Dancing

The type of music I would put on or find appealing in a dancing situation definitely all depends on that particular situation. For example, if I was just at a party with some friends I would usually prefer to have a more upbeat style of music like hip hop or pop playing to dance to. These genres usually have songs with fast paced beats and easy to follow rhythms so they’re usually good songs to just have a lot of fun dancing to. Also these types of songs can make you in a more cheerful mood so maybe if you were not in the mood for dancing at first, you might be a little peppier after hearing a couple of these fast paced songs. But if the occasion I was putting on music for is more of a formal get together, like a wedding, for example I would play a mix of both upbeat and slow songs from genres like R&B, soft rock, alternative, or country.  These types of songs, at least lyrically, I feel, often have a deeper meaning to them than the more upbeat songs I talked about before. Often times they’ll tell stories having to do with love so these genres are definitely appropriate to dance to at something as special as a wedding.

Dancing through the ages!

This is a super hard blog for me to write because there is so many different musical eras that I like to dance to. I first favorite era begins with the 1930’s. This music appeals to me when I am feeling very affectionate. It takes me to a speak easy where I am dressed to the nines and no matter who is in the room the only person I care about is my dancing partner and he only has eyes for me. Then I transition to the 1940’s where we get a little bit more big band swing music. I love dancing to this music because I feel lively and full. Through the fifties I pretty much just like the songs that mimic big band and smooth and deep voices of the 30’s and 40’s. The 60’s are okay the best of the 60’s was Sam Cooke and he had some of his best hits in the late 50’s. I have a separation in the 70’s. I do not so much like to dance to the classic rock songs. However I do very much enjoy dancing to disco funk hits during the 70’s. As for the 1980’s we become introduced some pretty nasty hair and clothes, but I cannot deny that I like to whip it with the Devos and turn things upside down with Diana Ross. Now the 1990’s, for all of the students in the class the era that we were born in, lets be honest who doesn’t like to get down to big butts or simply pump… pump the jam. I know there are a few photos I would like to pump with dynamite a blow up from the nineties…. Gross! Now we move on to the 00’s which features and introduces a complete shift in dance styles. Of course I love to dance and get down and dirty like we all did or watched others do in junior high. Hey it wasn’t our faults the top hits were “My Humps” and featured sexy bootied women. Wait else were we to do. Well I guess we have the slower more meaningful songs but a little harder to dance to. Then it morphs to the pop music that blows up the radio now. It can be fun to dance to because you can totally make something up and somehow make it look okay and maybe possibly cool. I listen to most of music randomly and I adapt my dance and music according to the music, it is a time when I let loose and give into the style and era, it is my escape.

Sam Dancing.

I don't really dance to music as much anymore. I used to be in show choir when I was in High school though. We would dance to all kinds of music from hip hop, jazz, 80's rock, and remixes. I didn't always enjoy the music that we danced to but I still had fun. If I could choose a particular style to dance to, it would be 80's rock. I felt like I had the most fun dancing to music that was trying to sound epic. I also feel that the beats to 80's rock were always moving and were easy to choreograph dance moves to, which made dancing to them a lot easier. I enjoyed the moves that could only be done in a show choir because I feel awkward when I dance alone. Also, I always liked slow dancing with my fiance at her proms, but we won't get to do those any more. I know I cannot dance to rap or hip hop now because my moves are probably out of date. I absolutely hate grinding now, it has just become way to ridiculous. I like crowd rave dancing but I never go to any. I guess I would enjoy dancing more if I had the time to do it.

Dance Music

If i had to choose the music I listen to the most when I am in a dancing mood, it would have to be Rap or Dub-step. I guess why I like to dance to it the most would because of the heavy beats they usually have. Most commonly with Dub-step and Rap songs, the beats they have are syncopated and make it very easy to dance to. Going along with that, these genres normally are associated with synthesizers which just gives it a more dancey feel. There are always different dance music for different dancing situations. The music used for dancing at teen dances, weddings, and hoedowns are all different. Teen dances normally use the music that is more modern with the time period. As with weddings, people use more upbeat happy dance music and even go as far as having polkas during the reception. Hoedowns are completely different. The music for hoedowns are normally country, westerns, or western movie soundtracks. There all tones of different situations where different types of music are used. Rap and Dub-step are just the easiest for me to get "jiggy with it". If you did not understand my last reference, then you should go listen to Will Smith. If you did not know Will Smith was music artist, or singer, and only thought he was a movie star, then I have lost respect for you. Sorry.

