Amine Benaissa

International student at Augustana College

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Blog Post #19! (20 points) Due Thursday at 5pm of Finals Week

Look on Moodle for the Final Reflection Assignment (50 pts)

I shared a google document with everyone. You need to put a description of your podcast on there, the file next to it, and signup to review two people’s podcasts. (Only two people can review each one. If you have not submitted your podcast, you cannot sign up to review until you do so.)

For this review, listen to both podcasts. This will be submitted in two paragraphs, one for each podcast you review.

Write a recommendation to a friend about each podcast. Why should your friend listen? What did you learn or like about it? Anything special about the podcast? Now, recommend a future episode topic or follow up question/s for each podcaster based on their topic and style.

1st Podcast: Music in Liberian culture by Shadrick Whabyely

I enjoyed listening to this podcast, and I am sure my friend should do too, because it tackles a controversial topic of how music can relate to a country’s cultural identity in a fun and distinct fashion that successfully attracts the listener. Since the podcast’s focus was the Liberian culture, I learned so much about the indigenous Liberian tribes, who make up the majority of the country, that held onto their beliefs, and where each tribe has its own distinct languages and customs. I also liked the background music throughout the podcast celebrating the traditional Gbema music, and although it sometimes distracted me from the podcast and made it difficult for me to follow what he is saying, the music managed to add a special touch of originality and authenticity to the podcast. Overall, I enjoyed Muntari’s arguments and analysis on how music plays a crucial role in emotionally impacting the listener, thus enhancing his cultural identity. As for a future follow up episode topic, I would recommend Muntari to transcend and move his arguments discussing the power of music into a global level instead of focusing a one specific example, like he did in this podcast with Liberia. Hence, I would recommend him to talk about the effects and role of music in global, political, and social decision making with a focus on the actions of different government regarding world peace ruled by music such as peace, war, and solidarity songs.

2nd Podcast: FYI 102 Final by Jackson Castleman

This podcast took two very interesting topics, which were music and sports, and mixed them to form one intriguing discussion point arguing the different correlations between music and athletic success. I really liked this podcast since it had such a good topic and thesis that I found relatable to my personality, hence, I would definitely recommend this podcast to all my friends who enjoy music and sports because they would feel the same way I did. Furthermore, I learned that music encourages athletes to work harder during exercise and for extended periods of time, thus, it can either delay fatigue or increase work capacity. As a result, the podcast explained the immense and powerful effects of music on athletes and their performance, thanks to its ability to lead to higher than expected levels of endurance, power, productivity, or strength. In addition, the special part about this podcast is the inclusion of case studies that added more depth to his analysis of music showing its substantial effects on athletic success, alongside the interview with Will Newlin that provided the listener with even more context and evidence supporting the podcaster’s arguments. And although it was sometimes difficult for me to follow the podcast because of the background noise, it was only minimal and it didn’t ruin my listening experience. Overall, it’s a well coordinated and organized podcast that caught my attention and delivered strong arguments with sufficient proof supporting them. As for a future follow up episode topic, I would recommend Jackson to talk about the effects of music on students, and how music as an influential art form can either help or distract the students from their education. I think this idea would continue Jackson path on studying the outcomes of music on different types of people other than athletes, while moving on away from sports related topics.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

No Direction Part 3

1. What song did Joan Baez steal from Dylan?

The song that Joan Baez stole from Dylan is  “Four Letter Word”.

2. What genre was “Maggie’s Farm?”

After listening to this song and researching about it, I found that “Maggie’s Farm” was considered to be among the Rock ‘n Roll/Blues genre.

3. What did Pete Seeger think of Bob’s use of distortion?

According to the documentary, we learn that Pete Seeger didn’t like Bob Dylan’s use of distortion, thinking that it sounded rough and crude to the senses which made the song harder to understand. Hence, Pete Seeger hated his use of distortion to the point he wanted to cut the cables.

4. What song went number 1?

The song that went number 1 and was a huge success is “Like a Rolling Stone”.

5. How did Dylan label himself?

According to the documentary, Dylan labeled himself “under 30″ since his role was to stay in the music industry making influential Folk music for as long as possible.

6. Did he participate in demonstrations?

Since Bob Dylan always acted mysteriously around the music press media and throughout the documentary, I couldn’t really tell if he participated in any demonstrations. Most of the times, he simply replied by saying “he’ll be busy” which left the audience confused about the aspect whether he’s too busy to go and participate in these demonstration, or if he’s busy doing them already.

7. What was the most absurd interview scene you saw?

I think the most absurd and embarassing interview scene was the one where the the interviewer asked Bob Dylan to suck his glasses. In addition, I also thought the one where the interviewer didn’t prepare for the interview and didn’t even listen to any of Bob Dylan’s music before interviewing the artist was very ridiculous. 

8. How long did Dylan take off of touring?

According to the documentary, Bob Dylan took an 8 years break off of touring.

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Doc Part 2 (starting at 1:10)

1. Who was one of Pete Seeger’s biggest influences?

Pete Seeger’s biggest influences, according to the documentary, is Bob Dylan.

2. As he is discovering song writing, what were some of the influences making the lyrics possible?

Pete Seeger mainly wanted to make his music as simple and realistic as possible by relating it, most of the times, to the life events he experienced. He was inspired by the 1960s protest music and the time period he lived through, the sixties. He generally admired the likes of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen who made music their lives while helping social problems.

3. When Dylan says he wasn’t a “topical song writer” what does he mean? This will be important later.

What Dylan meant by saying he isn’t “topical song writer “, in my opinion, is that he doesn’t write specific historical events. In fact, he is focusing on the expression of feelings and emotions in his music.

4. What would they do with a song to make more money during this time?

During this time, the artists didn’t care about money or fame, they only focused on creating meaningful art. Nevertheless, records labels and companies encouraged them to pay attention to the financial side of their work and make more money with music.

5. Why were musician’s blacklisted?

Musicians were blacklisted if the community thought they were communists.

6. What are his songs about?

He mainly focused on expressing the common social feelings of the American society about the time period, which is the sixties.

7. So he is a protest song writer?

Although Pete Seeger is himself confused at the beginning whether he is a protest singer, he comes to this realization towards the end of our session where he admits that his music has influenced the 1960s protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights, counterculture, workers rights, and environmental causes.

8. According to the movie, what was the mark of success for an artist during this time?

During this time, Artists and the audience cared about the authenticity of their art and music. Thus, the movie shows the mark of success for an artist symbolized in the artist writing letters to people and caring for them, creating relatable music that unites the audience under one common feeling or emotion, and the artist dedicating his life to music.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #17/18 (20 points) Due Tuesday at Midnight

The last two weeks of class are going to be intertwined. Next week we will watch a documentary on Bob Dylan. It was going to be Pete Seeger, but I only have that on DVD, so we’ve switched it!

The last week of class we will be surveying modern protest songs together during class time. Lots of fun! In preparation for that, please complete the two assignments below.

Download the article from Moodle about Socially Responsible Music Consumption.

1. Turn to the appendix and complete the interview questions for yourself and post them here. (Don’t forget the one on the next page.)

The main factors that influenced my purchase are the need for me to have it and how much of an essential item it is to me, alongside how much I like it. So basically the need and desire for this purchased item.

