fandomhigh | Music 201 - 1/19/06 - Period 7

Entry tags:

music

Music 201 - 1/19/06 - Period 7 - Class #3

Bernadette, Pip
Blank, Martin
Callisto
Carlyle, Boone
Chase, Angela
Chiana
Carson, Bridge (TA's assistant) -

bridge_carson
Crichton, John (TA) -

whitedeathpod
Evans, Lily - 2 absences
Ford, James
Gavin, Jake Jr
Hopeless-Savage, Skank Zero
Kisaragi, Yuffie
McDonald, Lindsey
Mitchell, Cameron
O'Neill, Jack
Potter, Harry
Solo, Han
Stevens, Isobel
Sullivan, Chloe
Tate, Jessica

[OOC: Change to attendance policy. Both classes are open until Monday 6pm EST for commenting/participation.]

The music room was set up as it usually was, with food on the round table and Ted sitting at the front near the board. The food of the day was an assortment of tacos, burritos and other Mexican foods that are difficult to pronounce from Krazy Taco. [OOC: Bonus points if you know where that fictional store is from] There are, of course, Twinkies and cans of soda available too.

Once the students trickled in, Ted stood up and began to talk.

"Afternoon, dudes! Today we're totally gonna get started on the music of the multiverse. Because, like, that's what we're here for. And the Twinkies. But the music too. This week we're gonna learn about Earth music. Today will be music from right here in the United States. Tomorrow will be music from places that are not the United States." He turned to the board and wrote something.

U.S.A.

"U.S.A. That stands for the United States of America." He was quite proud that he remembered that. He pulled down a cord and a map of the United States was revealed with several stars on it. "Today we're gonna cover four places in the US of A and the music that people think of when they think of that place."

He pointed to #1 on the map. "Louisiana. Now, Louisiana is in the south. That's down the bottom, dudes. There's a lot of blues and jazz and stuff. The most important thing about music from Louisiana is that it always tells a story. For example, you've got the most excellent song Johnny B. Goode that starts with 'Deep down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans...' Johnny B. Goode is the most epic tale of a boy who never ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like a ringin' a bell. It's a song I can totally identify with." Ted took a moment to play a short excerpt of a recording of the song on the tape player.

"Another epic song from Louisiana is Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da." He played a recording of that song too. "I should warn you dudes that singing that song in public *might* make cartoon birds come and sit on your shoulder. But anyway, even if there's no lyrics, music from Louisiana always tells a story. Telling stories through music is most triumphant, student dudes."

He shifted aside and pointed to #2. "This is New York. New York has big buildings, a big park and big hot dogs. Everything there is totally big, and so's its music scene. In the 1970s, disco music was huge. The music in New York was more about getting people to dance to make their story known instead of the songs giving the story. There were a lot of guys who had big hair and white flares that danced to disco music, like this song - Stayin' Alive." He played a short section of the song. "The moral of New York disco music was that life is totally awesome and that you should use your body to show it."

Ted moved on to #3. "This is Kansas. Uh, I think. I'm not good at geography. This is *supposed* to be Kansas. In Kansas, they sing a lot about, like, tornados and rainbows and wanting to get out of Kansas. Then, when they're gone, they sing a lot about wanting to get back into Kansas, as if there's no place like home or something. Most known music from Kansas is ad-libbed. That means it's made up just as the people are walking around. No one really knows how music just starts playing in mid-air when they start singing, but that's what happens." He nodded sagely.

He finally pointed to #4. "And finally dudes, we've got something local. This is Washington DC, which isn't far from here. Washington DC is like the place where the President and all those political dudes come from. They make decisions, and talk like Abe Lincoln - who's totally a good friend of mine - and do important stuff for the country. So, like, they need important music to get them pumped and make them look important. Music can make anyone look important dudes. Keep that in mind. Music in Washington DC has a lot of drums and bugles and violins in it. They want that music to make you feel special, like part of their secret club, so they make it all big and grand and stuff. You can use music to get what you want, dudes. That's what those Washington dudes and babes in suits know that most people don't. Now you know. Use that information wisely."

Ted shrugged. "I'd talk about California music, which is where I'm from - SAN DIMAS RULES! - but I need a whole semester to do that."

He cleared his throat and pointed to the box in the bottom corner of the map. "There's also music in Alaska, especially in places like Cicily. It usually has harmonicas and kazoos and mooses, but we usually don't talk about it."

Discussion: "Pick one of the types of music we talked about today and talk to the class about what you think non-US type student dudes here at Fandom High would think about it. What would someone who's never heard this stuff before think of it? How would they react?"

Homework: None.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Pick one of the types of music we talked about today and talk to the class about what you think non-US type student dudes here at Fandom High would think about it. What would someone who's never heard this stuff before think of it? How would they react?