Music of All Sorts

When I dance, I am normally an event that is playing music and dancing is a way of celebrating for that occasion. I am typically at a dance club, a wedding, or a party. I love all kinds of music. Normally at a dance club, like Afterdark in Monmouth, they play rap, pop, hip-hop, and R&B. They play the types of songs that have a fast beat. One time when I went there, they were playing songs that influenced people to grind on others. At most of the weddings I have recently went to, they played traditional songs like the Cha-Cha Slide. They also played a lot of country music such as Amazed by Lonestar. Esentially they played a lot of love songs and songs that get people involved in the celebration, like the Cha-Cha Slide. At parties I go to, we just play country music. Some people will dance like morons if they have drank a little too much "mountain dew," but that just comes to show that dancing can be something people do when they are having a good time. Dancing allows people to let loose. Personally, I love slow songs. I do not like grinding and jumping around or doing funky dance moves when I dance. I would rather be slow dancing with my boyfriend to a song like Amazed by Lonestar so that I can look into his eyes and get wrapped in the moment. Different situations definitely call for different types of music. It would not be appropriate to play My Little Girl by Tim McGraw (a song about giving away a father's daughter) at a dance club.

House Music

Back in Miami, like around the U.S., there are a lot of different ethnicities and cultures. These varieties influence the music that people like to listen and dance to. I personally don’t like or enjoy dancing a lot but usually when the moment is right, house music is the right choice for me and my friends. This is great dance music in my opinion because the beat automatically makes your feet move and it makes you feel like you are freeing your soul. It is easy to get lost in the music and have a great time. There is a huge festival called “Ultra” in Miami Beach that thousands of people around the world come down to Florida to enjoy and dance to the best “House Djs” in the planet. It is hard to believe that so many people in the world can be connected through music. Though I love house music, my older family members do not, so when it comes to family parties, “salsa”, “merengue”, and other Hispanic music are the ones preferred to dance to. 

WEEK 15. Your last one.

What kind of music do you put on when you want to dance, or what music do you find appealing when you are in a dancing situation? What makes it good dance music for you? Is there something about the melody, rhythm, beat, instrumentation or lyrics that makes it especially appealing to you? Do you use different types of music for different dancing situations?

Comment

I wish people would post more blogs so the we can comment on them

Boondock Saints

The Boondock Saints is one of my favorite movies of all time. The music for The Boondock Saints was arranged and written by Jeff Danna who is one of my favorite composers of all time. The music is crucial and very important to the movie. In my own opinion the music makes the movie amazingly spectacular. In the opening credits, Jeff Danna uses The Blood of Cuchulainn to start out the movie. This particular song has an authentic Irish/Celtic feel. It uses traditional instruments that create a distinctive, unique, and particular Irish/Celtic sound. However, the movie is not set in Ireland. Instead it takes place in Boston, Massachusetts where there is a very large Irish population. Without the music in this movie, there would a great decline of emotion surrounding the story line. If there wasn't any music in this movie, the movie would just fall apart and be extremely uninteresting. The Boondock Saints is about two Irish lads who are "told" by god to kill the wicked. The fact that they are Irish plays a significant role in how the the music was written. In almost every single piece of music in this movie, you can find a traditional Irish/Celtic detail. During a particular scene where they kill eight men, you can really take note of the religious element to their mission. Their actions and words during this scene in combination with the extremely angelic sounding church choir singing in the background give an eerie yet somewhat peaceful feeling surrounding the multitude of deaths. Not only is the one of my favorite movies of all time, it also has one of my all time favorite scores ever written.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship

One of my absolute favorite movies is “Lord of the Rings.” The movie took years to make and as in most cases the more time spent the better the outcome. The story seems to move along so smoothly and when the end is near nothing is left to question, only the feeling of waiting for the story to continue with the next movie. The movie is extremely long so that could be why we as the audience do not leave feeling like we do not know everything. One key element that takes the movie to the next level is the music within the film. It is nearly constant and keeps the audience engaged. Just like Siegfried the composer Howard Shore implements the use of leitmotifs in the move “Lord of the Rings.” For example, the Hobbit society has a very pastoral feel to them. The Celtic flute plays and we get the sense that they are simple people. It also makes the Shire, where the Hobbits live, a place of peace like a sanctuary. Then we are introduced to the sound of Modor, the place of evil where the all powerful ring was forged, it is pure evil. Howard conveys pure evil as with dark music that makes us anxious. To give us the feeling that Modor is evil Howard uses a lot of brass instruments. As the plot is revealed and we learn that Isengard is the in alliance Modor to get back the power of the ring. Thus, the music accompanied for Modor also becomes the music for Isengard. For the Elfin society, who is an immortal group of wise healers, the music for them is none other than the perfection and extraordinary influence of the human voice. It gives the Elves a sense of evangelic presents and another worldly aura of wisdom. As for the dwarf society, they are portrayed with cellos which can be bright and cheerful at times, but also can be very intensive and brutal characters. The amount of music within the movie is extensive and absolutely necessary to the plot. The trilogy would not have the success it claimed without the music. Next time you watch the movie please listen to the sound accompaniment and try and connect musical styles between different characters and societies. This is what a true soundtrack should be.

Twilight Saga (all the way!)