The last music related purchase was Eminem’s latest album “Music to be murdered by”.

I mainly bought this album because I am big fan of rap music and Eminem signature fast rapping style, alongside really enjoying the songs in the album.

My kind of music is very diverse since I enjoy any type of song as long as it has a melodic tune and great context. But the genres that I prefer are rap and classical music.

I mainly consume music through spotify and youtube.

The current music industry is not so appealing to me since it mostly leans on the same rebellious ideas and context of partying and breaking the rules.

My favorite musicians really know how to leave a positive emotional or nostalgic impact on me as a person.

I definitely continue to prefer buying albums of my favorite artists which limits my perspective on music.

I don’t consider any social responsibility when buying music as long as it’s from my favorite artists and knowing that I’ll enjoy it.

I honestly can’t think of ways musicians are engaging in socially responsible behavior except when it comes to the lyrical messages, that either have a positive or negative impact, they are sharing with the audience.

 No, I can’t think of any examples of socially responsible behavior within the music industry except for the mumble rap contributing to unacceptable sexual behaviors, drug or alcohol use, and violent illegal activities.

I have never attended live music events. But if I do, I would definitely  consider the general aspects of socially responsible behavior.

 I have never attended musical live events. But if I do, I would engage in socially responsible behavior.

A socially responsible musician is an artist who takes into consideration the lyrical messages and context of his music while studying the general impact it would have on the listener whether it’s positive or negative.

I definitely believe it is important for them to act in a socially responsible way in order to achieve the general benefit of the audience.

I would accept to buying an album or attending a concert of an artist that I perceive to be engaged in socially responsible behavior as long a I enjoy his music and art.

I have attended a live music event.

I would compare the role that social responsibility plays in everyday consumption decisions to music consumption decisions to our consumption of visual contents on the internet or television. The more beneficial and positive the impact of the music has on the listener, the more this music supports social responsibility.

Social responsibility is an ethical framework which suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large.

Read the article, focusing on the results section (skim the beginning).

1. Discuss how authenticity is important to an artist’s efficacy in promoting a social or political.

I believe it’s important for the artist to establish, at least minimal, authenticity not only because it would help his work to financially succeed and maintain the market value of the created art, but also enabling the listener to understand the practice and history of this art as an intelligible history of the expression of values, beliefs, and ideas, both for artists and their audiences. Furthermore, art influences society by changing opinions, instilling values and translating experiences across space and time. At the end, this shows how art authenticity promotes the social or political notion of responsibility affecting the fundamental sense of self and representing the repository of a society's collective memory.

2. Cite an example from the text.

As the article discussed the results of their experiment: “Musicians are also considered to be more authentic in their promotion of social causes where they are actively involved in these behaviors themselves. For example, although one of our participants here expresses frustration at one of his favorite bands for their seemingly repetitive promotion of homelessness and the implications therein, he recognizes that they have legitimacy to locally campaign for this particular social cause.” (T. Green, page 240)

3. Can you think of an example you have witnessed of either an artist promoting something that didn’t seem authentic and one promoting that did? Post a link or video if you can.

Whenever I imagine of artists promoting something that’s definitely not authentic, I think of all the useless mumble rap advertising sexual activities, drug use, and violence while pretending they are cool and modern unlike normal civilized people. Most of this music uses strong language and visuals in their music videos, hence, I don’t believe I can post an example of this unauthentic music on Tumblr. In contrast, unauthentic music doesn’t have to be useless with a bad impact. Therefore, I think a good song that promotes the same inauthentic idea of dancing and being happy, but still have a positive impact is Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” ft. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers.

Nevertheless, a good example of a song that promotes an authentic idea with a positive impact is the example of Bob Dylan’s song “Knockin' on Heaven's Door”.

Read this piece on what makes a good protest song, at least historically, and how that may be changing today.

1. Write a paragraph on what you think makes a good protest song. Reference the article and choose to agree or disagree with something they said.

The article states a solid argument that shows what makes a good protest song is its durability across our history and how its message is a response to multiple conflicts and debates. As the son of Minnesota’s Iron Range argued in the article about how Bob Dylan’s folk music is a good example of how much meaning and depth a song can have: ““Blowin’ in the Wind” endures, he said, because its message of being responsive to suffering can apply to so many episodes in history.” I totally agree with this idea since music reflects the culture and folklore of a society. This is seen in our national rhythm, compatriotic song, traditional songs, which emerge from classical literature, epics and heroic poems. Songs and music mirror history, values, norms and the mentality of a society.

2. Look up a favorite artist (keep going until you find something) and find some ways in which they are trying to make a positive impact. This can be either charities, benefit concerts, lyrical messages, etc. Share you findings.

I really enjoy John Denver’s music because it shares a strong message of belonging and nostalgia to your home country or setting where you grew up. For example, “Country Roads” is such a good song, not only it was sung well with great lyrics and context, but also in its transcendent ability to evoke feelings of home and belonging. Although I am not from West Virginia, listening to this song made me miss Morocco everytime thanks to its broad lyrical messages which supports the previous argument I agreed with. This song uses a relaxing beat with slow tempo allowing the listener to truly indulge and experience the song’s relatable ideas. In addition, I think the song is strong enough to evoke the listener’s feelings and memories thanks to the description of famous places in West Virginia which helps the listener to remember his home and the memories they spent in them. These findings show how music can relate to a person using meaningful lyrics alongside a good beat, much like “Country Roads” that uses the mentioned methods to stimulate the audience.

3. Discuss if you think they are effective, why or why not.

I certainly believe the methods “Country Roads” uses are very effective thanks to the relatable lyrical messages and emotional context it shares with the listeners. Furthermore, it shows what makes a good protest song displaying the beautiful and meaningful lyrics that appeal to a broad audience and emotionally influence the listeners. Hence, a good folk song bypasses the listener’s beliefs, ideologies, and nationality allowing the music to reach out and relate to them. At the end, the methods of creating nostalgic lyrics alongside a relaxing tune helps the song become even more effective and enjoyable.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

No Direction Home Response

We’ll be watching this documentary together or on our own via Netflix.

I want you to take notes and turn those in. Answer the questions as we go along: (This is only for class period 1)

1. Notes I took while watching:

We find that the man is inspired by folk music and traded in electric equipment, although he never bought a record.

We learn that Bob Dylan’s records are hard to find, and that Joan Baez was amazing knowing all about folk music.

The documentary gives the audience Bob Dylan’s origins and characteristics since they mentioned that he named himself after a poet, he was very charismatic, and he thought hitchhiking was acceptable,

The documentary showed riots at bar between two groups of people while Irish music was being played.

We learn that Bob Dylan was getting death threats, and that often observed people’s behavior on stage to learn from their performance and music style.

Bob Dylan was a talented musician being able to learn musical instruments very fast and easy, which helped get deals to perform and start his professional career.

Although the majority of people enjoyed his beautiful voice and melodic song, he was sometimes treated poorly and records didn’t even accept him because of his misguided reputation as a freak. 

Despite all the problems he suffered from, he finally landed a record deal.

2. What kind of sources does this documentary use?

The documentary uses described experiences Bob Dylan lived through in addition to first person interviews and videos of the events as further evidence.