As he's from the South, Cameron picks the blues. "I think the blues is a music genre that anyone anywhere can relate to. Like you said," Cameron's kinda surprised that he agrees with Ted, "the music tells the story and listening to what the blues say isn't hard. It's right there in the rhythm. Of course, I'm kinda assuming that they can hear the music just like we do. Because I'm sure there are species out there who have a different way of hearing and to which our music, even the blues, will just sound like some horrible screeching sounds."

"That's totally true, dude. Like, aliens and stuff could get hurt by the blues. That'd be bad."

John chooses disco music. "If someone not from Earth just happened to land in the middle of a disco club? They might either become enthralled with the snappy, upbeat sounds of disco or they might fun away screaming. Disco's not for everyone and, sometimes, it's just too cheesy for people to get. It's songs about men raining down or Saturday night fevers and it's a very acquired taste. Not to mention the dancing and clothing that are usually attached to the very idea of disco. Sorry man, no white leisure suits for me!"

"I think someone who had never heard disco before might really like it. I mean, dance music is easy to understand, and it seems to appeal most to people who own, like, four CDs. So if you don't really know music, it would probably be a genre you would like."

Izzie nods in agreement. "Disco isn't a type of music I really get into. But dance music does seem to appeal to a lot of people. It doesn't take a whole lot of deep thinking to connect to it. Besides, sometimes the cheesiness of disco really does cheer people up. And that has to be a positive aspect of that form of music."

Re: Discussion Topic

wyld-stallyn.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:03 (UTC) - Expand

"Totally. And those people need to get out more."

"I know I'd run away screaming if I landed in the middle of a disco club. Some of that chest hair is scary dude."

Marty raises his hand. "Personally? I think my roommate Aeryn would be a big fan of the 'Zipppity-do-dah' song. She's from another planet and according to the radio last night her arms are definitely big enough to support several birds on them."

"I do not know this Aeryn babe, but big arms are good to have if you're gonna have lots of cartoon birds around. Good thinking, dude."

Jake picks Kansas music, just because. "I think if music suddenly started playing just as you were out having a nice quiet walk, or something, that people might be a little freaked out. And maybe get performance anxiety."

"Yeah, and like, what if they're tone-deaf? Or something? Then they might get all embarassed because all their friends are singing really well and they're, like, not. That'd suck."

Re: Discussion Topic

courier-gavin.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 03:10 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Discussion Topic

wyld-stallyn.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:04 (UTC) - Expand

Zero picks Alaska. Because she can.

"I'm not sure how non-US students would feel about tribal music. I mean, it's tribal, so it's primal and universal and all that, but the students from advanced civilizations have probably moved beyond all that and would find it primitive. Possibly in a bad way. Also, the mooses...wait, is it moose? Anyway. That would probably throw them."

"Mooses are scary. Even musical mooses are scary."

"I'd be thrown by mooses making music too. I think anybody would, if they'd never heard it before. What does a moose even sound like, anyway?"

Re: Discussion Topic

wyld-stallyn.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:55 (UTC) - Expand

Han listed to the various played sections.

"The Louisiana music is nice. The New York is definitely for dancing. Washington music was all...tinkly when I was there. Not a lot of patriotism, but an awful lot of dancing mice and snowmen."

Jack picks at random.

"I think that if someone from another planet were to listen to Blues music without prior knowledge they might think that everyody on this planet is entirely sad."

"And that's totally not true. I mean, what you're saying is true, but not that we're all sad. After all, dude, how could everyone be sad when we have delicious sugary snacks?"

Re: Discussion Topic

2ls-in-oneill.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:09 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Discussion Topic

wyld-stallyn.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:12 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Discussion Topic

2ls-in-oneill.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:13 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Discussion Topic

wyld-stallyn.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:17 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Discussion Topic

2ls-in-oneill.livejournal.com - 2006-01-20 05:21 (UTC) - Expand

"Well, I'm not from the US, myself. So I think I like the Louisiana type best. There's a strong French influence there I can relate to. Plust, I like the idea that music tells a story. It makes listening to music a multi-tiered experience. Or something like that. Ya know?"

"Totally deep, dude. Totally deep."

"Washington DC music, since it tries to sound so big and important, might make people think we're all kind of full of ourselves if that was the first music they heard from here. And all the bugles might make them think we were kinda military. Bugles always make me think of the military."

Being mostly unfamiliar with these due to being from Ancient Greece, Callisto picks Kansas at random.

"People spontaneously bursting into song is kinda creepy. I hope something like that never happens to me."

Sawyer chooses at random like all the others.

"Whoever decides to listen to Disco will think that America went through an insanity period, that music wasn't really good on the ears and half the time it had to do with shiny objects or drugs or something."

"And drugs are totally bad, mkay?" Ted may have been watching too much modern TV. "Who needs drugs when you have Twinkies?"

"I'm pretty sure that anyone hearing music from Kansas for the first time would assume that the entire state is just fields and corn and cows and farmers with no teeth. Which, granted, is true for about half of the state. But the other half is really not that bad, and can actually be very hip and fun, really!" Chloe paused for a moment. "That sounded so much less pathetic in my head."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only