My favorite movie that is not a musical would have to be, sorry Mr. Hutchings, the Twilight Saga. Others may argue that the soundtrack is lifeless, but to me, the soundtrack for all the Twilight movies really draws me in further to the movies. Everyone is in love with the two main male characters, Edward, the vampire, and Jake, the werewolf. Edward wrote Bella, the human girl he fell in love with, a song and named it Bella's Lullaby. Throughout just about every movie, Bella's Lullaby is intertwined within the other background music. I think it is beautiful. The composers probably intertwined Bella's Lullaby in with the rest of the soundtrack because it gives their audience the full effect of the emotions they are trying to portray. Some of the soundtrack uses vocal effects with a da-da-da-da-da-da noise. It brings a lot of suspense and gets the adrenaline pumping. This noise mainly arises when Bella is narrating what is going on and her plan for overcoming whatever challenge she is in. Without these effects, the movie would be very bland and the adrenaline rush would not be present. I think soundtracks to movies really deliver what that movie is going to be about. When the first Twilight movie came out, many people actually bought the CD soundtrack that came out after the movie. Personally, I know someone who said the music was soothing and made her feel like she could be Bella in the movie. She was a little too obsessed with Edward, no kidding. Overall, the best movie is Twilight and I believe the soundtrack is what makes it so good.

WEEK 14

What’s your favourite movie that is not a movie musical? Who is the composer of the score? How does the music impact the movie, and what would be the effect if it were absent? Be as specific as possible.

Don't forget your 250 word minimum.

Coldest Winter

On lonely nights I start to fade

(On lonely nights I start to fade)

Her love's a thousand miles away

(Her love's a thousand miles away)

Memories made in the coldest winter

Goodbye, my friend, will I ever love again?

Memories made in the coldest winter

It's 4 am and I can't sleep

(It's 4 am and I can't sleep)

Her love is all that I can see

(Her love is all that I can see)

Memories made in the coldest winter

Goodbye,my friend, will I ever love again?

Memories made in the coldest winter

Winter, winter, oh

Goodbye, my friend, will I ever love again?

Goodbye, my friend, will I ever love again?

Goodbye, my friend, will I ever love again?

If spring can take the snow away

(If spring can take the snow away)

Can it melt away all our mistakes?

(Can it melt away all our mistakes?)

Memories made in the coldest winter

Goodbye, my friend, I won't ever love again

Never again

Lyricist: Jane Mansfield

The reason why I chose Coldest Winter by Kanye West as my favorite "love" song is because of it's beat. I enjoy listening to this song though i'm not into romantic music. At this time I can relate to this song. When Kanye talks about "lonely nights" and his love being a thousand miles away I think about my girlfriend back in Miami and how this winter will be a cold one without her.

Home

Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa But not the way I do love you Well, holy moly, me-oh-my, you're the apple of my eye Girl, I never loved one like you Man, oh, man, you're my best friend, I'll scream it to the nothingness There ain't nothin' that I need Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate cake and Jesus Christ Ain't nothin' please me more than you Home, let me come home Home is wherever I'm with you Oh home, yes, I am home Home is when I'm alone with you La, la, la, la, take me home Mother, I'm comin' home I'll follow you into the park, through the jungle, through the dark Girl, I never loved one like you Moats and boats and waterfalls, alley ways and pay-phone calls I've been everywhere with you, that's true Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night Never could be sweeter than with you And in the streets we're runnin' free like it's only you and me Jeez, you're somethin' to see Home, let me come home Home is wherever I'm with you Oh home, yes, I am home Home is when I'm alone with you La, la, la, la, take me home Daddy, I'm comin' home Jane, Alexander Do you remember that day you fell out of my window? I sure do, you came jumpin' out after me Well, you fell on the concrete and nearly broke your ass And you were bleedin' all over the place and I rushed you off to the hospital You remember that? Yes, I do Well, there's somthin' I never told you about that night Why didn't you tell me? While you were sittin' there in the backseat smokin' a cigarette That you thought was gonna be your last I was fallin' deep, deeply in love with you and I never told you 'til just now Home, let me come home Home is wherever I'm with you Oh home, yes, I am home Home is when I'm alone with you Home, let me come home Home is wherever I'm with you Oh home, yes, I am home Home is when I'm alone with you Alabama, Arkansas I do love my ma and pa Moats and boats and waterfalls Lay awake 'til break of dawn Home is wherever I'm with you Home is when I'm alone with you http://www.metrolyrics.com/home-lyrics-edward-sharpe-the-magnetic-zeros.html This song was introduced to by one of my best friends. He is always finding things that I really enjoy. This is obviously a love song sang between a man and a woman. I like this version of a love song because it is upbeat and not overly serious or depressing. Personally, I feel that love cannot stay in a constant state of utter depth of love and overwhelming passion. No one would really act like that. I like this version because it shows that love can be fun and entertaining. If you are in love with someone and spend most of your time with them you need to laugh and experience lighthearted fun. Some of the best experiences are had with friends. For one, I love this song because it was shown to me by my best friend. Secondly, I have be blessed with a great roommate. She loves the sun and just like the sun she is bubbly and lively. We have a great time when we listen to this song together because we are total idiots together. Basically this song is the best way I think love can be expressed.