3. Describe Bob Dylan’s background.

Bob Dylan was born on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. He grew up in the city of Hibbing. As a teenager, he played in various bands and with time his interest in music deepened, with a particular passion for American folk music and blues.

4. What were some of his Musical influences?

Bob Dylan was mainly influenced famous folk singers such as Joan Baez, Lead Belly, and Woody Guthrie. He really enjoyed folk music which explains his career path to becoming a folk singer inspired by the previous famous ones.

5. What were some of the reactions to his music?

Bob Dylan was highly critiqued throughout his career. Nevertheless, the audience’s reaction to his music was divided into a group that really loved it, and another group that really hated it.

6. How did Dylan approach University?

His approach to university was highly negligeable. He did not attend any classes because he was too busy enjoying Folk music. Hence, he didn’t follow the typical student life, and mainly set his mind and time to becoming a professional Folk singer

7. What genre of music did he fall in love with? that spoke to him?

Bob Dylan fell in love with Folk music. He was really passionate about this music to the point he didn’t go to school, thus, making him devoted to becoming a professional performer and singer.

8. How was Dylan musically talented? What are your thoughts about his music so far?

Bob Dylan was a very talented musician since he knew how to play guitar really well, easily learn any musical instrument, and wrote very meaningful and truthful songs. Although I am not familiar with his music much, I do think the ones I listened to were very enjoyable and melodic which proves how good of a musician he is. One of his songs that I really like is “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” and “Blowin' In The Wind”.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #16 - Frank Waln (Due Sunday May 3)

Since we can’t go to the Frank Waln Concert at Augustana anymore, I decided to put together some videos from him for you to experience his voice and his music.

1. Watch this first radio interview. Who is Frank Waln? What is his message? How did he start writing music? Why is indigenous land valuable and thus taken from different tribes? What is a better name for Columbus Day that some local governments are using?

Frank Waln is an award-winning musician, hip hop artist, and a passionate advocate for Indigenous resilience, decolonization, and youth empowerment. His first solo album, Born Ready , was released in 2017, followed by The Bridge the same year. He has been awarded three Native American Music Awards and received five nominations, both alone and with his group Nake Nula Waun. Waln grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and first began listening to hip-hop as a teenager before graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Audio Arts and Acoustics where he also received the Gates Millennium Scholarship

His message is to mainly inspire hope in the young Indigenous American generation, while exposing the consequences of colonialism and genocide to the oppression suffered by African Americans. Hence, he wants to be their leading role model who’s proud and happy with his unique Indian culture and ethnicity

In the early 2000s he began recording with friends and family, eventually saving enough money to build a recording studio in his basement before continuing his musical career in Columbia. After that, he formed the group Nake Nula Waun alongside work on his solo career.

The indigenous land is valuable and fought over by different tribes thanks to the diverse and amazing natural resources it has, which explains why it’s often viewed as a sacred land.

After doing some research on the origins of Columbus day, I found that most indigenous tribes don’t agree with this name. Therefore, a better name that some governments are using is Indigenous people’s day.

“Aboriginal,” “Good Way,” “Oil 4 Blood,” and “Home”

The next four videos are all music videos produced by Frank Waln. For each video please discuss 5 musical elements - melody, harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, timbre, silence, rhythm, meter, etc. Then discuss what the song is about. Last, was the messaging effective? Why or why not?

After listening to “AbOriginal” for a couple of times, I found that it starts with a surprising siren alongside the intense rap which gives a consistent moderate rhythm to the music. As for the instrumentation, I mostly heard percussion music mixing between the indigenous and western instruments, while the melody is mostly undermined in order to give more focus and attention the context his lyrics are trying to deliver. After all, the tempo is moderate and the pitch is mostly low since he employs silence between each line to add that anticipation feeling in the song. At the end, I find the song’s message very effective describing how indigenous people are a treated as a social minority, which is obviously shown in his lyrics representing the pain of cultural oppression and racism.

As for the second song, “Good Way”, the musical elements and style of the song is very different than “AbOriginal”. Continuously, the tempo is slow to average while the pitch is very high, the genre of music is mostly electronic beats, and the soothing melody is present as it follows a very balanced enjoyable rhythm. As a result, I am not hearing any instruments being used, maybe some piano notes from verse to verse, which makes it a generic song lacking the uniqueness of his music. Although this song sound more modern and westernized than the previous ones, it is still good music since it shares a unique context and history with the listener. At the end, I think the messaging of this song is less effective than the others since it’s only trying to describe and share their beautiful indian culture while providing the listener with relaxing calm tunes.

The third song, “Oil 4 Blood”, starts with harmonic female vocals before moving on to a continuous loop of static noises and overplayed lyrics like “Everything’s red” which removes any anticipating silence like his other songs. Nevertheless, the short sentences provides us with an easy to follow rhythm next to a well established and emphasized on melody. As for instrumentation, I don’t hear any instruments used since the static noises and repeated lyrics are distracting and more present in the song. At the end, the messaging in this song is extremely effective since it directly spreads the ugly truth about corporal greed for oil in indigenous lands that’s destroying their lives as explained by the expression oil for blood. And although this song sound more extreme and shocking than the previous one, it is still good music since it shares a unique context and history with the listener.

The last song, “Home”, emphasizes more on displaying the musician’s feelings and emotions through his native flute. I really enjoyed this song the most since it’s more relaxing and calming than his other fast paced music. After all, the sounds of the flute are very melodic with a high contour, while the tempo is slow and inconsistent, and the pitch is high. Furthermore, the song utilizes the native flute as its main instrumentation alongside some parts of silence to anticipate the upcoming tunes. I believe the message here is displaying how calm and peaceful the true native American culture is, through a very special representative of this culture, the native flute. Nevertheless, I think it’s the least effective in the list since it had no expressive lyrics that supports the description of the context, although it was the most enjoyable.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #15 (Due Tuesday at Midnight on Tumblr)

If you are new to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, please read carefully and use this opportunity to learn about this important part of our world. Although this article is from 2002, the introduction remains vital as the climate has not changed. This area has been a place of conflict for centuries and the fighting still continues today.

1. Nasser writes:

“Not surprisingly, decades of hostility and fighting have resulted in monolithic readings of the problem, whereby each group is uncompromising and unwilling to listen to the other side’s point of view.”

What does this mean? Can you think of something in your life or American politics that is similar?

Although I can’t think of anything like this happening in my life, I believe what Nasser meant is that every religious group is close minded and unwilling to negotiate between each other because of the years of war between them over Palestine.

2. How do each of the three religions claim Jerusalem as a central part of their religious traditions?

The city of Jerusalem is sacred to many religious traditions, including the three main religions Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, which consider it a holy city. Some of the most sacred places for each of these religions are found in Jerusalem and the one shared between all three is the Temple Mount.

3. Read the lyrics of the prayer sung by Fairuz and discuss how they change over the course of the stanzas.

I noticed that the lyrics change over the course of the song in the context where at first she start slow appraising her christianity, and then moving on to the deeper meaning of her religion.

4. What elements of music should we listen for in Palestinian popular music and Israeli popular music? They will sound very different, but also very different from our popular music.

