I like to dabble.
Through my life I have never been "protected" from other cultures. My parents did their best to make me understand that China was not just across the street and the people there live differently than what I am used to.
As I was the child who sang as she committed small crimes, like running over to my aunts house without an escort, my family completely expected me to jump right into music. I find it sad that I did not care for music until I was in fifth grade.
It was a song from Africa that had been translated for our small brains that really opened up my world.
"Hey, that's a lot cooler than what I listen to on the radio!"
I started to look at pre-1600's music because of a international group I joined. The SCA is a society like the civil war groups... only it's for the European pre-1600's. My family chose to be a pirate crew so we get along well with the gypsies... One benefit of this is the music.
I have yet to work up the courage to join in (it has been about nine years), but I do sit on the side and listen to the music they have collected over the years. They play music from the Native Americans on a rare occasion. Most of the time they use Irish folk music. In the last few years they have started belly dancing the traditional way, not the weird Hollywood stuff. Because of the new interest we hear a lot of old Indian dance music. The drums are mostly where I set my attention. I like the pulsing.
Of course, I am a difficult person. I chose a Japanese persona.
Next to the drums of Africa and India comes my Japanese music. I adore the oriental sound. I have yet to raid my closest library for music. This love of Japan has exposed me to J-Rock and J-Pop. I love the Japanese take on classical, rock, and pop music.
About two years ago I became a fan of lullabies. My parents bought me a book of lullabies collected from around the world. I plan to add most of them to my brain. All things considered, I think I have a very open mind when it comes to new music.
~Lynn
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That's really neat that you take the time to look at different cultures from an aspect that interested you. I never cared much for history and thought of that as being exactly the same as culture. Now I think I shall have to make up the difference.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how you've been exposed to a wide variety of music.
ReplyDeleteDo you like Japanese Animes? I love Japanese animes. Don't they have cool soundtracks? I also like listening to traditional Japanese music. I recommend the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. But before that, read the book first. I've always been fascinated by Japanese Culture, Arts and History. =D
I really want you to teach me how to belly dance, that's something I've always been interested in. I think it's really cool that an African song is what got you into music, especially since it's so different than what got me into music. It makes for a really unique story :) And I definitely want to hear some of those lullabies.
ReplyDeleteI discovered Cornelius a Japanese artist on Georgia state college radio a couple of years back that I really like. Perhaps you heard him or them - the album "Point" has a really cool continuity with fantastic arrangements of guitar and electronic sounds
ReplyDeleteWell done, Lynn. The material is interesting, and so is your writing.
ReplyDeleteCool! We both have backgrounds in Indian music! How much more awesome and amazing can you get? And you'll have to expose me more to the J-Rock and J-Pop: I'm genuinely interested.
ReplyDeleteThe SCA Group sounds quite interesting. I hadn't heard of something like that before I read your blog. How did you choose the Japanese music route? (This may sound sarcastic or silly, but I'm completely serious when I ask...) Do you listen or analyze any of the anime music as well? My friend sent me two cd's of this wonderfully soothing and expressive music. It just so happens they were soundtracks to anime movies!
ReplyDeleteI never knew it wasn't until 5th that you liked music! Knowing you I would have thought that you would have been doing it all your life! *giggle* Not to mention the lullabies you have been listening to lately are so nice and calming...
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