Red - Not alone

"Not Alone"

Slowly fading away
You're lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold
Looking for a distant light
Someone who could save a life
You're living in fear that no one will hear your cries
Can you save me now

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause your not, your not alone

Your heart is full of broken dreams
Just a fading memory
And everything's gone but the pain carries on
Lost in the rain again
When will it ever end
The arms of relief seem so out of reach
But I, I am here

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause your not, your not alone

And I'll be your hope when you feel like its over
And I will pick you up when your whole world shatters
And when you're finally in my arms
Look up and see love has a face

I am with you
I will carry you through it all
I won't leave you I will catch you
When you feel like letting go
Cause you're not, you're not alone

And I will be your hope
And I will pick you up
And I will be your hope
And I will be your hope

Slow fading away
Your lost and so afraid
Where is the hope in a world so cold.

I love this song because it reminds me of how God is always there for me in my times of need and he loves me unconditionally. This song reminds me of how I am supposed to love my wife. I am to be there for her, lay down my life for her, carry her when we think we cant go on, and ultimately love her unconditionally. This world does not know this love, and I want to strive to be seperated from this world and its warped values. My experiences with this song were always good. The most memorable time that this song had played was when Allison and I were talking about a hard situation and this song played on the radio. We both lifted our hearts to the lord and held each other in that moment. God gave us piece and held us there too. This is the love that God has in store for those who put there faith in his son, and I am blessed to have a woman in my life that believes and feels the same way. This is also her favorite love song. Written by the Band RED on the album UNTIL WE HAVE FACES.

Whatever It Is by Zac Brown Band

She's got eyes that cut you like a
Knife and lips that taste like sweet red wine
And her pretty legs go to heaven every time
She got a gentle way that puts me at ease
When she walks in a room I can hardly breathe
Got a devastating smile knock a grown man to his knees

She's got whatever it is
It blows me away
She's everything I want to say to a woman
But I couldn't find the words to say
She's got whatever it is
I don't know what to do
And every time I try and tell her how I feel
it comes out "I love you"
You got whatever it is

You know I've never been the type that would ever want to stay
Bring 'em home at night and they're gone the next day
But that all changed when she walked into my life
People ask me what it is
I tell them I don't know
There's just something about the woman makes my heart go haywire
She's gonna be my wife

She's got whatever it is
It blows me away
She's everything I want to say to a woman
But I couldn't find the words to say
She's got whatever it is
I don't know what to do
Because every time I try and tell her how I feel
it comes out "I love you"
You got whatever it is

When she loves me
Girl that's how I feel
When she loves me I'm on top of the world
Because when she loves me I can live forever
When she loves me I am untouchable

She's got whatever it is
It blows me away
She's everything I wanted to say to a woman
but couldn't find the words to say
She's got whatever it is
I don't know what to do
Because every time I try and tell her how I feel
it comes out "I love you"
You got whatever it is

Written by Wyatt Durrette & Zac Brown

This is my favorite love song because the first time I ever heard it, it made me stop in my tracks and replay it a couple times to hear every part of it. It immediately made me think of my girlfriend and how I never knew how to express my feelings to her and this song kind of said it all. When I played it for her later that night, it brought tears to her eyes. I thought the song made her sad but she told me that she finally knew how I felt about her and that she was crying because she knew that I loved her so much. So this has been my favorite love song ever since.

WEEK 13

What is your favourite love song? Post the lyrics, giving credit to the lyricist, then tell us why you love that song. Maybe it’s a story, an experience, the song itself, or someone special that you associate with it. Share a little.

Give Peace A Chance

The song Give Peace a Chance, by John Lennon, which was his first hit away from his band, The Beatles, was recorded on May 31, 1969 at a “Bed-In” that he set up in a room of Queen Elizabeth’s Hotel in Montreal. Accompanied by Yoko Ono, the two stayed in bed for a total of eight days, beginning on May 26, to try to promote one cause, world peace. They got a huge amount of media attention for this, which is exactly what they needed in order to promote world peace. John Lennon, however, was not the only one singing. He actually teamed up with Tommy Smothers, Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, and Petula Clark to produce the song. This song was released during the era of the Vietnam War, so it quickly became the anti-war anthem in the United States for the vast amount of Americans who felt like their country should not be at war with Vietnam. For example, on October 15, 1969, The Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, which was a huge anti-war protest, took place, and the song Give Peace a Chance is what many of the protestors were singing. The American people’s reaction to Lennon’s song definitely made him proud, as he referred to the day when he heard hundreds of thousands of anti-war protestors singing it outside of the White House as “one of the biggest moments of my life.” I think it’s great that a musical icon like John Lennon wrote a song to promote a cause he really believed in. I believe it gave already anti-war supporters something to relate to and use when they were out protesting, and people who either were pro-war or were indifferent a different view to at least consider.

Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue

<br>
<br>


This song is by Toby Keith. He wrote it in late 2001. His father, who was a veteran, had died in2001h 2001. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 inspired Toby Keith even more to write this song. This song definitely kept "the cause" alive especially during this time because we then went to war with Iraq. In the song Toby says, "Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack. A mighty sucker punch came flyin' in from somewhere in the back." Here, he is referring to when the plane came in and hit the twin towers. Toby then comes in to say, "Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye,"Here, he is referring to the moment when America finally found out what had happened and why. He goes on to say, "Man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July." This is probably the part of the song that Americans felt the most nationalism. It is what labels this song as propaganda. This is the part where Americans felt the most passion for this song and their nation. Then Toby Keith says, "Hey Uncle Sam put your name at the top of his list," meaning men and women should stand up and fight for their country because our nation just fell under attack. Why not? He says, "the Statue of Liberty started shakin' her fist and the eagle will fly..Man, it's gonna be hell when you hear Mother Freedom start ringin' her bell." This was Toby Keith's way of telling terrorists basically that they are in for it and they really made us mad when he refers to American icons being outraged with what they did to our nation. He says we are going to start ringin' our bell once we win the war. For the rest of the song he makes comments like, "We'll put a boot in your ass," and "This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage," and "You'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A." I really like this song and probably would have joined the war in Iraq in 2001 if I were not in first grade at the time.

I got some of my sources from Wikipedia.

Propaganda During World War I (1915)

I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be a Soldier.
By Peerless Quartet.

Nazi propaganda

In world war two, the leaders would use these kind of videos to spread their ideas about jews. They compares the jews in the video to the hebrews of the bible as well. The nazi's would also insult the character of the jews by saying that the jewish children had no higher goals other than being street rats. They would also insult the charater by commenting on how the jews would trade for clothes, food, and other things instead of reaching out for higher job opportunities. These videos were used to lessen the value of the Jewish culture and to justify their means to remove them.

The Battle Cry of Freedom During the civil war the union army was low on troop numbers and President Abraham Lincoln sent out a call for 300,000 volunteers. Composer George F. Root found himself compelled to do to something for the war efforts for the Union Army. In response to President Lincolns call, George F. Root wrote, “The Battle Cry of Freedom.” In verse three of this song it says, “WE will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and brave. Shouting the Battle cry of freedom. And although they may be poor, not a man shall be a slave. Shouting the Battle cry of Freedom.” This song was performed on July 24th and 26th in 1862 and after it was performed President Lincoln said, “ You have done more than a hundred generals and a thousand orators.” George F. Root was thrilled the response that his song had inspired. After is was published and incredible 500,000 to 700,000 copies were reprinted. To the success of his war and propaganda efforts George F. Root is quoted saying, “From there (a war rally in Chicago were his song was performed) the song went into the army, and the testimony in regard to its use in the camp and on the march, and even on the field of battle from soldiers and officers, up to the good President himself, made me thankful that if I could not shoulder a musket in defense of my country I could serve her in this way.” http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/on-the-homefront/culture/music/battle-cry-of-freedom/battle-cry-of-freedom.html http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2004-4/thismonth/feature.php http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=780&bih=367&tbm=isch&tbnid=9ryFFt3gRK7r5M:&imgrefurl=http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2010/05/we-remember-the-fallen-civil-war-posters/&docid=ohqRuPzocVC_GM&imgurl=http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/files/legacy/civil%252520war%252520poster8.jpg&w=290&h=399&ei=yEWbUJLEJ47A9gSIv4DQAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=9&sig=115027486888519570155&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=98&start=0&ndsp=5&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:150&tx=52&ty=56

Flight of the Valkyries

When I first read our blog on propaganda this week, I immediately had in mind an idea that I wanted to write about. For this week, I chose to write about Flight/Ride of the Valkyries by Wilhelm Richard Wagner and its uses in depicting the Vietnam War and the effect it had on later wars. Flight of the Valkyrie has a very powerful sound which brings out mixed emotions in most cases. In Western pop culture this song was intended to evoke images of epic battles as well as military badassery in iconic helicopter raids. The example above shows how we would depict Flight of the Valkyrie to be used. In many of the armed forces today, as well as dating back a while, they use movies and clips with this song in them to inspire courage and bravery. I believe most would say this is one of the most ominous pieces ever written.

WEEK 12

Let’s discuss propaganda. Find of an example of propaganda music used by any country. Explain your findings and what types of music the country used to further “the cause,” especially during war time. No evaluation necessary. Feel free to upload any photos or videos that are helpful in explaining your findings.

Be sure to cite your sources within your text or at the end of your blog.