I always enjoyed the nature of Palestinian popular music which is basically taking a patriotic context celebrating the values of the country in a fun and varying beat that just makes you want to dance. Same theme for Israeli music that celebrates their values using a crazy beat. Hence, the musical elements we should listen are the fast tempo and moderate pitch which is at the same level over the course of the song except at the end of the stanzas. I really feel like Palestinian music is so nostalgic to me as a Moroccan, and so I wanted to share this mixtape of famous Palestinian music.

5. How is this music disseminated? What sort of censorship has been in place?

There is definitely religious censorship in these type of songs since no one insults or badly talks about other religions. Hence, the main focus of these songs is to share their values and cultures while celebrating their own religious concepts.

6. Take a listen to the king of Rai Khaled and Noa singing John Lennon’s “Imagine.” What musical elements do you notice? Does this song “work” for this purpose?

The musical elements I notice are a slow tempo with high pitch which is a famous theme of Cheb Khaled’s music that I grew up listening. I certainly think this song work for this purpose since it talks about world peace and how the world would be so much better if their wasn’t so much racism and discrimination. 

7. “The role of popular music is not limited to raising awareness of social and political tensions, but to actively participate in offering tools for understanding the shifting dynamics within a disputed territory. As music soars above the temporal crossroads, it enables people to come together and reach better understandings of one another despite their political differences. To this end, music not only reflects our vision and understanding of history, but also expands our appreciation for the present, illuminating conflicts and paving the way toward a better future. The challenge remains, however, for each party to accept the other side’s views in a way that would ensure a just peace, equality, and reconciliation for all.”

Do you agree with or disagree with the author’s final words?

After listening to different kinds of patriotic popular music, I definitely agree with the author’s final work since it successfully describes the purpose of these songs which is sharing the diverse cultures in the world in an attempt to unify them. Therefore, music is an expressive language of culture. It often tells a story, expresses emotion, or shares ideas with a society.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #14

1. Do you think that music can be used for psychological warfare?

I definitely believe that music is not only strong tool to satisfy and relax the listener, but also psychologically confuse them and torture them by continuously playing music or noise. This leads to sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, food and drink deprivation, and stress positions.

2. Do you think music can be used as torture?

Yes, I do believe music can be used for torture since there are many methods of noise torture or sound torture used to break captured enemies.

3.  Is sound a weapon?

When I hear weapon,  I think of a murder tool that would facilitate killing. Although sound can be used as a tool of torture and psychological warfare, I don’t think it would qualify as a weapon since it can’t be used in the battleground against an enemy to kill.

4. What is an historical reference to using music for psychological warfare?

Music torture has been common practice for the CIA ever since it began its enhanced interrogation program in the early 2000s. The process is designed to create fear, disorient, and prolong capture shock in prisoners. In addition, it has been used for torture multiple times in American wars like the Iraq war where they torment captives to gain private information.

5. Which of the above examples seemed to be the most effective or realistic? Why or why not?

I think the Apocalypse Now movie clip example used music in the most effective and realistic way since the scene displayed the power and dominance of the American military forces. The use of dramatic powerful music was necessary to support their image and make soldiers look more courageous and patriotic.

6. Describe the sonic scenario at the notorious battle of Fallujah?

The sonic scenario displays a type of psychological warfare used to break the will of prisoners using very loud speakers to play irritating music such as hard rock, this was called sonic pressure torture. This non physical torment method was used among American soldiers in the Fallujah battle during the Iraq war to extract intelligence, have the upper hand over the enemy, and gain tactical advantage. As mentioned in the 4th chapter in Sound Targets: “the U.S. military began operations to retake control of Fallujah. As part of the strategy, large speakers were bolted on Humvees’ gun turrets to play hard rock/metal music as the soldiers surrounded the city.”

7. According to the chapter what does the United States classify as torture?

According to the chapter, the US classifies torture any method that would cause constant irritation, different forms of deprivation, and pain in order to benefit the country and gain specific information or intelligence to become better than the enemy. Although the US uses torture and music as a method to break the captured soldiers, it has to fall under the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution without breaking global human rights. As mentioned in the 4th chapter in Sound Targets: “Soldiers’ practices and experiences are primarily shaped by international law and U.S. military policy. To provide a thorough context for this discussion, we must understand the legal frameworks of torture because these laws regulate how soldiers are trained for detainee interrogation.”

8. Why is torture a problematic way to get information?

Torture is a problematic method because it can easily break global human rights, dehumanize international policies, and become too brutal and painful on the captured enemy. I don’t believe this method is a respectful way anyone should adopt in gaining information since what’s the point in stopping disgusting crimes and cruel terrorists who spread pain and ruin lives if the good guys are going to adopt the same dehumanizing method to inflict pain the captured enemy. Hence, torture is morally unjustified because it dehumanizes people by treating them as pawns to be manipulated through their pain. This perspective is reflected in the absolute moral imperatives laid out in various international conventions.

9. Why were the Tipton Three taken to Guantanamo Bay?

The Tipton Three were detained in northern Afghanistan by forces loyal to the warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum. The three, from the city Tipton in Britain, were handed over to US forces before being sent to Guantánamo Bay as suspected terrorists. Their families were not told of their whereabouts until the British Foreign Office informed them.

10. What did they experience there?

According to the interviews, the captured Tipton citizens suffered from the Guantanamo Bay’s use of torture and religious abuses of detainees. They experienced enormous pain and humiliating disrespect by the soldiers and guards breaking the human rights constitution and treating them like animals. Although the Tipton Three filed a suit in 2004 against the US government in challenging their injustice and brutality, the charges were quickly dropped and the case was dismissed in April 2009 by the US Court of Appeals.

11. What was your reaction?

My reaction was honestly shock and disgust at how three innocent young British civilians experienced such a traumatic event without even getting apologies or replacements by the American government. In addition, I was happy to see how quickly Britain reacted to restore their citizens and help them out, although it was surprising how fast the three were prosecuted and sent to prison.

12. Should music be used as an interrogation device? torture?

Although torture is considered an ethical issue dehumanizing the torturers and inflicting traumatic pain on the captured enemy, I believe music is a more acceptable interrogation device or torture method that would break the enemy without inflicting physical pain and especially compared to other gruesome torture methods. Hence, I believe music should be used more often in torture than adopting the other disgusting and painful methods of tormenting.

13. Do you think the benefits outweigh the risks for the LRAD?

I think the benefits far outweigh the risks that we can easily be prepared and protected against since it’s an acoustic hailing device allowing us to send messages and warning tones over longer distances or at higher volume than normal loudspeakers.

14. What device did the camp install that made music “torture” possible?

The camp installed very large speakers that would blast music and sounds as loud as possible turning music into a torture device that uses sound to injure, incapacitate, and hurt opponents. As mentioned in the 4th chapter in Sound Targets: “As part of the strategy, large speakers were bolted on Humvees’ gun turrets to play hard rock/metal music as the soldiers surrounded the city... The aim is to disorient and confuse the enemy to gain a tactical advantage.”

15. What kind of music was played? Why?

The army played hard rock due to how disturbing, annoying, and irritating it can be because of its fast tempo and disorienting sounds. Thus, hard rock was the army’s tool to spread psychological intimidation, harassment, and sensory deprivation against enemy insurgents inside Fallujah.

