In my lifetime I have heard music from different cultures other than my own.
When I was in the fourth grade I went on a field trip to a Cherokee reservation. I enjoyed listening to the traditional music and seeing the costumes that go along with it. The only instruments used were drums, but there was plenty of singing and chanting.
I have heard bagpipes being played before. It was not live, but from a recording of Scottish music. the specific piece I heard was performed in honor of fallen soldiers. There was singing as well as bagpipes.
I have heard plenty of mariachi music in Mexican restaurants, but only a couple actually had a live mariachi band. I lived in El Paso, Texas when I was two years old. I am told that my parents took me to the border of Mexico and ate at a restaurant called The Mission. At this restaurant there was a mariachi band. In high school I attended an assembly which included Mexican folk dancing and folk songs.
Ever since I was a little girl, my family has dined at Kanpai, a Japanese restaurant. The restaurant plays music from the Japanese culture. the Japanese music is not tonicized like Western music is.
I have also heard Italian music at Italian restaurants.
When I was in middle school I attended an assembly which included a group of girls Irish Dancing. Of course, the dance routine went along with Irish music. There was also a group of girls from Indian decent that did a bally routine.
When I was in the ninth grade I attended a bah mitzvah. I attended the service at the synagogue which included Jewish prayers and songs. At the reception there was plenty of traditional Jewish music.
I watched the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The opening ceremony included traditional Chinese music, which also revealed some of the cultures and traditions of the Chinese people.
My mom and I went to Charleston, South Carolina and went to a plantation. During the tour we sat in on a segment about the culture of the Gullah people who were taken as slaves on the plantation. The lady who was conducting the segment sang Geechee music.
Currently, my mom and I live with my grandparents. My grandfather enjoys listening to bluegrass music, which I end up hearing.
I have not heard very much live music from different cultures, but I am sure that as I advance in my musical career I will have opportunities to experience music of diverse cultures.
Actually, Brittany, it sounds like you've heard a wide variety of music from other cultures--just in bits and pieces, rather than in huge immersive chunks. Isn't it amazing how food can be a gateway into other cultures? I'll bet half of Spartanburg couldn't find Thailand on a map, but they all love Thai Taste! And yes, Bah Mitzvah's are very neat. We attended Chris's cousin's a few years ago, and I was just enthralled by the music--and the knowledge that our speech-impaired cousin could actually read the Torah and pray in Hebrew!
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty cool how so much of the music you've been exposed to came from eating at different types of restaurants. I never thought about it, but I guess when you go to ethnic restaurants you're not only getting a taste of their food, but also of their culture too. I think our class should take field trips to restaurants to hear these different types of music :)
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool that you have been immersed in so much different music as well as the culture. I completely forgot about all these different places and things our country offers but it truly has so many opportunities for everyone to get at least a small taste of it.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you've heard so much music from different cultures! I completely forgot that I had heard so much during middle and high school just because of chorus and various assemblies! I'm glad that we have the opportunity to hear so much!
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