Fun and unexpected dance music! Wonderfully positive and colorful.
“Nobody ever told her she was beauty!”
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7---iGdDIBQ)
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Fun and unexpected dance music! Wonderfully positive and colorful.
“Nobody ever told her she was beauty!”
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7---iGdDIBQ)
R.I.P. George Michael.
I vividly remember when this music video came out...dancing around my dad’s apartment as a child. I thought is was so powerful that instead of featuring himself, the world’s most popular fashion models mouthed the lyrics. It was as if he was speaking to the music itself...
“I won't let you down; I will not give you up. Gotta have some faith in the sound; It's the one good thing that I've got. I won't let you down, So please don't give me up”
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diYAc7gB-0A)
this...the spaces in btwn exquisite phrase after exquisite phrase
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym8xceyd8QI)
Esperanza Spalding performing this Stevie Wonder classic is magic! You don’t see too many female stand-up bass players who can also sing at the same time....love!
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ2o5CWCOgk)
Music is a special art form. You can’t see music. You can only hear it and feel it. Music is energy. The experiences it gives us make us more sensitive...and that’s what the world needs now: much more sensitivity. This is the future the world needs. Thousands of children making music. Thousands of children enjoying playing an instrument or singing. If it’s possible in Venezuela, why not the rest of the world?
- Gustavo Dudamel
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_HreYQZ4MY)
A Sad Song for the Slavic Soul: Can Bosnia’s melancholy melodies appeal to a new generation?
“Western pop music is full of love songs, but broken hearts are taken more seriously here in the Balkans. Hence the music of sevdah: slow-paced Bosnian love songs that blend Eastern scales and melodies with Slavic soul. It has been the soundtrack of Sarajevo from Ottoman times to today”
Composer and musical genius, Magin Diaz, 95 yrs old, has been writing songs for more than 80 years, producing some of Colombia’s most well known traditional music...and yet until recently, he had remained anonymous. Race relations, economic inequality, and educational disparities have shaped the stories of many of the world’s musical treasures; however, it is lovely, I think, to witness someone who shared their gift with the world, attain recognition during his lifetime.
Okay, so I suppose this is technically the Charlie Brown “Christmas Dance” but it reminds of me of dancing around my grandparent’s living room on Thanksgiving...waiting for the turkey to be ready. It’s also an iconic song that mixes musical genres of varying cultures: classical, jazz, and Latin song stylings...plus the kid’s dance moves are wonderful!
So, for those of you who do take part in celebrating this holiday, cheers to cherishing and upholding your Thanksgiving traditions, whatever they may be!!!!
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1LUXQWzCno)
Armonica, ca. 1780 F. A. Böhm (Karlsruhe, Germany)
- Materials: Wood, glass, copper alloy, iron, rubber, paper - Width: 115.8 cm - Range: 33 glasses (f-sharp to d’“) - Other Notes: The glasses form a row of bells played by friction [instead of being struck]. The bottom of the case is lined to hold water that wets the glass bowls as they rotate on the axle operated by the treadle, then are stroked with the fingertips. The gold-edged rims sound the accidentals, while the plain sound the natural notes. This automated version of musical glasses, if you will, is originally attributed to Benjamin Franklin in 1761. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and many contemporaries composed for it.
Source: Horniman Museum & Gardens
Honoring the musical legend Fairouz on her 81st birthday.
Fairouz turns 81 years old today, a day before Lebanon’s Independence Day. Born Nouhad Wadie’ Haddad, the iconic musical legend is the most widely admired singer in the Arab world. The singer, who is beloved in the Vogue office, had the ability to unite entire generations of Arabs through her music. “She was the only symbol of peace in the times of war in Lebanon,” recalled Vogue’s senior translator, Dima Lababidi, who dubbed her a “beacon of hope.”
Below is a song whose lyrics were by the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran, with music composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab, one of the greatest Egyptian composers of the era, all sung by a beautiful young Lebanese woman called Fairuz, who had already ascended to become one of the stars of the Arab world, her image visible on televisions across the region.
In the song, a man is calling upon his lady to explore the beauty of the night and dispel her fears. What a beautiful and relevant request, no?
Sakan al Lail- The Night Became Calm The night became calm And in the cloak of calmness was hidden the dreams The full moon widened And in the moon watched over the days So come my daughter of the fields Let us visit the vineyard of lovers Perhaps we will extinguish the flame of desire with the sweet juice The nightingale is heard amidst the fields pouring out melodies In the space that the hills breathed a breeze of sweet basil Don't fear, my girl For the stars can hold their tongue And the fog of night in that vineyard covers the secrets Do not fear For the bride of jinn In her enchanted cave Slept sweetly and was on the verge being hidden from the pitch black eyes And the king of the jinn if he passed by he would leave diverted by love For he is like me a lover How can he betray that which consumes him (with love)?