16. Name 3 ways music (name the genre) has been used to deter the homeless, teenagers, or drug users.

Music plays a big role in examining listening behaviors, social aspects of shared music interests, and preferred music genres, bands and artists, and moods of different people from different backgrounds. Moreover, I think rap music plays a big role in deterring teenagers and fixing their behaviors by relating to their experience. As for the homeless, I think happy pop music gives them hope in a better future. While the drug users need to listen to jazz or soul music that would entertain them with calm tunes helping them forget about their addiction and be sober.

17. Do you think this is an effective method?

I definitely believe it’s an effective methods since every social group needs to listen to relatable music that describe their lives and encourage them to change for the better purpose. After, we all need to listen to music that helps us change our behavior and give us hope for a better brighter future.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #13 (Due Monday at Midnight)

1. Where do you think Singapore is? What do you know about it before you begin? What does it look like? What kind of people live there? What language do they speak? 

I definitely know that Singapore is an Southeast Asian country that successfully strived to global economic dominance, and developed as a wealthy city state after its devastating separation from Malaysia. Singapore looks extremely modern and technologically advanced thanks to its respectful society following the strict local laws and supporting the country’s stability and security. I think the Singaporean community is a mix of Chinese and Malaysian people, as for the language spoken, it’s mainly English, Chinese, and Malaysian.

2. What is hegemony? How does the PAP (People’s Action Party) fit into the idea of a hegemonic government? Are there any benefits to this? Downfalls?

I believe hegemony is the complete political, economic, and military control of one state over others. Since The PAP is a major political party in Singapore and is one of the two contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, it fits into the idea of hegemonic government by representing the Singaporean people and respect the democracy of sharing political power with their communities. Hence, I do believe the PAP has many benefits on the unity and solidarity of the country since it maintains that peaceful political bond between the government and the Singaporean society without leading to any destructive disagreements.

3. I hope you decided to watch even more! The military presentations are also quite impressive. What did you think? They do this every year, although this year was more involved for the bicentennial. Have you seen something like this before?

I found the festival to be very impressive and unifying the people of Singapore by celebrating their continuous development in diverse departments such as healthcare, safety squads, and the military forces while supporting their political solidarity thanks to the hegemonic government. Nevertheless, I have never seen something like this before which makes me quite happy to see Singapore doing it firsthand.

4. What is your Civil Religion?

I believe my civil religion is mainly defined by my Islamic beliefs and concepts of solidarity, freedom, and unity which helps my country, Morocco, support each other as one society celebrating its diverse values.

5. How does music convey a message?

I think music conveys a message through relating to social beliefs and culture of a community. This is furthermore displayed in national songs that celebrate a country’s independence or nostalgic music that brings back the common past allowing society to unite and bond over something shared between its individuals.

6. What do you hear and see? Name two musical elements that stick out to you? Name two visual elements that stick out to you? What is your overall impression of this first song?

The two musical elements that stick out to me is the slow to medium tempo that makes the song more influential and enjoyable alongside the diverse pitch transitioning from low to high sounds. As for the two noticeable visual elements, I found the celebration of their flag brings out their proud national identity while displaying the architecture diversity of their cities and the developed technology Singapore strived to. At the end, I really enjoyed the song to the point it made me feel like I am singaporean playing a role in their success which truly brings out the strong national pride described in this song.

7. What change in musical elements and visual elements did you notice from the first video from the 80s to the second video in the 2000s for Count on me Singapore song?

I think the biggest changes in musical elements were the pitch and the tempo of the songs where the 80s one has a low pitch and a slow tempo while the 2000s song has a higher pitch and faster tempo. As for the visual elements, i noticed the 80s focused more on showing the new generation of children who will build this country and support it in the future alongside spreading a sense of nationalism, while the modern one is more focused on displaying the solidarity between the culturally diverse singaporean community displayed in different people singing the song.

8. What change in musical elements and visual elements did you notice from the first video from the 80s to the second video in the 2000s for We are Singapore song?

Again, the musical elements’ differences between the 80s and 2000s song are the tempo and pitch where the first one has a low pitch but fast tempo, while the modern version has more of a high pitch but slow tempo. Nevertheless, we notice more visual differences than musical as the 80s version seems to create a sense of cooperation and nationalism between the diverse ethnic groups in the Singaporean society, while the modern version is celebrating that heritage and strive for a better future for their beloved country.

9. What if the US produced a song like this in response to the pandemic? What would you think? 

The purpose of songs like this is to build a sense of national pride and celebrate a country’s development, hence US citizens would positively respond to a song like this as it would confront them and support them through the pandemic. At the end, I think it would be a good idea if the US produced such as a song to support their communities and make them feel safer.

10. What has been the most interesting thing/s to you in learning about the government’s usage of music in the country of Singapore? How does this change or nuance your perception of the power of music?

I have always appreciated the power of music in building and enhancing people’s national identity. Yet, I am impressed at how Singapore utilized music on a whole new level of uniting their diverse ethnic groups and focusing on serving national benefit without discrimination and injustice. At the end, the most interesting thing I learned is the efficiency of their homogenic and democratic government in leading Singapore, a country that was once a lost hope after separating from Malaysia in the 60s, to become a global power.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Research Topic Proposal (50 pts.) - Due on TUMBLR

Title

Music and National Identity

Thesis 

Music, as an expressive art form, has always had a powerful influence on individuals and communities through evoking national pride and relating to their culture. Therefore, this provides a starting point to re-think  the interconnections between music and national identity and how one complements the other while providing case-studies on diverse topics including performance, composition, and musical styles.

4 possible argument points

National identity is related to music since it represents the culture of a society which builds a sense of responsibility and patriotism into each of its individuals. This argument supports my thesis since it doesn't limit national identity by borders of a country, but by the extent and depth of its heritage and civilization presented through music.

El Sistema is an example of how music displays the true sense of nationalism in each person trying to share their feelings with the world while destroying any stereotypes and showing the true national spirit of a country, which in their case was Venezuela.

As it is the case in Singapore, music plays a big role in manipulating cultural politics built on social relationships through debunking common ideologies and exposing civil commentaries on Singaporean societies.

Music can reach further into human emotion and influence one’s personal identity triggering thoughts from the past and impact the access and experience of autobiographical memories. Hence, this forces the listener to remember his past constructed by national identity while stimulating emotions that would enhance individuality.

I believe these arguments support my thesis of how national identity is strongly reflected through music while invoking social responsibility and pride. Continuously, I do have some sources that could used as evidence for my claims such as the TED talk Maestro Abreu delivers on the efficiency of El Sistema in Venezuela, an article by Lily Kong proving the Singaporean cultural movements through music, and Interviews from my family in Morocco discussing how our culture manifests as our identities. Nevertheless, I do believe that there will be counterclaims which I’ll respond to by digging up more evidence.

2 youtube videos

I think the style of the video confirms how national identity is manipulated my music as it does interviews with french people discussing their ideas on national pride. In my paper, I would use it as a statement of how music can increase people’s sense of awareness and national honor.

This video is, in my opinion, more scholarly as it digs deeper into the relationships between music and national identity. I would definitely use this video as supporting quotes from the professor as proof of certain ideas throughout the essay.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post # 12 (Due Sunday at Midnight)

  For Chapter 11-12:

1. Find a music therapy example from the text that interests you the most. Go to Youtube and find a video so you can see it in action. Post the video and a one paragraph response as to why that specific music therapy interested you and what it was like watching it.