Conflicts between Political Boundaries and Ethnicity

Ethnicity and political boundaries are two very similar ideas but have a different definition. They both separate things, humans, countries, states, etc. Ethnicity separates humans and is easily confused with race but not everyone that is Hispanic is Catholic and not every Catholic is Hispanic. What makes a person part of an ethnicity is not only what religion they practice, but also where they are from, the language they speak and other similar factors. Political boundaries, to me, are simpler to define. A boundary is put to separate things from each other. In the case of a political boundary, it is a way to separate land owned by different communities or populations that govern themselves and do with their land differently than other countries or states. A perfect example of an ethnic group that doesn’t fall nicely within a political boundary is the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. Originally, the 1937 Constitution of Ireland gave the Catholic Church a "special position" as the church of the majority. As with other predominantly Catholic European states, the Irish state underwent a period of legal secularization in the late twentieth century. In 1972, the article of the Constitution naming specific religious groups, including the Catholic Church, was deleted by the fifth amendment of the constitution in a referendum. Now-a-days 85% of Irish are Roman Catholic but the predominant religion is Christianity. When ethnicities and politics cross, huge conflicts arise. In the U.S. abortion is one. Catholics don’t believe in abortion but some politicians are pro-choice. This divergence between what a religion and what a politician believe in can influence a whole country. 

Ethnic groups and politcal boundaries

Cultural values, beliefs, and ideals are all qualities that ethnic groups share and that distinguish them from other groups. These groups also commonly share history, kinship, religion and language. Political boundaries are only imaginary lines that can separate countries, states, or provinces within countries from one another. These boundaries do not necessarily enclose different ethnic groups. The United States, for example, has a large quantity of those boundaries in the country itself but also within its states. If an ethnic group crosses one of these political boundaries it can create political tension or conflict. One of the ethnic groups that does not fit within a specific political boundary is the Kurdish people, which are an Iranic ethnic group. They live in many different countries throughout the Middle East, like Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia, and Lebanon. They also live in the United States and Western Europe.  When ethnic groups are crossed with politics ethnic conflicts or sometimes even ethnic wars can start. The most extreme outcome of ethnic groups and political boundaries being crossed is genocide, which is an attempt to put an end to an entire ethnic group. Also, the emigration of a large amount of ethnic group members has resulted from political conflicts. Rwandans, for example, moved into close by African countries after the Rwandan genocide of 1994. This created a huge number of displaced refugees.  Another example of conflicts arising is when an ethnic group minority in a state wants to have their own nation, state, or homeland as protection against persecution, which may create ethnic separatist and secessionist movements that cause political conflict.

Political boundaries.

I would have to say that a political boundary is the existing line that seperates states and counties. I would also have to say that a political boundary is also the rules, regulations, ans laws that control what the country or community is able to do, say, and believe. An example of a political boundary from the past is the Louisiana Purchase. At the time, the United State's purchase of Louisiana was considered unconstitutional. Thomas Jefferson went ahead and made the purchase in order to remove Frances presence in the region and to protect the United States trade access point to the port of New Orleans and free passage on the Mississippi River. Before the purchase, the political boundaries of the U.S. stopped at the state line around Louisiana which was considered French territory. After the purchase, our political and social views were able to influence the lifestyle in the community that lived within Louisiana. Now, I do believe that we should be careful who we hand leadership over to. I believe that the united states laws are becoming more and more  complex and that we are in danger of having our values devalued, our lifestlyles controlled and our believes locked away under law. Thats just me though. Areas that will always clash between political boundaries and Ethnics is tradition. With laws changing and new limits set, things that we have always felt were right are now wrong in the eyes of the Man Made law. Example, Faith in school or in public.

Ireland

A political boundary separates one country from another. It outlines the jurisdiction of these regions and governs the people contained within them. In Northern Ireland, which is owned by England, there are two major groups that are struggling against one another. The (English) Protestant unionist community wishes to remain a part of the United Kingdom, while the (Irish) Catholic nationalists want to separate from England and have Ireland as a whole be united. This situation has come to be known as “The Troubles.” Three decades of violence plagued this region, beginning in 1969. The Catholics were discriminated against, and staged a civil rights movement. They formed the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) and modeled their peaceful demonstrations after those of Martin Luther King Jr.’s movement in America. However, many of their marches turned into riots as the Protestants struggled to maintain control. The violence peaked in 1972 when over five hundred lives were lost—half of them were civilian casualties. In 1973, the Sunningdale Agreement was reached, and the “Council of Ireland” was designed for power to be shared between the groups. While this encouraged them to work together, the Protestants eventually won the majority of seats and ended the agreement. The cycle of protests, hunger strikes, cease-fires, negotiations, and breaking of agreements continued throughout the decades. Between 1969 and 2001, 3,526 lives were lost to “The Troubles.” While the conflict is all but resolved, the violence has slowed down considerably. Crimes are committed behind closed doors rather than having all-out riots in the streets.

