Introduction
For my second performance report, I attended the Thursday, April 15th showing of Side Show: The Musical. It featured a full cast of actors and musicians pulled from UTD arts program. All of these students and the faculty who aided them put forth a couple of years to make the production as successful as it is.
Music
With a full repertoire of at least 25 songs, the intermission was the quietest moment in the show. The small pit orchestra played for almost 2 hours strait. Almost every moment was built upon the emotions from the music that continually flowed. Most songs were put to a slow tempo with somber and quiet moods or slightly uplifting melodic contours. Although there were many times the music rised in tension with the play, none of the songs expressed discordant anger. At most a swelling of passion was expressed during emphasized events.
Performers
All the students who performed did well and were well versed in their practicing roles. The orchestra was composed of 5 woodwinds, 6 brass, 2 guitarist, 2 percussion and a synthesizer. The stage design broke visual contact of the them most of the time, but the amount of feeling in their composure was easy to hear. The actors sold their parts well and the emotions were easy to believe. Accessory to the visual representation, the musicians filled any doubt to the emotional composition of the story.
Audience
I expected to see mostly students cramming in to take notes for report writing, but was suprised when that was not necessarily the case. I observed a number of older audience members and several faculty as well. Several times the audience was asked to fill in middle seats in order to fit in more. By the time the performance began, the theatre was quite packed. Despite the lack of a heavy young influence among the audience, participants were still quick to begin chatting and gosipping during intermission and after the show. Almost no empty seats became available after intermission finished and the performance resumed.
Time and Space
The performance took place in a medium sized theatre on campus. This allowed for the small orchestra to still be heard clearly throughout without having to enhance their volume or loudly distort them. It was very packed performance. I think this was enough to cause a good case of stage fright, but the applause would have been loud enough to still inspire the performers. Being that I attend the free admission for everyone Thursday performance, even the people who came but wouldn't otherwise pay to see it would have been glad they came. Performances always seem to be better when they are a pleasant surprise, and this performance seemed to have that sort of air about it.
Conclusion
The performance of the actors and the musicians seemed more well put together and refined than I have previously witnessed from UTD theatre performance. The event received a standing ovation and well deserved it. The story, musicians and the visual representation of it all supported each other very nicely.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Post 12 - Rock (Death Metal)
1)
Death Metal is a subgenre of Heavy Metal which derives from Rock. Attributes of Death Metal include blast beat drumming(rapid and dynamic beats that are more akin to sonic violence than music), low and rough guttural vocals, minor key signatures, and multiple tempo and key changes. Although, some of its own subgenres break from these constraints. Bands of this genre usually include two electric guitars, one bass, a vocalist and a drummer. Song vocals are usually focused around extreme acts of stylized violence. Though, this may not be where the genre gets its name. "Death" was one of the pioneer bands to play this style of music and claimed to play their own version of Metal "Death's Metal". Live performances often encourage heavy crowd interaction and can easily get out of control.
2)
Deathbox by Mnemic
Lyrics
"I'm in a state of despair
Nothing seems to fit my mind
And although I can't be there
but I don't know that there's a place for someone just like me
Will I ever wake up
Wake up to see the box I'm in
Will I ever stand up
I'm standing on the edge of inability
And though I'm trying it still penetrates my body
All these demons that I carry deep inside
The changing faces forces me to leave the traces
Of the stranger things that are growing in my mind
Oh I know that I have
Done this once or twice before
The names are still a blur
I'm arrogantly close to falling off the edge
I know I'm not insane
Though my head hurts on the inside
The images disturb me
I know I'm not insane, I'm not what they call me
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
The blood just paints my world
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
They're forcing my actions upon my deathbox
And though I'm trying it still penetrates my body
All these demons that I carry deep inside
The changing faces forces me to leave the traces
Of the stranger things that are growing in my mind
Now will I ever wake up
Wake up to see the box I'm in
Will I ever stand up
I'm standing on the edge of inability
Now is this a failure
My project kill is right awake
I'm all burned out from pressure
My thoughts have brought me to my knees
Awake in pain
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
The blood just paints my world
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
They're forcing my actions upon my deathbox"
0:00 Almost silent intro. Ominous electric flutters dance in the air.
0:08 Song quickly fades in over the next three seconds, starting with a death growl and simultaneous rhythms form all instruments.
0:21 Vocals begin and drums begin to break away from uniformity as the song begins to pick up.
0:42 Vocals change in contour. Harmony is added and pitch is raised for some time while the drums cut back to accentuate it even more so.
1:00 Lyrical and Melodic break for a few seconds before being brought back with another drawn out death growl.
1:07 Begins syncopated and alternating guitar from left and right.
1:12 Vocals resume
1:24 Echo effect used on vocals
1:34 Repeat of vocal pitch and contour change at 0:42 but without harmony and distinct guitar melody difference.
2:00 Musical interlude.
2:07 Add vocal harmony.