As the chapter started with the idea of music treating patients and healing them psychologically and emotionally, we learn more about the different types of music therapies reflecting their culture like the Ethiopian, Ghanaian, and religious techniques mentioned in the bible while emphasising on the continuous increase of researchers interested in studying the effects of music therapy. After all, I found the concept of treating Dementia or Alzheimer's through melodic and nostalgic music quite intriguing as to how it can help patients rebuild their cognitive skills while progressively improving the group of symptoms that affects mental cognitive tasks such as memory and reasoning. The chapter furthermore explains how music can create certain brain cell connections allowing the patients to remember again long term memories relatable to the music played. As mentioned in chapter 11 of the book: “music is already being used clinically to help patients with other neurologic disorders. Just as music and speech pathways seem to overlap in the brain, so do the auditory and motor pathways.”(Elena Mannes, page 182)

2. Have you ever used music therapeutically? Have you ever seen music therapy in action first hand?

Yes, I always listen to music as it helps me relax and simply enjoy the beats related to multiple memories throughout my life. And although I don’t have a music therapist, I do believe that listening to music on my own embraces me into a world of comfort and joy no matter how I feel. Hence, I never saw music therapy in action first hand because I don’t support the idea that you need someone to help you listen to music which is totally personal and dependant on the listener. 

For Chapter 13:

3. What is the main idea of this chapter?

The 13th chapter mainly discusses the effects of music on social distancing and communal conflicts and how it re-enforces social relationships while building a unified society. This is later on explained by multiple neuroscientists who claim that the shared heritage of a nation is remembered upon listening to relatable music that bring back the common sense of pride and responsibility that create a consolidated group of people. Hence, modern science is debunking music myths and giving more confirmation of how this form of art is incorporated in every aspect of the human life while providing a deeper understanding of it therapeutic effects on people individually and socially. At the end, this chapter brings more evidence and proof to the table on how music is so necessary in our lives thanks to its emotional, psychological, and mental influences it can have on the listener. As mentioned in this chapter of the book:”We see music used every day to help bring people together. Military Bands march. Church congregations sing. Kids on the playground sing spontaneously.” (Elena Mannes, page 214)

4. List at least 6 different sources that she uses. What about that list is interesting? Why do you think she chose these types of sources?

The author utilizes multiple evidence sources such as scientific statement, experiments, and sociological studies in order to back up her arguments and better convince the reader. Therefore, This is a list of 6 different sources used:

Statements from different sociologists such as the social educator Daniel Barenboim and Bobby McFerrin who prove that music serves a social role in creating a common unifying theme through adopting traditional cultures.

Results of music/brain research done by neurologists who scientifically confirmed the emotional and social impact of music such as Petr Janata.

Statements from different musicians who display the emotional bond they have with music after performing and improvising in this form of art multiple times like Richard Hawley.

Testimony of an ethnomusicologist Aaron Berkowitz who confirms how music engages improvisation which builds up a stronger relationship to culture which unites the community.

Physics interpretation of musical unity lead by the power of quantum mechanics and improvisation in music which simply gives a deeper scientific understanding on the effects of music on society.

Parsons experiment on the influence of music on brain states of listeners and how it reflects human history in shaping social communication and cooperation.

I think this list is very interesting in how the author used a wide and diverse variety of sources from different scientific and social department in order to fully showcase the social role of music in communities. Hence, I believe she chose these types of sources ranging from statements of different musicians and sociologists to neurological studies because they are more relatable to the topic discussed since they would give proper explanations and experiences to describe music’s strong relationship to human culture and social solidarity. 

Now go to the google slides for the next questions: 5-10

5. What is it like to hear space sounds and see space images next to the human sounds and images of a string quartet?

I think it makes the music even more engaging as the visual aspects emphasize more on the context created while making it more relatable to the sounds we’re hearing. Thus, I believe that it’s smart that we can hear space sounds while looking at space which indulges us in a series of visual and auditory pleasure.

6. Based on this definition - what are some examples of using music therapeutically that would not classify as music therapy?

I think using music therapeutically while not classifying it as music therapy would be, in my opinion, either practicing music without a tutor simply out of feelings which would allow the person to relate to music as it’s playing in a time describing his emotions, or randomly listening to music throughout the day as it isn’t formal or limited by a time schedule but rather become a comforting tool helping the listener relax and enjoy some beautiful tunes. At the end, using music therapeutically would mainly make this listening activity random and personal that’s not necessarily tied to a meeting with a professional.

7. What happened when Oliver Sacks took Greg to the concert? What about the next day?

He mentioned how music was engaging and helpful to Greg as he moved and reacted to the concert although he is suffering from health problems. Oliver continues to describe this situation as he was shocked by witnessing how music affected him emotionally and making him excited and dancing with the music. The next day, Oliver asks him about the concert and Greg says he doesn’t remember it. This shows how music has a strong impact on creating long lasting memories tied to the sounds listened to at the moment which explains Greg’s excitement during the concert and displays that musical effects have no limitations.

8. What techniques did you observe the music therapist doing with Peter? What did you think about his transformation?

I noticed the therapist tried incorporating music into building his capability to speak. At the beginning, we see how Peter starts to follow words and make them rhyme with the guitar sounds he is hearing. Another technique the therapist used is helping Peter say every word on a specific tone making it easier for him to remember. After a while, we see That Peter is almost able to fully speak clearly which confirms the efficacy of these musical techniques. Hence, I think it’s wonderful how he evolved and managed to fight back his stroke to be able to speak again. 

9. Watching the music therapist working with the child, what was your initial reaction? After listening to the music therapist discuss the process and techniques for getting the child to this point, were you surprised? Why or why not?

My initial reaction was surprised at how the autistic child was able to respond to the therapist’s music, follow up pretty well with his piano play, and answer his questions at the right moment. To be honest, I was very impressed how the therapeutic process utilizes the effects of music to engage the child making him communicate and interact with the therapist much easier. At the end, it was amazing to see this process in action and truly visualize music changing the emotions and feelings of the child.

10. Listen to this through headphones or earbuds for at least five minutes. Did anything happen?

After listening to the sounds of the video for 8 minutes straight while lying on my bed, I have to say that I felt more relaxed and happy throughout the continuous music alongside lifting up my mood and generally make me feel better.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

10 billets !

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #11 (due before class on Monday, March 30th)

1- What musical elements do you think make this a great song that was so popular?

I believe the musical elements that make this song great is the lyrics that describes a certain context or story emphasizing on the actions of a man to stop spreading the virus, while incorporating a good beat and pitch that keeps the fast tempo of the song.

2- What compositional techniques make this song effective?

The compositional techniques that make this song unique is the variety of artists participating in this movement which displays unity and solidarity in fighting the dangerous disease. Furthermore, the incorporation of the religious perspective to convince the audience makes this song more effective in spreading the message of the importance of safety measures and health preventions.

3- Rucka Rucka Ali - Ebola (la la) Parody - What’s the message? Do you like this song?

I think the message emphasized in the song is how easily Ebola is spreading while showing the careless behavior of people regarding the danger of this disease. To be honest, I do like this song despite some racist comments in the lyrics against african citizens and black people who are mainly associated with this disease. Yet, I like the flow and beat as it successfully conveys the ideas and concepts discussed.