Jerusalem

A political boundary is a line that separates countries, state, provinces, or communities. It is of a legal matter and has been created as a means to enforce political ethics on a region. Simply because there are political boundaries does not always mean that the cultures within are the same. Sometimes a political boundary can interfere with an ethnic boundary. In our textbook, it defines ethnicity as “a group that is bound by a shared identity and common ancestry, that is, by a combination of lived experiences and genetic materials.” Personally, I believe that one’s ethnic identity is largely influenced by their religion. In most parts of the world and throughout many major religions, it plays a huge role in an individual’s ethnic identity. One example of a political boundary interfering with ethnic boundaries is the city of Jerusalem in Israel. The city of Jerusalem is important to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. I am only going to touch base with Judaism and Islam identities and how they are connected through conflict of their ethnicities and political boundaries. First, Jerusalem is important to the religion of Judaism because the Temple was originally built there which made it the capital of the religion. In fact, today Jews still face Jerusalem to pray. Second, Jerusalem is religiously significant to Islam because the Prophet Muhammad was taken from a temple in Jerusalem and made his ascension into heaven where he spoke with previous prophet and eventually came back down to earth to share his wisdom. Obviously there is a lot of religious history to the city concerning both religions. Religion is one of the main reasons that there is political conflict within the city. The history between the two cities has been going on since 1936. Basically today Israeli’s are in control of the city and Palestine’s have been fighting for the rights to the city. One major political war outbreak took place in the Gaza strip. Israeli’s bombed the strip where the Palestine’s live. Throughout history there many lives have been lost over this political and ethnic boundary.

WEEK 11

What is the difference between ethnicity and political boundary? Find an example of an ethnic group that does not fall nicely within a political boundary. What sort of conflicts arise when ethnicities and politics cross?

Political Ad music

In searching for political ads, I found both positive and negative ads for President Barack Obama as well as Governor Mitt Romney. The music in these political ads were very influential to the message it was trying to send. With there being both positive and negative ads, there were also positive and negative music that went with them. All the ads that were shown in support of a particular candidate where represented in positive music while all the ads that were meant to bash the opposing candidate were presented with negative music. Trying to imagine these political ads without their music is hard to do. If we remove the music from the ads, granted we still have the words, the impact of the ad in its entirety is much less significant. The music for campaign ads, like other commercials, is meant to evoke specific feelings towards what is being advertised. Without the music, it is much more difficult to draw out these emotions. This especially applies to situations where a person might be multitasking. While words can drone on in the background without being completely comprehended, music can draw much more attention and the person will still get the major point being conveyed. The pattern I have noticed with this is that around ninety percent of the ads are bashing the other candidates, and occur in the beginning stages of the campaigns. Towards the end of the race, the ads have more positive messages trying to gain the support of the voters.

2012 Presidential Ads

The background music for these ads certainly set the mood for the candidates' messages they are trying to put out for their audience. The music in the first video on youtube I watched was really fast and upbeat violin music. It was putting Romney down. It compared what he had said in 2002 when he ran for govenor of Massachusetts to what he is saying now about being president in 2012. It basically showed that he essentially has done absolutely nothing to increase the number of jobs in Massachusetts. By this time the upbeat music switched from violin to upbeat, yet gloomy piano music. It is a very negative ad for Romney's reputation. As a matter of fact, a lot of the Romney ads I searched for were negative and put him down. I found more positive ads supporting Obama than I did for Romney. I found an ad for Obama that was really upbeat and people in the background were cheering and the music was loud and enthusiastic to Obama's message. Music plays a huge role in these election campaigns. As I mentioned before, it sets the mood for the points they are trying to put across to their viewers.

Political ad campaings

Think of how music has revolutionized the movie industry. If Steven Spielberg had not added music to “Jaws” it would have never came close to its success. Commercials are just short films. If you watch a commercial for a president campaigning, in the background you will hear music that rises and swells the pride we take in our country and it screams patriotism. The music screams out positiveness and uplifts your spirit. It is like a subliminal message to our brains to believe in this candidate. Part of campaigning is refuting your opponent. Sometimes they do this through the use of ads on TV. The ads are layered with music that makes a viewer feel anxious. The music is discordant and climaxes to a give the viewer a feeling of impending doom. Or comes in soft and slow making things sad shining some pity on the candidate. Without music in this, think about how this would seem? When that sad moment was happening would you feel the same sadness or pity? How about when he/she is telling you something patriotic? Without music would it have the same emphasis on you? Remember back to "Jaws," you know the shark is coming when you hear the music in the background. Each party uses the same music samples to influence the viewer's emotional response which tailors to the desires of the political campaigner. Music is tool used in elections to enhance commercials and move the emotions of the people to vote for the campaigner.