2:25 Phrase Break. Begin last repeat of vocal and musical changes until end.
3:20 End vocals, trailing music till end.
Death Metal is a subgenre of Heavy Metal which derives from Rock. Attributes of Death Metal include blast beat drumming(rapid and dynamic beats that are more akin to sonic violence than music), low and rough guttural vocals, minor key signatures, and multiple tempo and key changes. Although, some of its own subgenres break from these constraints. Bands of this genre usually include two electric guitars, one bass, a vocalist and a drummer. Song vocals are usually focused around extreme acts of stylized violence. Though, this may not be where the genre gets its name. "Death" was one of the pioneer bands to play this style of music and claimed to play their own version of Metal "Death's Metal". Live performances often encourage heavy crowd interaction and can easily get out of control.
2)
Deathbox by Mnemic
Lyrics
"I'm in a state of despair
Nothing seems to fit my mind
And although I can't be there
but I don't know that there's a place for someone just like me
Will I ever wake up
Wake up to see the box I'm in
Will I ever stand up
I'm standing on the edge of inability
And though I'm trying it still penetrates my body
All these demons that I carry deep inside
The changing faces forces me to leave the traces
Of the stranger things that are growing in my mind
Oh I know that I have
Done this once or twice before
The names are still a blur
I'm arrogantly close to falling off the edge
I know I'm not insane
Though my head hurts on the inside
The images disturb me
I know I'm not insane, I'm not what they call me
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
The blood just paints my world
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
They're forcing my actions upon my deathbox
And though I'm trying it still penetrates my body
All these demons that I carry deep inside
The changing faces forces me to leave the traces
Of the stranger things that are growing in my mind
Now will I ever wake up
Wake up to see the box I'm in
Will I ever stand up
I'm standing on the edge of inability
Now is this a failure
My project kill is right awake
I'm all burned out from pressure
My thoughts have brought me to my knees
Awake in pain
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
The blood just paints my world
They're no good - still surrounding me
Forcing my actions upon me
They're forcing my actions upon my deathbox"
0:00 Almost silent intro. Ominous electric flutters dance in the air.
0:08 Song quickly fades in over the next three seconds, starting with a death growl and simultaneous rhythms form all instruments.
0:21 Vocals begin and drums begin to break away from uniformity as the song begins to pick up.
0:42 Vocals change in contour. Harmony is added and pitch is raised for some time while the drums cut back to accentuate it even more so.
1:00 Lyrical and Melodic break for a few seconds before being brought back with another drawn out death growl.
1:07 Begins syncopated and alternating guitar from left and right.
1:12 Vocals resume
1:24 Echo effect used on vocals
1:34 Repeat of vocal pitch and contour change at 0:42 but without harmony and distinct guitar melody difference.
2:00 Musical interlude.
2:07 Add vocal harmony.
2:25 Phrase Break. Begin last repeat of vocal and musical changes until end.
3:20 End vocals, trailing music till end.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Post 11 - Gullah
The Gullah are a group of people of strong African culture that reside in South Carolina and Georgia. They have preserved their culture and some third generation Gullah still speak their language. Though their culture is still strong, they fight to keep their original lands gained in emancipation. Resorts from the coastal islands contend for the choice land that many Gullah own.
The music of the Gullah culture focuses heavily on the spoken words. Drums are added sometimes, but often someone seems to just be speaking or yelling to a group of people. In co-ordinance with their fight against slavery, they express the self and promote others to do the same. Performers dance and sing what they want. They stick to many traditions but self expression is highly valued. Audience members are encouraged to do the same, to get up and dance and physically express themselves. Time and Space seem to shape the music as much as it does the individuals performing at the time.
Unrelated to their music, I don't understand why they follow a "Queen" Quet.
The music of the Gullah culture focuses heavily on the spoken words. Drums are added sometimes, but often someone seems to just be speaking or yelling to a group of people. In co-ordinance with their fight against slavery, they express the self and promote others to do the same. Performers dance and sing what they want. They stick to many traditions but self expression is highly valued. Audience members are encouraged to do the same, to get up and dance and physically express themselves. Time and Space seem to shape the music as much as it does the individuals performing at the time.
Unrelated to their music, I don't understand why they follow a "Queen" Quet.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Performance Report 1
China Invasion Tour
Introduction
For my first performance report, I attended the Chinese punk concert at the Double Wide, south of downtown Dallas, on March 28th. It featured the three Chinese punk bands AV Okubo, Carsick Cars and P.K. 14. All of these bands have made a strong impact in Beijing and have come to demonstrate their potential, and possibly that of the entire genre as it exists in China, to us here in the USA.
Music
All of the music played that night was, as far a I could tell, original songs of almost entirely Chinese vocals. As with punk music in our own country, It can only be described as original because there isn't much about it that is musical other than the usually constant beat. The texture was course throughout and most likely offensive to anyone not used to it. The Carsick Cars were the smoothest and best performed of the three bands. The timbre is metallic in nature. Short songs filled with harsh and well defined notes mingled with the entourage of electrical modulations of sound. There was an ample supply of feedback in much of the performance.
