.

Neapolitan Chord: A chord which assimilates the lowered 6th. It was derived from the dominant preparation of the IV in the minor mode and is characteristic of music by late Barogue Neapolitan composers.

Pedal Point: The sustaining of the bass note of either the I or the V below moving chromatic and diatonic harmonies. These harmonies are called pedal-point chords.

 

Chapter 12: The Techniques of Melodic-Rhythmic Development

 

Motive: A musical idea which is repeated to the point of becoming a characteristic feature of the melodic structure of a composition.

Theme: A theme is, in relation to a motive, a longer and more complex melody which executes a complete progression. Both themes and motives serve to enhance progressions. They are the patterns by which we tend to recognize a musical piece. They unify and contrast various phases of a composition, signal (or intensify) a climax, etc. The idea of patterns being characteristic points on which we may more readily relate to a piece of music is something I’ll perhaps explore more as I dive into esthetics.

Figuration: When used alone, probably does not refer to figured bass. It instead signifies a general process of melodic embellishment. A figuration may be considered as a short succession of notes. Where a motive is usually considered to be in the foreground of the piece, a figuration is generally thought of musical ideas which doesn’t take the lead. Thus, a motive may become a figuration if it becomes the accompaniment for a new melodic idea.

Augmentation: The expansion of the duration of a motive.

Diminution: Voicing the form of the original motive in a proportionally smaller space of time. (Allen Forte points out that the term “contraction” is perhaps a better term since diminution may also refer to the lowering of a note by a half step, but he offers no alternative to augmentation)

Inversion: Inversion has a different meaning when it’s used in relation to harmonies (as explained earlier) or melodies. When referencing the inversion of a melody, it is meant that the melodic idea is turned upside-down- as in: A B C -> C B A.

Complete Axiliary-Note Pattern: A statement of the main note followed by an auxiliary note (or notes) before the main note is restated. There are four main forms: (1) Main note -> Upper Auxiliary -> Main Note (2) Main Note -> Lower Auxiliary -> Main Note (3) Main note -> Upper Auxiliary -> Main Note -> Lower Auxiliary -> Main Note (4) Main note -> Upper Auxiliary -> Lower Auxiliary -> Main Note

Incomplete Auxiliary-Note Pattern: A motive in which the main note occurs only once, either at the beginning or the end. Thus the upper or lower auxiliary notes may serve as a suffix or a prefix to the main note.

Secondary Auxiliary Note: An additional smaller embellishing auxiliary note which is generally used for rhythmic reasons. This additional embellishment is considered of a subordinate function, and is therefore called secondary to establish its role in the embellishment.

Concealed Passing Note: A passing note which is somewhat buried by other embellishments.

Obligatory Chromatic Auxiliary Note: It is occasionally necessary to use a chromatically-altered auxiliary (or passing) note when their diatonic counterpart would interfere with the melodic progression.

In the beautiful city of Kahlua I ventured around from day to night asking others of people they listen to in Hawaii and which influential artist on the island. Iz and Mike Love both occurring mentioned artist. I began obsessed with these two both because both of them. I then began to talk with Gordie over Iz a man people constantly said they missed. He explained to me that the person they were talking about was a local who sung a song of familiarity which is “Over the rainbow. I was surprised to find that out and it made me want to find out more about IzI found His full name was Israel Ka’ano’i Kamakawiwo’ole aka Iz. His last name in Hawaiian translates to  “the fearless eye, the bold face.”  Iz was also a native & a rare breed, with him almost being a pure Hawaiian of unusual lineage. His ancestral roots are still within the island itself some would mention to me as I asked about Iz. He remains the most Hawaiian of all, the so-called “forbidden” island of Ni’ihau was a phrase mentioned in our book. Now these were some basics but Iz was known through many things such as soundtrack of movies that have Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler with 30 dates nights and many other film featuring Sean Connery, Brad Pitt and many more. I enjoyed everything until I read the part of Iz death to know such a great individual was long gone made me feel very sad because I never really knew the identity of the man behind over the rainbow. RIP to Iz and good wishes to those who carry his memory. 

In the past few weeks this study has revealed that audience is one of the main concerns in music and performance. There are many different situations and variables that may congregate a captive audience but some of the most interesting found comes from deep rooted struggles that can collectively be seen as movements.