Music and Presidental Ads

The first ad that I watched was Obama's first official ad before he had ever became president. He was talking about change in the school system, change in the taxation, and change in healthcare. Although he never pulled through, the ad was positive. The music in the background sounded like a symphony playing. To me, the music made the ad sound hopeful. I think that they had applied this music for that specific reason. I don't think it would have changed the message of the ad if the music were taken out of the ad. The second as that I watched was Richard Nixon's ad against the Vietnam war. The background music was tribal sounding and mostly consisted of drums. This tied into the video clips and pictures shown of the war in Vietnam. I think that if the music were to be taken out, the video would have been less dramatic. Since the ad was about war and the need for new U.S. leadership, I would have to say that the ad was definitely negative.  I think that music in any ad is an important element to have. Music makes things seem more important or dramatic and is a very influential tool that can be used in several forms of media.

Presidential Ads

I decided to watch ads from both president candidates, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. Mitt Romney’s ad starts off with him talking about unemployment and the music is kind of gloomy but it also gives you a fast beat in the back, sort of intriguing sound. He goes on to talk about his policies and poverty around the world, at this point the music turned into a slower, piano type melody. Barack Obama’s ad was completely different, though the music was alike. Starting off with a round of applause from a crowd, the ad then goes on to the President’s success throughout his first term and the music is now a faster melody, giving a happy and successful feeling. The other ads I watched were alike these two, mostly positive ads. The music plays a big role on these ads, and is thoroughly thought through. If the music doesn't match the ad then the viewer won’t have a feel for what the candidate or person is saying. The advertisement depends on the music to grab people’s attention. An ad without music would be too plain. People would probably just hear the first few words and then daze off. The emotional feeling is completely gone. Visuals have a lot to do with this as well though. The patterns I noticed as I watched these ads continuously, was that whenever they would talk about subjects like poverty, unemployment, or abortion, the music would get sadder and slower but when they spoke about their policies and what they “are going to do for our country”, the music speeds up a little giving it a winning type feeling. Sort of like a ‘coming out of a recession’ feeling. 

WEEK 10

Watch some elections ads from candidates from multiple parties. Try to find both positive and negative ads. What effect or affect does the music have on the advertisement? Imagine it without the music. Does it have the same effect? Do you notice any patterns along party or positional lines? Searching the internet/YouTube to find videos may be more efficient than sitting at home watching for them on television.

Check this out

New staging doesn't change impact of "Les Mis"

Great reviews for the show in St. Louis. It looks like it will be quite different from what I was expecting. Different is good.

Hairspray

I chose to do my blog on the musical Hairspray. It was written by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan. The music is by Marc Shaiman and lyrics are by Scott Wittman. The musical is based on the John Waters film by the same name. The musical includes various upbeat 1960s-style music and downtown rhythm and blues which fit the story well since the plot is revolved around a dance show. It is about a teenage girl in high school by the name of Tracy Turnblad, and her one dream to dance on The Corny Collins Show. The show is actually based on the real show called The Buddy Deane Show. Eventually Tracy wins a shot to be on the show and she becomes an overnight celebrity. She soon realizes the racial tension that is on the show and soon starts a campaign to integrate it.  This story deals with several different issues and stereotypes. Race, for example, is a huge issue in the musical. There was only one day African-Americans were allowed on the show, which is “Negro Day.” Tracy doesn’t think this is right so she rallies everyone she can and starts a march against the television station on another special day on the show, “Mother-Daughter Day.” However, the police arrived on the scene and almost everyone is arrested. I have not seen the musical but I have seen the movie. I thought it was pretty good and would like to see the musical someday to be able to compare the two.

Billy Elliot

-Billy Eliot has won 10 Tony Awards in 2009 and including best musical. Elton john was the creator of music along with Lee Hall writing the lyrics and book. Lee also wrote the film’s screenplay.

-The setting of this musical is in the 1980’s, in the town of Easington, North of England. Billy is the main character who is around the age of 11 that lives with just his father, grandmother, and brother. Who encourages Billy to dance is Mrs. Wilkinson who is the local dance class teacher. Billy Elliot is the story of a boy who doesn’t have his mother in his life. He goes to boxing practice and was told to give Mrs. Wilkinson the keys for the building and she would pay attention to him. All of a sudden he was drawn to what her class was and he started dancing. Mrs. Wilkinson suddenly sees Billy’s talent and encourages him to keep at it. He uses his money for boxing to do dance lessons instead. His father finds out and he was furious of having a son in dance. Mrs. W then secretly gives Billy lessons. She then convinces his dad how much talent Billy has and Billy then accepts a school to go for dance.

-The issue and stereotype of the musical is Billy’s father not letting him be in dance because it is for girls.

-The music is an upbeat jazzy type. The music matches to the actions of the musical. There are certain songs to where Billy is learning how to dance in ballet.

-I have seen the movie Billy Elliot. I would like to see the musical. I liked the movie because it had me hanging on the whole time I was watching it