(NB: I came across several spellings of the song title however, I found these lyrics, a poem by Khalil Gibran, were translated into English, the same way or with very little deviation, each time I looked. Pic from Vogue Arabia)
Pandit Ravi Shankar - sitar - Rāga Yaman Kalyan - 1974
Indian Classical Music: Rāgas
Indian classical music, that is: Carnatic and Hindustani music, contains independent sets of rāgas as well as some that overlap. Rāgas are patterns of notes that ascend and descend in varying ways, which differ from the Western scale and melody. In some parts of India, rāgas are associated with different times of day, (morning, afternoon, evening, night, or anytime), as well as with different seasons. In Western music, Solfege is used to teach pitch (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do...and in come the memories of The Sound of Music)! Similarly, Indian music utilizes a system known as Sargam for naming the notes as follows: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa. The tonic, or ground note, is Sa (instead of the Western ‘do’). This tonic note is heard in the drone of the Sitar or Shruti Box. Unlike most Western music, the notes in a rāga are comprised of more than one pitch. There are natural notes and half notes which enable the listener to hear the original tone plus the surrounding harmonics.
“The word rāga is derived from a Sanskrit word which means act of coloring or dyeing (the mind and mood/emotions in this context) and therefore metaphorically means 'any feeling or passion especially love, affection, sympathy, desire, interest, motivation, joy, or delight.' Therefore, the word is used in the literal sense of 'the act of dyeing,' and also 'color, hue, tint,' especially the color red in the Sanskrit epics, and in the figurative sense of 'something that colors one's emotions.' A figurative sense of the word as 'passion, love, desire, delight' is also found in the Mahabharata. The specialized sense of 'loveliness, beauty,' especially of voice or song, emerges in Classical Sanskrit, used by Kalidasa and in the Panchatantra. The term first occurs in a technical context in the Brihaddeshi (dated ca. 5th to 8th century), where it is described as "a combination of tones which, with beautiful illuminating graces, pleases the people in general".Rāginī (Devanagari: रागिनी) is a term for the "feminine" counterpart or "wife" to a rāga. The rāga-rāgini scheme from about the 14th century aligned 6 "male" rāgas with 5 "wives" each.”
I enjoy listening to rāgas to help me energize or to de-stress, to better concentrate, or to fall sleep. Perhaps there is a rāga out there that will benefit you...or simply enchant you with its inherent beauty? Be well.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings "100 Days, 100 Nights"
In memory of a legend, I submit this fantastic song for the sake of its fabulousness. R.I.P. Sharon Jones.
Music for Community Building and Social Change:
Musicians Without Borders is an organization whose professional trainers develop sustainable community music projects, working with musicians, music lovers, and local organizations in diverse communities around the world, impacted by war and conflict. Their motto is: USING MUSIC TO BRIDGE DIVIDES, CONNECT COMMUNITIES, AND HEAL THE WOUNDS OF WAR. Music is a tool that empowers people to communicate, to express what cannot be put into words, to serve as a container for fear and hold the space safely, to foster self-actualization, and even cultivate reconciliation efforts between opposing ethnic and religious populations. Some of Musicians Without Border’s projects include: Palestine Community Music (featured in the video above), Community Music for Community Health in Uganda, The Mitrovica Rock School in Kosovo, The Music Bridge in Northern Ireland, Music for Youth in Rwanda, Tanzania Youth Music, Welcome Notes in The Netherlands, and From Woman to Woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2013-2015).
“From a hurt comes a healing, from an end comes a start. From the dark comes revealing, a growing light in our hearts, thanks to you.”- Song lyrics from “Thanks to You” by Robert E. Krout
Here is some information from their website about the Palestine Community Music Project featured in the above video:
Since 2008, Palestine Community Music has grown to become a multifaceted program that empowers youth to express themselves and serve their communities. The project offers uplifting, music-based activities to young people who lack social or cultural opportunities, and reaches thousands of the most marginalized children of the West Bank. Our programs include Music and Nonviolence Leadership training, Rap for Social Change, music workshops for the deaf and children with special needs and the Musical Playground.
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pHEP-uVOHE)
P.S. On a personal note, as someone hailing from a multi-cultural background (Indigenous Brazilian, American, Irish, Angolan, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese New Yorker), a musician, an impassioned music lover, a traveler, a Creative Arts Therapy Certificate Holder, a CCS Volunteer, a current student at a Social Justice school, and a hopeful candidate for the NP Mngmt Program...I am feeling so grateful in this moment of inspiration. Even if all that is needed for me to offer is a donation, this is the kind of work, the kind of community engagement that ignites my soul, and more importantly, GIVES.
If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.
Jimmy Hendrix
MUSIC AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS: DATA & IMPACT
(pic from love+water Designs)
I took the time to research, to find studies and data that show the benefits and impact of music education on child development. Below are some of my findings which led me to further speculate that engagement with varying genres of music, the music of different cultures in the classroom advances empathy building and cultural awareness; something our children could potentially benefit from in the current and emerging political climate.
Schools that have music programs have an attendance rate of 93.3% compared to 84.9% in schools without music programs.-The National Association for Music Education.
Students in high-quality school music education programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of community -Nature Neuroscience, April 2007.