4- Hand washing Songs and Videos (2009) - What instruments do you hear? Any comments?

The instrument that I mainly hear is the trombone. Other than that, I have nothing to say about this dance other than it’s an effective way to teach th habit of washing hands to children through catchy music.

5- Is it what you expected from each? Which seem most effective? Why or why not?

I wasn’t surprised by the results since it’s easy for the virus to spread making the number of infected cases constantly growing. Nevertheless, the ones that seemed most effective in displaying the important health safety messages are the actual news channels that displayed the actual effect of the disease through statistics and number of cases affected by this danger which shows the strong power of media in convincing society.

6- How about some parodies?

As for parodies, I like how they incorporate comedy in sharing their ideas with the world alongside catchy beat and memorable lyrics to lure the audience.

8- “I will survive!” What song are you using to wash your hands for 20 seconds?

Although I don’t listen to a song while washing my hands, I do know this enjoyable catchy song that successfully conveyed their ideas of health safety in fun ways like the one below.

9- Describe the music used in the videos using our elements. How did it make you feel? Did the music appropriately help tell the story? Why?

I thought it was intriguing how the news describe certain disease as a danger to all humanity and successfully convinces the audience through measured statistics and interview that display that problem in reality. Thus, the music used in this type of media is basically informal serious music that send out sincere vibes and display the importance of the news shared.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #10 (Due before Wednesday)

After reading this chapter check out this article explaining the conversion of the radio waves to sound and listen to the sounds scientists discovered in Saturn’s rings.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/487/listen-sound-of-electromagnetic-energy-moving-between-saturn-enceladus/

1. What do you think? Musical? Noise? Why or why not?

After listening to the sound waves Saturn’s rings are making, I think its simply noise generated by different frequencies throughout a timeline. Thus, it is not musical because it does not follow a specific harmonic rhythm.

2. The chapter focused on silence being an important aspect of music. Listen to your favorite song again and notice the silence. Is there any? What did you notice about it? If you didn’t notice any silence what about the silence before and after the song was played?

As I listened to my favorite song, which is ‘‘Get Lucky ’’ by Pharrell Williams, I noticed sequences of silence between verses that slowly prepared for the next verse. Moreover, this silence gave an opportunity for the musical instruments to shine and focus on musicians participating in this artwork while allowing the singer to rest and prepare for the next part of the song. Nevertheless, I listened to other songs such as Eminem’s ‘‘Godzilla’’ and Billie Eilish ‘‘everything I wanted’’ looking for silence, I realized the importance of silence incorporated into these works whether to prepare for upcoming verses in the song or building up anticipation and excitement of the listener. Even if only for a second, silence can provide great contrast and an extra element of dynamics. Hence, same thing goes to the silence before and after a song is played since it anticipates the joy of listening to music until it reaches the calm peace at the end, which explains why those moments of quietness the audience can draw breath and balance the listening experience.

3. Please use our library resource guide created by Maria Emerson:

https://augustana.libguides.com/fyikeehn

A. Please research basic information on the Oxford Music Online on your topic that will help inform your further research. If your topic is “rap music increases the performance of football players and should be used as a pregame ritual for a team,” you would need to look up the genre of rap music here.

My topic is the discussion of music celebrating culture and how it can end the stereotypical views of society on other countries based on pop culture.

B. Use Academic Search Complete to find an article or book. Please list the keyword combinations you attempted and give a description of how the article contributes to your paper idea and how it might even change or angle your thesis. Use the citation feature to grab the MLA citation and insert that here.

Keywords: music and culture.

Citation: Hince, Bernadette, et al., editors. Antarctica: Music, Sounds and Cultural Connections. ANU Press, 2015. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt169wd6t. Accessed 10 Mar. 2020.

Description: This article discusses the making of music with natural objects and sounds from the Antarctic Peninsula and how it’s defining the ways in which the New Zealand identity is reflected in the Antarctic-inspired works of four New Zealand composers. Therefore, it would be a useful source providing a convincing argument of how music from the nature of different countries can reflect their culture and social beliefs. 

C. Try those same search terms in RILM and JSTOR - any hits? Describe your results.

Although I found some interesting sources, they would be mostly used as secondary arguments supporting the primary sources. Hence, I didn’t receive a lot of relevant ideas that would be useful in my research of the effects of music on culture.

D. Try looking for books now.

Keywords: music and culture in the world.

Citation: Akombo, David. The Unity of Music and Dance in World Cultures, McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://proxy.augustana.edu:2218/lib/augustana/detail.action?docID=4389011.

Description: I believe this book is a useful source because it discusses the role of music and body movement as cultural aspects in different countries. Thus, this study surveys music and dance from a global perspective, viewing them as a composite whole found in every culture and examining the complementary connection between sound and movement as an element of the human experience. Therefore, this source would help me as a supportive argument of how music can represent the beliefs and values constructing a unique society while building connection between these different countries.

E. Last, try a google search and post a screenshot of your results.

I found a lot of good resources on google after searching “the effects of music on culture” that may or may not be credible sources.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #9 (Due Friday)

1. Do you have an initial idea for your large paper we’ll be researching and writing? What interests you the most? Have you made any connections between our material and other aspects of your life?

I believe I have a strong initial idea of discussing how humans are hardwired to music to the point it impacts our culture, social belief, and national identity. This will allow me to furthermore research the origins of music and display its importance in representing other cultures while disregarding the common stereotypes ruining social perspectives and underlying the truth. Therefore, I am mostly interested in discussing the relationship between these concepts and musical instruments, while digging deeper into explaining the nature of national identity; culture, and musical articulations. Hence, I have definitely made connections between the learned material and my life since it helped me realize how Moroccan music truly reflects my culture and beliefs to an unfamiliar community alongside increasing my sense of nationalism and responsibility for my mother country. In addition, I understood how music changes emotions and feelings which shows its power in either enhancing or decreasing the quality of life for listeners. At the end, music has always played a crucial role in the development of social life as it helps comfort the community psychologically and emotionally, supports the emergence of national identity, and reinforces the world’s cultural unity.

2. Put your Venn diagram into words here: (How do music, language, and dance overlap or not?)

In my opinion, these cultural elements do overlap as they all contribute to the spread of an acceptable form of communication. Thus, music is a provides a means by which people can share emotions, intentions, and meanings even though their spoken languages are incomprehensible which shows its relationship to language. Continuously, dance is a form of expression derived from from this musical language that allows the transmission of another form of communication through body movements. As a result, they are all connected to create a combined cultural language that expresses a society’s beliefs and supports the unification of the world.

3. Between these three animals which one did you think was the most musical? Put them in order 1-3. What criteria did you use?

I think the animal that was the most musical is the monkey who was able to respond to the person and follow a rhythm that was partially harmonic. Moreover, the criteria I used to differentiate between each animal is the ability to create a pitch and tone that would be continuously played to create music. Hence I found the monkey to be able to do that better than the other animals, while the dogs were able to maintain perfect pitch, and the bird was simply responding and reacting to the music through dancing.