1) In the early 1900s Seattle suffered harsh working conditions in terms of manual labor and was the center of a campaign by the Industrial Workers of the World. This campaign used work songs/folk songs to express certain agitations and create emotions and motivations through the Pacific Northwest (Before Seattle Rocked. Armbruster, 2011). (See: Little Red Songbook)

2) The social effects when music is used as a form of movements for any form of justice. In 1930-1940 there was the unionization and communist led movements and later in 1950-1960 civil rights movements. Both used folk music as a way to “bridge racial boundaries” (Reds, Whites, and Blues. Roy, 2010). The 1930-1940’s made folk music into popular music with the formation of blues/jazz/big band/swing, but in turn lost it’s purpose. The movements in 1950-1960 had basic intentions of peace songs among the racial segregation. Some of these songs weren’t meant to be hits, but ended up becoming them as activism progressed.

In both cases there was an audience because there was a demand for a change. This is an example of music being used as a social tool. If music builds relationships based on mutual fundamentals it is likely to be a successful part in motivating the masses.

This week I was able to see Grace Love and The True Loves a Soul/Funk band from Seattle. Grace Love did an amazing performance with a nice memoir to B.B. King. 

The audience was engaged and there was a constant rapport from call and response, old classics, originals, and covers of 1990’s R&B. The social scene was friendly and the opener was The Brown Edition, a well known established band in the community who brought in a crowd.

I also was able to get an interview from Razors and Red Flags and Ryan Baker, guitarist was quick to answer.

1. Do you have a specific route/venues you frequent, and why?
 “We are trying this year to maintain a looser schedule with doing so many shows last year, we worry that we may have over saturated the market, while it is important to build our name we want to try to focus more on a local level and primarily Portland and Seattle area.  Those areas, have been very receptive to our sound, where as we feel some places don’t embrace the rock as much.”
2. Has your sound changed much over the years?
   “Yes in 2009 i started the music as only a singer/songwriter aspect. Singing a lot at open mics, i started to get people that wanted to jam with me. Pete was one of the first few, and we immediately clicked, I had recorded and EP of 6 songs with rocket soul music’s Ryan Hansmann, we had a good run with that band, but broke up due to some reasons ill leave out for brevity sake, in 2013 we reformed the group and rerecorded all the material with a better line up and has gelled ever since. We are more of a Rock and multi genre because of the new additions and writing we have gone thru a metamorphosis of sorts to more of a danceable rock vibe with emphasis as storytelling lyrics.”
3. What importance does the opener band have in a show?
 “We believe the opening band warms up the crowd and builds the energy for the night, a lot of bands don’t like going first, we have played the role so many times, i kind of enjoy it, I am a music lover, so i enjoy seeing what a lot of other bands have to offer.”
4. What importance does the audience play?
“The audience is your vessel, who you are speaking too, playing too, trying to sway, in your favor. For when the crowd is with you, the energy is up, and everything seems to build to a rhythm and can make the band even play better. Support is everything, and this is art, so you are always a lil sensitive about your baby. We are always trying new things. So we put ourselves out there not everything works.”
5. Where have some of your best shows been, and why?
“Best shows are starting to be down in the harbor, we sort have built up a mystique down there and they come out and pack the small joints we play, best road shows are probably leavenworth at the munchen haus and also on the same trip we played Marko’s Place in Roslyn having great energy at both places, and they took care of us too.”
6. Where has your inspiration come from?
“Im inspired alot by jack white, and also jim morrison. the bands i would say that have inspired me would be like the who, motorhead, led zeppelin dr hook (Shel Silverstein) , johnny cash, i really like storytelling and poetry.”
7. Are you all from Olympia/PNW? What kind of music scene do you see currently in Olympia, and has it changed since you’ve been here?
“Here’s the run down, Mayo Georgia Nick and I come from Grays Harbor, Pete we imported from Rockford Il.  I grew up in the small logging, cow town of Elma Wa, and have lived in thurston and grays harbor my whole life, but have toured alot of the I-5 corridor and some other states.”
8. How is your music similar or different from where you grew up?
“I listened to alot of shitty country music, I mean shit. Like 90s pop drivel, and didnt really start branching out till 15 with rock and punk tunes. started writing when I was 15″
9. Have you traveled/performed anywhere else in or outside of the states? If so, what are some cultural similarities and differences?
“I have toured with this band as far as southern oregon, and as north as bellingham we do eastern washington and idaho shows as well, we want to play vegas reno and California next.”

This interview was helpful in seeing how music is welcomed and how a city or area can be conditioned to a type of music, which effects the audience and social scene and furthermore the reputation and followers.