83% of teachers and 73% of parents do not see music education as a luxury, and believe that cuts to music programs are detrimental to student success.-”Striking a Chord: The Public’s Hopes and Beliefs for K-12 Music Education in the United States 2015”- NAMM Study
According to Dr. Nina Kraus’s work with the Harmony Project, students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college as well.-Auditory learning through active engagement with sound: Biological impact
The world's top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades.-1988 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IAEEA) Test
U.S. Department of Education data shows that students who report consistently high levels of involvement in instrumental music during the middle- and high-school years show "significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12."-James Catterall, Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga, "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development," 1999
The skills gained through sequential music instruction, including discipline and the ability to analyze, solve problems, communicate and work cooperatively, are vital for success in the 21st century workplace.-U.S. House of Representatives, Concurrent Resolution 355, March 6, 2006
As President, Obama's President's Committee on Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) conducted an in-depth review of the current condition of arts education. Their landmark study, Reinvesting in Arts Education, clearly shows the link between arts education and achievement in other subjects. All forms of art - from music to photography to dance - prepare children for success in the workforce not simply as artists, but all professions.
“This research demonstrates that community music programs can literally ‘remodel’ children’s brains in a way that improves sound processing, which could lead to better learning and language skills,” said study lead author Nina Kraus, the Hugh Knowles professor of communication sciences in the School of Communication and of neurobiology and physiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern.
Noted Clinical Music Therapist Dr. Clive Robbins once said: "Almost all children respond to music. Music is an open-sesame, and if you can use it carefully and appropriately, you can reach into that child's potential for development." (Nordoff-Robbins clinic, housed at NYU, used music therapy to help 100+ disabled children learn, relate, and communicate with others)
As reported by the Psychiatric Times: “A review of the music therapy literature delineates at least three broad domains of functioning where music therapy has been successfully utilized in the treatment of emotionally disturbed children: affect regulation, communication and social/behavioral dysfunction.
Assessment and intervention in each of these domains requires strong grounding in developmental theory, a key component in the training of music therapists. Early on, music therapy was identified as an intervention to treat impairments in affective functioning, including reducing levels of anxiety (Cooke, 1969), and as a tool to improve emotional responsiveness (Wasserman, 1972). Music therapy has been well-suited to help improve communication deficits and stimulate nonverbal communication. Numerous positive outcomes in improving social functioning, social awareness and cooperation (Werbner, 1966), and decreasing disruptive behaviors (Hong et al., 1998) have been reported. One of the major contemporary applications for music therapy is working with children who have serious emotional disturbances and high degrees of impulsivity and limited ability to self-regulate (Layman et al., 2002).”
Cultural Awareness in schools thru music: Bilingual Birdies here and abroad
My current anthem:
Lyrics:
We are here We are here for all of us We are here for all of us That's why we are here, why we are here We are here
Bombs over Baghdad, tryna get something we ain't never had Let's start with a good dad So real but it's so sad And while we burnin' this incense, we gon' pray for the innocent Cause right now it don't make sense Right now it don't make sense Let's talk about Chi town Let's talk about Gaza Let's talk about, let's talk about Israel Cause right now it is real Let's talk about, let's talk Nigeria In a mass hysteria, yeah Our souls are brought together so that we could love each other Brother,
We are here We are here for all of us We are here for all of us That's why we are here, why we are here We are here
No guns made in Harlem, but yet crime is a problem He wanna shine, they wanna rob him Single mother, where they come from? How we gonna save the nation, with no support for education Cause right now it don't make sense Right now it don't make sense Let's talk about our part My heart touch your heart Let's talk about, let's talk about living Had enough of dying, not what we all about Let's do more giving Do more forgiving, yeah Our souls were brought together so that we could love each other Sister,
We are here We are here for all of us We are here for all of us That's why we are here, why we are here We are here We are here for all of us We are here for all of us That's why we are here, why we are here We are here Oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrKmDgk8Edg)
“What’s the point of listening to music during a moment that seems so fraught? In the shadow of all the material changes that might soon come, talking about culture can feel like a waste of time, a momentary distraction on the way to a total despondency. But American music is a chronicle of joy and pain, a version of the past that floats alongside official history. There are moments when a song captures our present with prophetic clarity and others when it shines just out of reach, or takes us lower than we thought possible.“
With everything that is currently going on in the U.S. and around the world, the expressive arts, that is music and art and dance and poetry, are crucial tools for dispelling anxieties, accessing and expressing emotions and thoughts, and in cultivating empathy and compassion via productive conversation. Music in its essence demands that one listens while providing a platform for others to speak out whether verbally and thru lyrics, in tone, thru breath, thru rhythm, thru the very instruments themselves, or within the resonating spaces it inhabits. Music transcends language, race, religion, gender, and politics. The spaces between the notes (the rests) are like breathing, a measured silence. Someone once said that “Music is the truest democracy.” From the rhythm of our mother’s heartbeats and the voices we hear in the womb to the end of life when the last sense to go is hearing (music is stored in the same part of the brain as long-term memory), can it not be said that music shapes the course of our lives as human beings during our time on earth? With all of this in mind, I must conclude that music is for all of us; let us embrace that connection and each other...and listen.