1- Bonobo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM9YTlF_ErY&app=desktop

2- Perfect pitch dogs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SZCMDlmO0c&app=desktop

3- Snowball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s&app=desktop

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #8 (For Wednesday and 25 pts)

National identity is often described as an individual’s pride of his social culture and shared beliefs limited by the country’s borders such as language, religion, and common history. Yet, the documentary El Sistema brings out new concepts that contradict this idea, and emphasizes on the power of music in representing a group of people on the international frontier. As a result, the main discussed thesis will be the effects and role of music in supporting a country’s community, encouraging their dreams, and helping their emotional and psychological state. Continuously, we are posing the question whether music enhances the society’s sense of national identity and self esteem while witnessing national reflections and representations across the media honorably displays the country’s philosophies and civilization to the world.

In order to evaluate the power of music on national identity, we first have to define the origin of this social integrity and visualize its evolution in the world’s country. Hence, the New York Times argumentative video, titled “National identity is made up” and commented by the journalist Max Fisher, views this collective quality as a direct result of the presence of national symbols, language, the nation's history, and unified development and ethnicity. As mentioned in the video: “they also unleashed ideas of nationalism, militarism, and leader worship. People came to see their countries as extensions of themselves. This new identity meant that a nation got its authority, not from the government, or the King, or God, but from the people.” (time interval: 2:15-2:28) Moreover, the video is connected with the documentary by the idea of musical contributions to civil reform and the advancement of national identity in countries such as Venezuela after witnessing the global changes in urbanization, mass communication, war, and decline of the religious power of the church. Thus, both resources  arrive at a critical compatible point in the development of the study of national cultures and music through multiple considerations of the ideological focus of cultural nationalism and the analyses of musical articulations of other kinds of identities at odds with national identity.

Nevertheless, the documentary about the musical program sparking the evolution of this identity El Sistema truly describes the consequences of building a proud generation through music. Moreover, El Sistema is a network of childrens and youth orchestras, music centres and workshops in Venezuela, in which more than 250,000 children and young people are currently learning to play an instrument. It was set up over thirty years ago by José António Abreu, who was driven by the utopian vision of a better future. In the dangerous and poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Caracas, Abreu lifts children out of poverty through music, changing both people and structures. The story, which has all the makings of a fairytale, is the extraordinary account of a vision that has become reality. Several of the systems young graduates now rank amongst the most coveted young talent in Europe such as the 26-year-old conductor Gustavo Dudamel. As a result, El Sistema shows how Abreu's astonishing ideas have led the way out of the vicious circle of poverty through the strong influence of music that has been able to change the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people. As both Abreu and Dudamel described the movement and evolution of public awareness El Sistema started in the documentary: “We’re using art as our battleground, fighting to unite a new generation of children and young people in Latin America behind the banner of music… El Sistema has become a national emblem of Venezuela.” (Abreu - Dudamel)

Another example worth mentioning is the fact that different forms of music contribute to the emergence of national identities in different countries. Accordingly, Moroccan music places a major emphasis on traditional tribal tunes that unites the country’s population over the same historical, cultural, and social values. Hence, I definitely feel, as a native moroccan, a sense of national identity that builds my personality and makes me responsible for rightfully presenting Moroccan perceptions and sharing my peaceful patriotic pride with the world. Notwithstanding, music doesn’t always generate supporting ideas of the government as it doesn’t necessarily relate to the evolution of these constructive identities and it’s mainly based on political power and economic advancement. In the end, I believe that music enhances the national identity of a society as it strives to represent the shared values and develop a good sense of association and inclusion with a strong, ethnic, and shielding community.

[hello-amine-benaissa]

Blog Post #7 (Due Friday)

Please read the chapter from the book Changing Lives on Moodle by Tricia Tunstall. I realized from our discussion on Monday that you need a little more context for our topics. Here is where Venezuela is and little information:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/world/americas/venezuela-crisis.html

1. Why did the TED organization have such a hard time giving the prize to Maestro José Abreu?

They had a hard time getting in contact with Abreu as they weren’t able to get him on the telephone while the awards ceremony was quickly approaching. This was because the TED prize was never given to an educator and especially a latin American which made arranging meetings and time management substantially harder.

2. Where does he do his speech from? City and Room.

Since the Maestro wasn’t able to travel to Long Beach in California to attend the TED conference due to the short notice, his speech was videotaped in an empty rehearsal room in The Caracas concert hall alongside the Teresa Carreno Youth Orchestra in the city of Caracas, capital of Venezuela.

3. Who is Dudamel?

Gustavo Dudamel is a Venezuelan-Spanish conductor and violinist. He is the music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. According to Abreu, Dudamel is known as one of his best students and a great conductor.

4. What kind of music do the youth orchestras in Venezuela play?

Jose Antonio Abreu launched El Sistema, a free program in classical music for young children from highly impoverished backgrounds. Therefore, the young orchestras in Venezuela mainly play classical music.

5. What kinds of people were inspired by the Simón Bolívar orchestra movement? How did they learn from them? What did they bring back with them? Is this this unique to you or unexpected? Why or why not? (reference reading)

Audiences across the United States and Europe were amazed by this musical movement which inspired multiple high school orchestras across the  world. This movement displayed the power of music in spreading social justice and reform while promoting personal development. As a result, musical communities and orchestras strived to perform musical excellence and were encouraged by this Venezuelan movement. They learned from them through their major performances across the world and the TED speech given by the creator of the musical program El Sistema, Maestro Abreu. Continuously, they brought back a common vision and ambition of music as a strong force for change in education and society. As a result, new orchestras were created thanks to this symbolic musical movement such as The newly formed Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the conservator’s youth orchestra. Therefore, the Simon Bolivar orchestra group engaged other societies in creating music and brought back multiple values to the communities of the world. As mentioned in the book: “Abreu describes his joy in seeing that promise fulfilled over the years, and says he has been particularly moved by the responses of audiences across the United States and Europe to the Simon Bolivar’s message of music, vitality, energy, enthusiasm, and strength.”

6. Watch the TED talk speech below. Why does Maestro Abreu believe music is so powerful?

He believes music is powerful by its ability to support children's musical, cognitive, social, and creative development. He adds that it’s a cure for the tragedy and sadness poverty brings as it grows the person’s sense of identification and public esteem. Therefore, the power of music rests in the unity of the different social classes in a community by feeding the emotional emptiness and personal poverty, while disregarding the material poverty which makes music comforting and an effective tool for internal development. As he said in his speech: “The spontaneity music has excludes it as a luxury item and makes it a patrimony of society.”

7. Read the naysayer article below. Do the benefits outweigh the problems? Or the other way around? How do you begin to make a judgement about this program?

I believe the benefits far outweigh the problem of this musical program as it truly has a positive effect on poor Venezuelan children self esteem, academics, and mental health. In addition, anything that has been praised and romanticized is susceptible to media criticism such as the one El Sistema is getting arguing that it’s leading a political resistance misrepresenting the power of music. Yet, studies show that humans are emotionally and psychologically hardwired to music which explains its effects on these children’s lives. Nevertheless, I would begin to make a judgement about this program by conducting interviews with the participants and children playing in this orchestra since they would describe their experience through previous knowledge they have on El Sistema. Furthermore, I would create surveys researching parents and their children’s response to playing music and balancing academics. At the end, I would have convincing arguments that would either support or contradict the purposes of this musical orchestra and discussing its effects on social values.

Naysayer Article