fandomhigh | Music 201 - 1/28/06 - Period 7 - Class #6 (before the blackout)

Today's junk food consists of hot chocolate, coffee, tea and sugary cookie-type treats.

"Afternoon dudes! Weird weather we're having, huh?

Today's class is gonna be a short one, because, like, there's only so much you can say about the banthabell. Because that's what we're learning about today dudes! The banthabell is pretty big on a planet called Tatooine which is in the same area as the Republic. This," Ted said, picking up an odd bell. "Is a banthabell. You can make all kinds of noises with it. Banthabells are musical instruments that take, like, way lots of time to learn how to play. Anyone can clang a banthabell, but to make actual music with it takes time. Now we're gonna hear a recording of a Republic folk song using the banthabell." Ted played the recording.

The banthabell is a good example of people making music instruments out of whatever they can find. The banthabell is used to keep track of herds of banthas and other cow-but-not-cow-like animals. But then someone started playing one and made music out of it. Most excellent."

Ted went and opened the door and gestured for the guest speaker to enter.

"Today we've got a guest banthabell player, Anakin Skywalker. Banthabell Dude's gonna play something and then answer any questions about banthabell music. Go Banthabell-Dude!"

After the demonstration and questions from Anakin, the class dispersed...just in time for the brief blackout. Spooky.

[OOC: Credit for the Imperial March Banthabell Mix goes to the lovely

psycho_barbie.]

OCD Threads are ~~coming.~~ now up.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Anakin was never exactly a ball of sunshine, but today he was especially cranky.

But a chance to show what banthabell music should sound like wasn't to be missed.

So here he was. He cleared his throat and held up his banthabell. "Um, this is a traditional folk song on my home planet."

He began to sing:

"Why are there so many songs about sandstorms" *clang*
"and coming out the other side?" *clang*
"Sandstorms come quickly,"--clang*--"especially in August,"
"and there's nothing to do but hide." *clang*
"So we've been taught and you'd better believe it." *clang*
"Even the Raiders and Jawas hide, see?" *clang*
"And so there you have it,"--*clang*--"the Tatooine connection," *clang*
"The Raiders, the Jawas and me." *clang*

The song continued for several more minutes.

When it was finished, Anakin lowered the bell. "Um, I'll answer any questions you have about the instrument if you'd like."

Jake is mute with admiration ~~and possibly fear~~.

Callisto wondered if she'd be able to get her hands on the classroom survelliance tapes. She had the feeling Barbossa would love a recording of this.

"Do you have to take a lot of lessons to learn the banthabell correctly? Or is it something anyone can pick up?"

"It's a pretty easy instrument to pick up," Anakin said. "I was never formally trained--it was just something to do in the evenings after the suns had gone down when I was a kid."

John smiles.

"Did you ever believe you'd get to use your banthabell skills in a school pageant?"

"Not ever," Anakin said, rolling his eyes. "Until I got here I didn't know the full horror that is a school pageant."

He grinned. "But I'm betting you didn't come her expecting to be a drummer boy, either."

"Not ever," John echoes. "And I never wanna be a drummer boy again. I think I might've permanently damaged Anders' legs that night. Ouch."

For some reason the song sounds very familiar to Marty, but he can't seem to place it.

"What's a bantha? And why does it need a bell?"

"A bantha's beast of burden on my home planet," Anakin explained. "They're used by the moisture farmers and the Tusken Raiders, um, a group of nomadic hunters that wander the deserts. The banthas are about two and a half meters tall, and have evolved so they can survive the sandstorms that sweep across the planet. The bells help the farmers and the Raiders find the banthas when they've wandered off." He shrugged. "The music came about when the Raiders had time on their hands around a campfire millennia ago, I imagine."

Zero stared at Anakin. Well, that was certainly...different.

Han headdesks.

Songs about Tatooine sandstrorms rate somewhere below jizz wailers and above Huttese mating calls on his personal preference.

Anakin wondered why Han was whacking his head on his desk.

It hadn't been that bad.

"You could have at least used the aurek sharp bell," Han grumbles.

"I prefer the tone of the dorn flat," Anakin said. "Anything higher just brings out the really whiny tones that I hate in the Tusken Raider music."

"~~Anything higher than that brings out the Skywalker Whine Genes?~~ Raider music never did much for me. Corelli pop, now that's music."

"~~Maybe...~~Corelli pop's pretty good, yeah," Anakin said, nodding. "Beats the hell out of the droid spoken-word albums that are all the rage right now, anyway."

"The filthier the better with pop. Alderaani Opera's real hot too. Droid spoken word? I knew trends moved slow on the rim, but that went out in the core before I hit double digits."

Han thinks a minute. "Whaddaya think of eletronic whistlepipes? That one performer, Piston Stuart, made 'em real popular."

Anakin furrowed his brow. "Haven't heard of him? Her? It?" He shrugged. "But I've been busy the last few years. I might have missed some stuff spending so much time away from Coruscant."

Chiana wonders to herself how much it would take to get him to do a repeat of that bunny song.

Sawyer is chuckling under his breath, hiding behind a book and as Anakin finishes he snorts with laughter before regaining his composition, "Soooo, is that a normal thing to do on your planet? Make songs up about Bantha-whatever's?"

What? He's curious and amused!

Anakin stared hard at Sawyer.

He didn't appreciate being snickered at.

"Not a lot going on on Tatooine," he said, shrugging. "You live in the middle of a desert. Most people make their living trying to pull moisture from the clouds if they're not into smuggling. Sandstorms can blow through without notice and destroy your livelihood. I'm amazed that we have any kind of culture at all." He glared. "Even if it wasn't to your taste." He paused. "And they're just called banthas. Think really big cows. With tusks. Who can kill you if you're in their way and they get spooked."

Angela is not giggling. She is shopwing her pleased appreciation for this ancient art form.

It just looks like giggling.

Lindsey stares at Anakin and his banthabell but doesn't say anything. There just aren't any words to say.

For some reason this reminded Cameron of country music, except for the part where it really didn't.

Music 201 - 1/28/06 - Period 7 - Class #6 (before the blackout)

Banthabell music, huzzah!

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