Performers
Overall they were skilled technically. AV Okubo kind of reminded me of The Romones with their lead vocals, Yu Lan, commanding some stage presence by belting out some serious yells. The lead guitarist of Carsick Cars was also impressive. P.K. 14, despite being the headlined band, seems lackluster compared to the other two bands. In general, they performed on a individual basis. They all do their own thing and when they can, they show off what they can do with their instruments. To add to their individuality, each member dressed flashy. The total stage presence was reminiscent of early rock and roll performances.
Audience
The amount of energy from the audience that I experienced was only second to that of some Japanese punk rock bands at the annual A-kon convention, and that was probably only because of the increased size. If you pieced together scenes from grunge, indie and early rock, and US punk concerts you might have and accurate visual of the crowd that attended. It was hard to estimate the size of the crowd because it was so packed, but everyone looked to be mid twenties or older. Everyone was allowed to enjoy themselves, and I think everyone did. The show and audience, however dispersed as quickly as they showed up for the start of it.
Time and Space
The concert took place a small stage. The largest significance of this being that it allowed greater interaction between the performers and audience. Each of them were able to feed of each others energy. The loud cheers from the audience drove the bands to be more energetic. It was very packed and crowded at the performance. I almost thought that I wouldn't be allowed to enter when the place went from nearly empty to a line a few blocks to get in. People were definitely excited to see what these new bands had to offer and all of that excitement changed the overall experience of the night. Despite the amazing impact of the performance, the musical elements employed would have been better suited for a larger and better equipped stage. I think the loud speaker to the hand held microphone was unintelligible even for those who spoke Mandarin. Less tenuation between electrical cords would have yielded clearer magnification of complex guitar rhythms.
Conclusion
The performance and the elements of this performance were very similar to those in our current punk and early rock and roll bands. The methods of performance and the energetic stage presence incited the crowd and vice versa. The venue and stage setup provided a medium for the excitement, but a larger stage would have increased the quality of the music. All and all it was a life changing experience.
Introduction
For my first performance report, I attended the Chinese punk concert at the Double Wide, south of downtown Dallas, on March 28th. It featured the three Chinese punk bands AV Okubo, Carsick Cars and P.K. 14. All of these bands have made a strong impact in Beijing and have come to demonstrate their potential, and possibly that of the entire genre as it exists in China, to us here in the USA.
Music
All of the music played that night was, as far a I could tell, original songs of almost entirely Chinese vocals. As with punk music in our own country, It can only be described as original because there isn't much about it that is musical other than the usually constant beat. The texture was course throughout and most likely offensive to anyone not used to it. The Carsick Cars were the smoothest and best performed of the three bands. The timbre is metallic in nature. Short songs filled with harsh and well defined notes mingled with the entourage of electrical modulations of sound. There was an ample supply of feedback in much of the performance.
Performers
Overall they were skilled technically. AV Okubo kind of reminded me of The Romones with their lead vocals, Yu Lan, commanding some stage presence by belting out some serious yells. The lead guitarist of Carsick Cars was also impressive. P.K. 14, despite being the headlined band, seems lackluster compared to the other two bands. In general, they performed on a individual basis. They all do their own thing and when they can, they show off what they can do with their instruments. To add to their individuality, each member dressed flashy. The total stage presence was reminiscent of early rock and roll performances.
Audience
The amount of energy from the audience that I experienced was only second to that of some Japanese punk rock bands at the annual A-kon convention, and that was probably only because of the increased size. If you pieced together scenes from grunge, indie and early rock, and US punk concerts you might have and accurate visual of the crowd that attended. It was hard to estimate the size of the crowd because it was so packed, but everyone looked to be mid twenties or older. Everyone was allowed to enjoy themselves, and I think everyone did. The show and audience, however dispersed as quickly as they showed up for the start of it.
Time and Space
The concert took place a small stage. The largest significance of this being that it allowed greater interaction between the performers and audience. Each of them were able to feed of each others energy. The loud cheers from the audience drove the bands to be more energetic. It was very packed and crowded at the performance. I almost thought that I wouldn't be allowed to enter when the place went from nearly empty to a line a few blocks to get in. People were definitely excited to see what these new bands had to offer and all of that excitement changed the overall experience of the night. Despite the amazing impact of the performance, the musical elements employed would have been better suited for a larger and better equipped stage. I think the loud speaker to the hand held microphone was unintelligible even for those who spoke Mandarin. Less tenuation between electrical cords would have yielded clearer magnification of complex guitar rhythms.
Conclusion
The performance and the elements of this performance were very similar to those in our current punk and early rock and roll bands. The methods of performance and the energetic stage presence incited the crowd and vice versa. The venue and stage setup provided a medium for the excitement, but a larger stage would have increased the quality of the music. All and all it was a life changing experience.
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